Embracing Imperfections

A window into my meditation practice

Evaluation of Herington general integral test for vapor-liquid equilibrium data

A new set of general integral tests for the thermodynamic consistency of isothermal and isobaric equilibrium data of binary systems was proposed by E.F.G. Herington. The systems Benzene-Cyclohexane and Benzene-n-Propanol were examined using Herington integral test-. The data used included sets of data known to be in error. One set was, in effect, at true vapor-liquid equilibrium (the data of literature) but the other data was obtained when the system was inadequately insulated and heated. Heringtan test showed significantly different estimates for heats of mixing for the cases involved. The best data showed heats of mixing near the theoratical values. The data known to be erroneous showed heats of mixing at variance with observation. The Herington test is found to be a significant improvement over the standard area test

Optimization of hydrothermal-assisted alkali process for enhanced xylan recovery from banana fiber biomass

Banana fiber is a rich lignocellulosic biomass source that has not been widely explored. The hemicellulose components (15 - 20 %) of banana fiber can be a feedstock for producing high-value commodity chemicals. Hemicellulose is extracted by physical, chemical, and biological methods, in which combining hydrothermal treatment with alkaline mode of extraction provides an enhanced recovery percentage. Thus, the present study aimed to optimize the hydrothermal-assisted alkaline method of xylan extraction from the banana fiber biomass. Initially, xylan was extracted with a conventional-based alkali method. A maximum of about 43 and 35 % was recovered from pretreated and raw banana fiber at 12% NaOH concentration when incubated at 55 °C for 24 h. To improve the xylan yield, the hydrothermal assisted alkali method experimented in which 67.1% and 58.3 % of xylan were recovered when treated at 121 °C for 1 h at 12% NaOH. To further enhance the xylan recovery, a two-step alkali process by combining conventional and hydrothermal-assisted alkali methods resulted in the highest xylan (81%) recovery from pretreated banana fiber when incubated with 12 % alkali for 8 h followed by steam treatment. On the other hand, a maximum of 73 % of xylan was recovered when steam treated after incubation for 24 h from raw banana fiber. Thus, the alkali incubation followed by steam treatment significantly showed the highest xylan recovery from the banana fiber biomass. The extracted xylan might be utilized as a source for various xylan-based products, including furfural, xylooligosaccharides, xylose, and xylitol, all of which have significant roles in the pharmaceutical and food industries

Effect of Informal Settlements on Water Quality

ABSTRACT Businesses and other informal settlements have said to be the key of polluters of the Kabuthi River. The population pollutes streams of water, especially Kabuthi River by disposing waste into the rivers. This makes the water unsafe for domestic use by the big slums populations that has to buy water for drinking, cooking, washing clothes and feeding animals yet there is a stream that passes by their homes. The settlements include Gachui, Kwanjiku, Mutuini, Kirigu,Mutego and Waithaka among others. The study was also set out to establish the key polluters of Kabuthi River by investigating the activities the river and other mentioned informal settlements where the stream passes. To make this study possible both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data sources included field observations and 150 questionnaires completed by the residents. A total of 16 villages around the streams were selected where interviews were conducted and questionnaires filled through random sampling. Three water samples were taken from River Kabuthi at 1Km interval and tested in the laboratory. Two other waste water samples results were borrowed from study on slaughter houses located in the areas along which the stream flows to establish whether they too contributed to the pollution of urban streams. Data analysis and presentation was undertaken using both general qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis of samples was undertaken in the Environmental Health Engineering Laboratory at University of Nairobi with additional help by Davis and Shirtliff

THE EFFECT OF BIODIESEL AND BIOETHANOL BLENDED DIESEL FUEL ON THE PERFORMANCE AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF A DIRECT INJECTION DIESEL ENGINE

History has seen fuel innovations being driven majorly by transportation needs rather than the overall need to revolutionize the energy needs of the society. Biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol are now receiving the impetus required for becoming a fuel source for the future. One of the ways to reduce the dependence on fossil diesel is the blending of bioethanol with conventional diesel. However, an emulsifier or a co-solvent is required to stabilize the blend. The ricebran oil biodiesel offers an alternative application as an emulsifier for diesel-ethanol blends to form diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. In the present study the rice bran oil biodiesel was used in different ways such as pure biodiesel, blending with diesel and diesel- ethanol blends. The performance and emission characteristics of a direct injection (DI) diesel engine when fuelled with conventional diesel fuel, pure biodiesel, a blend of diesel and biodiesel and three blends of diesel-biodiesel-ethanol were studied over the entire range of load on the engine. The experimental results showed that the highest brake thermal efficiency was observed with 30% ethanol in diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. The exhaust gas temperature and sound reduced with the increase of ethanol percentage in diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. The Carbon monoxide, smoke, exhaust gas temperature and sound reduced with the increase of ethanol percentage in diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. The minimum values of Carbon monoxides, smoke, exhaust gas temperature and sound intensity were observed with the blend BE30 and were respectively 41.23%, 14.5%, 0.57% and 11.53% lower than that of the diesel fuel. The Oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions increased with the increased percentage of ethanol in diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. The hydrocarbon emissions increased with ethanol but lower than that of the diesel fuel by a maximum of 35.35% with 10% ethanol in diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blend. The blending of 20% biodiesel into diesel-ethanol blends allowed higher percentage (30%) of ethanol mixing with diesel, increased the brake thermal efficiency and reduced the carbon monoxide, sound, hydrocarbons and smoke than that of the diesel fuel. So the rice bran oil biodiesel can be used as an emulsifier to mix higher percentage of ethanol with fossil diesel to improve the performance and reduce the emissions of a diesel engine

Gender Based Mood Analysis on Purchase of Wrist Watches in Bangalore, Karnataka

Buying behavior and spending pattern are highly influenced by mood of the customer in general. Mood shapes person’s attention, choices of the product and purchasing decision though the life span of mood is short. Organizations must find out means and measures to trigger customers’ mood into positive that in turn will induce them to buy the product. This article focuses on gender-based mood analysis on purchase of wrist watches. The researcher has adopted structured questionnaire to get the primary responses from the respondent to study how far mood varies among the genders on purchase of wrist watches and researcher has made framework to highlight the order of the measures / attributes to be followed to trigger the customers’ mood. The researcher has applied descriptive statistics to present the key aspects of mood of the respondents and applied ranking method to identify the attribute that trigger the mood of the potential customers. It is concluded that the attribute of demonstration of wrist watches features in specific to men and women, building a community group and attribute of need, elite and self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, aspiration, and marketing communication tactics are some of the significant attributes that trigger the customers to buy wrist watches from highest order to lowest order

Prostaglandin E<SUB>2</SUB> regulates tumor angiogenesis in prostate cancer

In cancer management, the cyclooxygenase (COX)-targeted approach has shown great promise in anticancer therapeutics. However, the use of COX-2 inhibitors has side effects and health hazards; thus, targeting its major metabolite prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-mediated signaling pathway might be a rational approach for the next generation of cancer management. Recent studies on several in vitro and in vivo models have revealed that elevated expression of COX-2 correlates with prostate tumor growth and angiogenesis. In this study, we have shown the in-depth molecular mechanism and the PGE2 activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and &#946;3 integrin through E prostanoid 2 (EP2)-mediated and EP4-mediated pathways, which lead to activator protein-1 (AP-1) activation. Moreover, PGE2 also induces activating transcription factor-4 (ATF-4) activation and stimulates cross-talk between ATF-4 and AP-1, which is unidirectional toward AP-1, which leads to the increased expressions of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and vascular endothelial growth factor and, eventually, regulates prostate tumor cell motility. In vivo Matrigel angiogenesis assay data revealed that PGE2 induces angiogenesis through EP2 and EP4. Human prostate cancer specimen analysis also supported our in vitro and in vivo studies. Our data suggest that targeting PGE2 signaling pathway (i.e., blocking EP2 and EP4 receptors) might be a rational therapeutic approach for overcoming the side effects of COX-2 inhibitors and that this might be a novel strategy for the next generation of prostate cancer management

Primary cesearean section in multigravidas

Background: Cesarean section is one of the widely performed surgical procedures across the world. Cesarean section is associated with increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, despite remarkable improvements in the safety. The objective of the present study is to study the cesearean section in the context of various indications, parity, intraoperative complications, post-operative morbidity, and perinatal morbidity among multigravidae undergoing cesarean section for first time.Methods: The present study was carried out at Yenepoya medical college hospital. All multigravidas who had delivered vaginally once or more and who underwent primary caesarean sections for the first time during time period of August 2015-May 2016 were included in study and various factors are analyzed.Results: In our study most of primary cesearean sections were in second paras who constituted 50%, followed by 4/> paras constituting 29.54%, and it was observed that incidence in third paras was 20.45%. 75% of the patients underwent emergency cesearean section and 25% had elective ceserean section. The most common indication for cesearean in our study was observed to be fetal distress accounting for 25% of the cases, 2nd most common being malpresentations (19.31%), non-progress of labor constituting 11.36% of cases. Intra operative complications were noted in 6.81% of cases, most common complication being extension of uterine incision extension of uterine incision.Conclusions: Complications may occur in women who previously had a normal vaginal delivery requiring interventions in the form of caesarean section and is not uncommon. Though to a small extent, they are contributing to rise is total caesarean section rates seen. There are many cases where a caesarean becomes mandatory for her. The fact that a multipara who has had one or more vaginal deliveries should be regarded as an optimistic historical fact, not as diagnostic-criteria for spontaneous delivery of the pregnancy at hand. A parous woman needs good obstetric care to improve maternal and neonatal outcome and still keeping caesarean section to a lower rate

THE RELATION BETWEEN INTERNET, DEPRESSION, SELF-ESTEEM AND SOCIAL ATTACHMENT ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION OF HEALTH CARE INDIVIDUALS

Objective: To assess the internet use in health care individuals and its impact on depression, self-esteem and social attachment on cognitive function of health care individuals.Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey which included one hundred and ten healthcare individuals (Physician, Pharmacist, Psychologist, Social worker and Nurses) in this study conducted in Radianz healthcare and research private limited. Young's internet addiction test and depression score, self-esteem (Rosenberg's) score and MoCA were used to measure internet addiction and psychological variables. EPI 2012 was used for statistical analysis.Results: Out of 110 individuals, the majority of individuals, depressed individual were more addicted to the internet and found to be significant by using depression score. Relationship between baseline values and follow up values in internet addiction was significant (P=0.07636). After follow up the internet addiction found to be reduced as it was greatly affected in initial survey.Conclusion: This study concluded that there is relationship between the internet addiction and depression, cognitive function and self-steam. The depressed individuals were more addicted to the internet followed by abnormal cognitive function and low self-esteem individuals. Internet addiction may be a relevant clinical construct and early diagnostic tools that needs extensive research even in developing nations to explore the relationship. Depression is greatly associated with the internet addiction so if can we reduce the depression then can be reduced internet addiction