Biochar in Renewable Energy

Microbial Fuel Cell – M. Rao, high school student http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Rdrf7tkHA This novel research studies the performance of biochar cathodes. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the potential to contribute to the increasing demand for sustainable energy. Large-scale application of MFCs is yet to be implemented because of low power generation and high electrode costs. Currently, one of the largest obstacles is the development of a feasible and environmentally friendly cathode. Platinum catalyst cathodes are expensive and make up 60% of the cost of microbial fuel cell. The goal of this research was to determine if biochar, pyrolized organic matter that is a soil amendment, could operate as a feasible cathode in a microbial fuel cell. Biochar was made out of three feedstocks: mixed wood chips, Douglas fir, yellow pine at different temperatures. By cost, the biochar cathode was 98.4% cheaper than the platinum cathode ($22-44 vs.$1500). The cost effectiveness of the biochar cathode makes it potentially viable if its current densities can be increased. Future research involves testing a broader variety of feedstock as well as developing a biochar/platinum hybrid. Microbial Fuel Cell – T. Huggins, University of Colorado http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZNVtpv-40 The high cost of electrode materials is one major challenge facing the full scale application of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. We demonstrate here for the first time that high temperature (\u3e800°C) biochar can be a cost effective and sustainable alternative to traditional granular activated carbon (GAC) and graphite granules (GG) as MFC electrode materials. Using locally available waste-biomass, exothermic manufacturing process, and end of life agricultural benefit, biochar can be manufactured for around 51-365 US$tonne-1, up to 10 times cheaper than GAC (500-2500 US$ tonne-1) or GG (500-800 US$ tonne-1) and have significantly greater life cycle advantages. The use of biochar as the MFC anode rings in a new era of alternative electrode material options with economic and environmental benefits

Advances Of NSAIDS In Ankylosing Spondylitis

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play a crucial role in the treatment of Ankylosing spondylitis. Cost and drug toxicity frequently deter the long-term use of anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in Ankylosing spondylitis. Methodology: The trial was conducted on 50 patients with symptomatic active chronic AS who received rheumatology therapy. Every two weeks 40mg Adalimumab was administered 6 injections for subcutaneous (10 weeks). As per follow-up, they did not achieve AS response criteria by week 12. RCT was conducted on 215 patients who participated in 6 weeks & compared celecoxib, ketoprofen, and placebo were randomly allocated continuous treatment with NSAIDs or demand treatment after over half of the patients continued to improve. Results: Four clinical trials were conducted on celecoxib, Adalimumab, ketoprofen, and placebo Patients experienced early and significant improvement in pain, NSAIDs requirement, function, and several indices ASAS 20 and 40, ASAS partial remission after discontinuing injections. At weeks 12 and 48, 84% and 52% of patients showed ASAS 20 improvement. Most AS patients are at low risk of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal complications. Conclusions: A study was conducted by a rheumatologist for 215 patients a 10-week course of NSAIDS was given to patients after 10 week course there was early improvement that often lasted for 24 weeks. Continuous use of NSAIDs reduces pain without increasing toxicity

Assessment of Soil Fertility Status of Rayal Cheruvu Village in Ramachandrapuram Mandal of Tirupati District, Andhra Pradesh, India

One hundred soil samples from Rayal Cheruvu village in Ramachandrapuram mandal of Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh were collected by using GPS to study soil fertility status. These samples were analysed for physico-chemical and chemical parameters. The results revealed that soils were slightly acidic to strongly alkaline in reaction and non-saline. Soil organic carbon was low to medium. The available nitrogen was low, the available phosphorus ranged from low to high and the available potassium ranged from medium to high. The fertility status was used to assess soil fertility constraints in the study area

An unusual presentation of mixed tumor of salivary gland

Pleomorphic adenoma is one of the salivary gland tumors affecting both major and minor salivary glands. Parotid gland is the most commonly affected of the major group, and hard palate is the most common site of the minor salivary glands affected. Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign mixed tumor of the salivary glands that has elements of both epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of minor salivary glands in the soft palate. Incisional biopsy revealed features of pleomorphic adenoma

Integrin adhesion drives the emergent polarization of active cytoskeletal stresses to pattern cell delamination

Tissue patterning relies on cellular reorganization through the interplay between signaling pathways and mechanical stresses. Their integration and spatiotemporal coordination remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the mechanisms driving the dynamics of cell delamination, diversely deployed to extrude dead cells or specify distinct cell fates. We show that a local mechanical stimulus (subcellular laser perturbation) releases cellular prestress and triggers cell delamination in the amnioserosa during Drosophila dorsal closure, which, like spontaneous delamination, results in the rearrangement of nearest neighbors around the delaminating cell into a rosette. We demonstrate that a sequence of “emergent cytoskeletal polarities” in the nearest neighbors (directed myosin flows, lamellipodial growth, polarized actomyosin collars, microtubule asters), triggered by the mechanical stimulus and dependent on integrin adhesion, generate active stresses that drive delamination. We interpret these patterns in the language of active gels as asters formed by active force dipoles involving surface and body stresses generated by each cell and liken delamination to mechanical yielding that ensues when these stresses exceed a threshold. We suggest that differential contributions of adhesion, cytoskeletal, and external stresses must underlie differences in spatial pattern

DGAT1-dependent triacylglycerol storage by macrophages protects mice from diet-induced insulin resistance and inflammation

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) leads to inflammatory activation of macrophages in white adipose tissue (WAT) and subsequently to insulin resistance. PPARγ agonists are antidiabetic agents known to suppress inflammatory macrophage activation and to induce expression of the triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis enzyme acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) in WAT and in adipocytes. Here, we investigated in mice the relationship between macrophage lipid storage capacity and DIO-associated inflammatory macrophage activation. Mice overexpressing DGAT1 in both macrophages and adipocytes (referred to herein as aP2-Dgat1 mice) were more prone to DIO but were protected against inflammatory macrophage activation, macrophage accumulation in WAT, systemic inflammation, and insulin resistance. To assess the contribution of macrophage DGAT1 expression to this phenotype, we transplanted wild-type mice with aP2-Dgat1 BM. These mice developed DIO similar to that of control mice but retained the protection from WAT inflammation and insulin resistance seen in aP2-Dgat1 mice. In isolated macrophages, Dgat1 mRNA levels correlated directly with TG storage capacity and inversely with inflammatory activation by saturated fatty acids (FAs). Moreover, PPARγ agonists increased macrophage Dgat1 mRNA levels, and the protective effects of these agonists against FA-induced inflammatory macrophage activation were absent in macrophages isolated from Dgat1-null mice. Thus, increasing DGAT1 expression in murine macrophages increases their capacity for TG storage, protects against FA-induced inflammatory activation, and is sufficient to reduce the inflammatory and metabolic consequences of DIO

3rd National Conference on Image Processing, Computing, Communication, Networking and Data Analytics

This volume contains contributed articles presented in the conference NCICCNDA 2018, organized by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Mysore, Karnataka (India) on 28th April 2018