STAGED THERMAL FRACTIONATION OF BIOMASS FOR SEGREGATION OF HEMICELLULOSE, CELLULOSE AND LIGNIN DERIVED PRODUCTS

The increasing industrialization and motorization of the world has led to a steep rise in the demand of petroleum-based fuels. However, negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels, natural limitation in their availability and growing concerns over the petroleum supplies has spurred the search for renewable and low carbon emission fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most promising renewable and clean energy resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and human’s dependence on fossil fuels. Moreover, biomass is a continuous energy source and is considered carbon-neutral. Thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass has received increasing attention as a strategy to produce biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. Additionally, different thermochemical technologies are being developed/modified so that they can be integrated into the current infrastructure associated with liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Fast pyrolysis of biomass is one of the promising thermochemical technology that produces high yields of bio-oil, but some of the unfavorable properties of bio-oil poses challenges in the development of technical- and cost-effective catalysts and operating processes for the upgrading of bio-oil. In this contribution, we consider thermochemical conversion of oak biomass in multiple stages and understand how the process helps in achieving fractionation of bio-oil and facilitates combating some of the catalytic upgrading problems encountered during bio-oil upgrading. By characterizing the products obtained from each stage, as well as comparing the cumulative carbon yields of the products from stages with fast pyrolysis products carbon yields, further conclusion has been made with respect to the process conditions and potential upgrading strategies for each stage

An Interdental Radiolucent Lesion of Mandible: A Case Report and Differential Diagnosis

Aim: The present article discusses a case which was an accidental finding in uncommon location. Case Report: A 70-year-old apparently healthy woman presented with proximal caries on mesial surface of canine and exhibited mild sensitivity to percussion. An intraoral periapical radiograph demonstrated interdental bone loss along with a diffuse unilocular radiolucent lesion between the canine and premolar region. Pathologies such as Radicular cyst,  Lateral Periodontal Cyst, Collateral Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor (KCOT), Squamous Odontogenic Tumor (SOT), Central Giant Cell Granuloma (CGCG), Extrafollicular Adenomatoid Odontogenic Tumor (AOT), other possible odontogenic and mesenchymal lesions with similar presentation in the anterior jaw were considered and discussed in our differential diagnosis. Conclusion: After histopathological examination of the incisional biopsy, the lesion was diagnosed of KCOT. The lesion was treated with carnoy’s solution prior to surgical enucleation. The patient had been under regular follow-up for 2 years and showed no recurrence

A GENERIC TOOL PATH GENERATION METHODOLOGY FOR INCREMENTAL FORMING

ABSTRACT This paper presents a generic methodology for tool path generation for an arbitrary component that can be formed by single point incremental forming (SPIF) to obtain required geometrical accuracy. Adaptive slicing concepts used in layered manufacturing have been modified and used for generating tool path for SPIF. Experiments and FEA have been carried out to study the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Results indicate that the proposed methodology enhances the accuracy achievable in SPIF. KEY WORDS: SPIF, automatic generation of contour and helical tool paths, accuracy and surface finish, INTRODUCTION Conventional sheet metal forming operations require component specific and costly tooling and their design and fabrication add to the lead-time. Incremental forming is one of the technologies that have emerged as an alternative to conventional sheet metal forming processes for mass customization. However, before this process can be used in industrial applications, the ability to automatically generate a tool path based on the required final shape of the sheet has to be developed

A Call to Action toward Optimizing the Electrical Dose Received by Neural Targets in Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy for Neuropathic Pain

Spinal cord stimulation has seen unprecedented growth in new technology in the 50 years since the first subdural implant. As we continue to grow our understanding of spinal cord stimulation and relevant mechanisms of action, novel questions arise as to electrical dosing optimization. Programming adjustment — dose titration — is often a process of trial and error that can be time-consuming and frustrating for both patient and clinician. In this report, we review the current preclinical and clinical knowledge base in order to provide insights that may be helpful in developing more rational approaches to spinal cord stimulation dosing. We also provide key conclusions that may help in directing future research into electrical dosing, given the advent of newer waveforms outside traditional programming parameters

Intralesional bleomycin sclerotherapy for cystic hygroma in children - as alternative treatment

Introduction: Although cystic hygromas can appear in any part of the body they are commonly found in the cervicofacial regions particularly in the posterior cervical triangle, axilla, mediastinum, groyne and below the tongue. The optimal treatment is total surgical excision; nevertheless, the mode of treatment is gradually shifting to sclrosant therapy. Keeping this point in mind, the present study focuses on usage of bleomycin as the sclerosant of choice in the treatment of cystic hygomas. Methods: A prospective study conducted in Mahadevappa Rampure Medcial College, Kalburagi, over a period of 2. Cystic hygroma was diagnosed clinically with radiological supplementation of Doppler ultrasonography or MRI. The procedure was performed under IV sedation and USG guidance. All patients received 3 doses of antibiotics 1 preoperatively and two post operatively. Number of doses of bleomycin was dependent on the prognosis and clinical evaluation. Results: Complete resolution without induration clinically seen in 16 out of 20 patients (80%), whereas good response was observed in 4 patients (20%) who had a repeat of the session after 3 months of the first session following which we attained complete resolution of the cystic hygroma. Side effects such as fever (15%) followed by fever along with erythema in 2 subjects (10%) and erythema in one subject (5%) were observed. Conclusion: In conclude, we recommend Intralesional Bleomycin Sclerotherapy as the primary method of treatment in cystic hygroma to avoid the risk of inadvertent damage from surgery and for cosmetic reasons

Spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: evidence and theory for mechanisms of action.

Well-established in the field of bioelectronic medicine, Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) offers an implantable, non-pharmacologic treatment for patients with intractable chronic pain conditions. Chronic pain is a widely heterogenous syndrome with regard to both pathophysiology and the resultant phenotype. Despite advances in our understanding of SCS-mediated antinociception, there still exists limited evidence clarifying the pathways recruited when patterned electric pulses are applied to the epidural space. The rapid clinical implementation of novel SCS methods including burst, high frequency and dorsal root ganglion SCS has provided the clinician with multiple options to treat refractory chronic pain. While compelling evidence for safety and efficacy exists in support of these novel paradigms, our understanding of their mechanisms of action (MOA) dramatically lags behind clinical data. In this review, we reconstruct the available basic science and clinical literature that offers support for mechanisms of both paresthesia spinal cord stimulation (P-SCS) and paresthesia-free spinal cord stimulation (PF-SCS). While P-SCS has been heavily examined since its inception, PF-SCS paradigms have recently been clinically approved with the support of limited preclinical research. Thus, wide knowledge gaps exist between their clinical efficacy and MOA. To close this gap, many rich investigative avenues for both P-SCS and PF-SCS are underway, which will further open the door for paradigm optimization, adjunctive therapies and new indications for SCS. As our understanding of these mechanisms evolves, clinicians will be empowered with the possibility of improving patient care using SCS to selectively target specific pathophysiological processes in chronic pain

Towards Efficient Computation of Quality Bounded Solutions in POMDPs: Expected Value Approximation and Dynamic Disjunctive Beliefs

While POMDPs (partially observable markov decision problems) are a popular computational model with wide-ranging applications, the computational cost for optimal policy generation is prohibitive. Researchers are investigating ever-more efficient algorithms, yet many applications demand such algorithms bound any loss in policy quality when chasing efficiency. To address this challenge, we present two new techniques. The first approximates in the value space to obtain solutions efficiently for a pre-specified error bound. Unlike existing techniques, our technique guarantees the resulting policy will meet this bound. Furthermore, it does not require costly computations to determine the quality loss of the policy. Our second technique prunes large tracts of belief space that are unreachable, allowing faster policy computation without any sacrifice in optimality. The combination of the two techniques, which are complementary to existing optimal policy generation algorithms, provides solutions with tight error bounds efficiently in domains where competing algorithms fail to provide such tight bounds. 1

In vitro assessment of Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles cytotoxicity

Background:Silver (Ag) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are the most eminent nanoproducts. Due to their antimicrobial and antifungal activity, they have been the well commercialized nanosubstances. The hazards associated with human exposure to Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles should be investigated, and hence both the nanoparticles were synthesized to facilitate the risk assessment process.  Methods:Prior to the cytotoxic studies, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were carried out to ensure the particle size. Glutathione (GSH), Nitric Oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) estimated by ELISA method.Results:In the present study, the cytotoxicity of Ag and TiO2 were investigated by using the glutathione (GSH), Nitric Oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by incubating various concentration of silver (0.25 to 76 mg/mL) and titanium dioxide (0.25 to 2 mg/mL) nanoparticles in different incubation periods (24, 48 and 74 hours at 37°C) in plasma.  Results observed that significant decrease (P <0.0001) in the concentration of GSH associated with increased concentration of NO (P <0.0001) and SOD (P <0.0001) after incubation with silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at 24hrs at 37°C, however at 48 hours and 74 hours there is not much change.  Conclusion:The results indicate that silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibits, nanoparticles mediated cytotoxicity by induction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS).

Morphine modulates proliferation of kidney fibroblasts

Morphine modulates proliferation of kidney fibroblasts. Renal interstitial scarring is an important component of heroin-associated nephropathy. Kidney fibroblasts have been demonstrated to play a role in the development of renal scarring in a variety of renal diseases. We studied the effect of morphine, an active metabolite of heroin, on the proliferation of kidney fibroblasts. Morphine at a concentration of 10−12M enhanced (P < 0.001) the proliferation of kidney fibroblasts (control, 67.5 ± 2.0 vs. morphine, 112.2 ± 10.1 × 104 cells/well). [3H]thymidine incorporation studies further confirmed these results. Morphine at concentrations of 10−12M to 10−10M also modulated mRNA expression of early growth related genes (c-fos, c-jun and c-myc). Morphine at concentrations of 10−8 to 10−4M promoted apoptosis of kidney fibroblasts and also enhanced the synthesis of p53 by kidney fibroblasts. We speculate that morphine-induced kidney fibroblast proliferation may be mediated through the activation of early growth related genes, whereas morphine induced kidney fibroblast apoptosis may be mediated through the generation of p53. The present in vitro study provides a hypothetical basis for the role of morphine in the development of renal interstitial scarring in patients with heroin-associated nephropathy