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To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and consequences of augmentation cystoplasty in adult patients with small capacity bladder due to genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB). After approval of the institutional ethical committee, we retrospectively analyzed the database of adult patients with small capacity bladder due to GUTB treated by augmentation cystoplasty from January 2010 to December 2022 at our center. The patients were followed up at 6 weeks postoperatively, then every 3 months for first year and 6 months in second year, and then annually. Patients were assessed for symptoms, renal function, blood biochemistry levels, and ultrasound KUB at each follow-up visit. A total of 40 patients underwent augmentation cystoplasty were included. All patients underwent augmentation cystoplasty either with ileum (n = 35) or sigmoid colon (n = 5). On long-term follow-up, there was statistically significant improvement in bladder capacity, decrease in voiding frequency (P =.00), decrease in eGFR (P =.02) and increase in serum creatinine (P =.02). Significant complications were wound infection 4 (10%), intestinal obstruction 1(2.5%), urinary tract infection 6 (15%), bladder stone 2 (5%), mucus retention 3 (7.5%), hypocalcemia with metabolic acidosis 2 (5%) and need of intermittent catheterization in 11 (27.5%) patients. Multidrug therapy with judicious reconstructive surgery is the optimal treatment modality for GUTB with cicatrization sequelae. In GUTB, augmentation cystoplasty is a safe procedure and strict long-term follow-up is needed to prevent complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)/Chloroquine (CQ) has been evaluated for treatment and prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 infection in various studies with conflicting results. We performed a systematic review to synthesize the currently available evidence over the efficacy and safety of HCQ/CQ therapy alone against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane central for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies published until October 15, 2020 and assessing the efficacy of HCQ alone against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We included studies evaluating HCQ/CQ alone as intervention and placebo/standard care as a control group. Retrospective studies and studies using other drugs (namely azithromycin, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, etc.) we excluded. Thirteen RCTs and three prospective cohort studies were included in this review. We pooled data using a random-effect model. Pooled data from 12 studies (9917 participants) showed that HCQs increase mortality as compared to placebo/standard of care (RR 1.10; 95% CI:1.00–1.20). Hydroxychloroquine did not reduce the need for hospitalization in out-patients (RR 0.57; 95% CI 0.31–1.02). HCQ group has a significantly higher rate of any adverse event (RR 2.68; 95% CI 1.55–4.64), as compared to the control group. Also, using HCQ for prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 infection did not reduce the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection (RR 1.04; 95% CI 0.58–1.88). HCQ therapy for COVID-19 is associated with an increase in mortality and other adverse events. The negative effects are more pronounced in hospitalized patients. Therefore, with the available evidence, HCQ should not be used in prophylaxis or treatment of patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is widely used in the treatment of head and neck cancers (HNC). There is not enough evidence to suggest that some radiation oncologists (ROs) are associated with better outcomes in patients with HNC. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate the effect of ROs' characteristics on outcomes in patients with HNC treated with IMRT. The study used the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked database to identify patient characteristics. Physician records were obtained from the American Medical Association. Logistic regression models with propensity scores were analyzed to look for an association between RO characteristics and patient outcomes. RO characteristics showed that approximately 30% of ROS completed their training in or after the year 2000 (recently trained), and 17% were in top decile of treatment volume (high volume). Less than 3% of ROs work in academic settings. We found that ROs who were recently trained have higher odds (odds ratio [OR]: 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.011-1.191) compared with those who were not. In addition, ROs who were treating high volumes of patients have higher odds (OR: 1.08; 95% CI, 1.010-1.165) compared with those treating low volumes of an event of adverse effect of IMRT or death among patients. ROs who work in academic settings have a protective effect (OR: 0.72; 95% CI, 0.569-0.925). ROs who were recently trained and had a high treatment volume are associated with poorer outcomes among patients with HNC who receive IMRT treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of non-paraffinic components is directly associated with fuel sensitivity (S), which is an important property for using low-octane and low-cetane fuels in direct injection engines. In this paper, we examine the effects of S and RON (research octane number) on the ignition and combustion behavior of naphtha fuel surrogates in homogeneous mixtures and diesel sprays. Two binary blends (PRF70 and PRF80) and four ternary blends (TPRF70-a, TPRF70-b, TPRF80-a, TPRF80-b), with varying amounts of iso-octane, n-heptane and toluene, are considered. Simulations are performed using a reaction mechanism with 109 species and 543 reactions. The mechanism is validated against the shock tube and rapid compression machine ignition data, and non-reacting spray data. Ignition simulations in homogeneous mixtures are performed using CHEMKIN-Pro for temperature range of 625–1250 K, equivalence range of ɸ = 0.5–2.0, and pressure of 55 bar. The study is then extended to examine the transient ignition and flame structure in liquid fuel sprays in a constant-volume combustion vessel using the CFD software CONVERGE. Results indicate that the temperature dependence of ignition characteristics in both homogeneous mixtures and sprays is strongly influenced by fuel sensitivity. In particular, it affects the NTC behavior and temperature dependence of the 1st and 2nd stage ignition processes. The ignition kernel structure in sprays is also strongly modified by fuel sensitivity, as the ignition kernel in ternary sprays involves richer mixtures, while that in binary sprays contains near stoichiometric mixtures. Consequently, the spray flame structure is also modified by fuel sensitivity. While the spray flame is characterized by partially premixed combustion involving a lean premixed zone (LPZ), a rich premixed zone (RPZ), and a nonpremixed zone (NPZ), the effect of sensitivity is to enhance the relative contribution of RPZ compared to those of NPZ and LPZ. In addition, due to enhanced ignitability, the flame in ternary sprays is located closer to the injector compared to that in binary sprays. The effect of higher RON is to increase the ignition delay time. Consequently, the ignition kernel involves relatively leaner mixtures, and the flame structure is characterized by increased contributions from LPZ compared to RPZ, and the flame liftoff length is increased. Increasing the initial reactor temperature has the opposite effect. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify reactions that characterize the reduced and enhanced ignitability of ternary blends at low and high temperatures, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurological outcomes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) continue to be sub-optimal despite therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy provides real-time regional oxygen saturation (CrSO2) that may be a marker of adverse MRI findings and neurodevelopmental outcomes.Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the value of CrSO2 monitoring in infants with HIE undergoing TH.Study Design and Subjects: In this prospective study, CrSO2 was continuously recorded in 21 infants with HIE admitted for TH.Outcome Measures: Brain MRI signal abnormalities at 2weeks were scored in individual brain region and classified as none/mild, moderate and severe. 13 infants completed Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) testing at 18-24months.Results: Between 24 and 36h of life, there was a significant increase in odds of having moderate-severe brain MRI abnormalities with higher absolute CrSO2 values. Per 10% increase in absolute CrSO2, the odds ratio for moderate-severe brain MRI abnormalities was greatest at 30h (OR 3.78; confidence intervals (CI): 1.23-11.6, p=0.011). CrSO2 increased more rapidly in infants with greater injury seen on MRI (0.20/h for MRI scores 0/1, by 0.48/h for MRI score 2, and by 0.68/h for MRI score 3, p=0.05). At 30h, absolute CrSO2 correlated significantly with abnormal MRI findings in basal ganglia (92% vs. 78%, p=0.001), white matter (88% vs. 76%, p=0.01), posterior limb of internal capsule (92% vs. 78%, p=0.001), and brain stem (94% vs. 80%, p=0.03) but not with cortical injury (86% vs. 80%, p=0.17). Higher CrSO2 beyond 24h correlated with greater odds of worse BSID scores.Conclusions: Increasing CrSO2 is associated with moderate-severe brain injury as assessed by MRI. Higher absolute CrSO2 values during TH correlates with subcortical injury on MRI and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with HIE undergoing TH. CrSO2 can inform providers seeking early identification of patients at risk of worse injury who may benefit from further intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown that vaginal progesterone therapy for women diagnosed with shortened cervical length can reduce the risk of PTB. However, published cost-effectiveness analyses of vaginal progesterone for short cervix have not considered an appropriate range of clinically important parameters.Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal cervical length screening in women without a history of spontaneous PTB, assuming that all women with shortened cervical length receive progesterone to reduce the likelihood of PTB.Study Design: A decision analysis model was developed to compare universal screening and no-screening strategies. The primary outcome was the cost-effectiveness ratio of both the strategies, defined as the estimated patient cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) realized by the children. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed by varying progesterone efficacy to prevent PTB. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to address uncertainties in model parameter estimates.Results: In our base-case analysis, assuming that progesterone reduces the likelihood of PTB by 11%, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for screening was $158,000/QALY. Sensitivity analyses show that these results are highly sensitive to the presumed efficacy of progesterone to prevent PTB. In a 1-way sensitivity analysis, screening results in cost-saving if progesterone can reduce PTB by 36%. Additionally, for screening to be cost-effective at WTP=$60,000 in three clinical scenarios, progesterone therapy has to reduce PTB by 60%, 34% and 93%. Screening is never cost-saving in the worst-case scenario or when serial ultrasounds are employed, but could be cost-saving with a two-day hospitalization only if progesterone were 64% effective.Conclusion: Cervical length screening and treatment with progesterone is a not a dominant, cost-effective strategy unless progesterone is more effective than has been suggested by available data for US women. Until future trials demonstrate greater progesterone efficacy, and effectiveness studies confirm a benefit from screening and treatment, the cost-effectiveness of universal cervical length screening in the United States remains questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic competitiveness is one of the key factors in making decisions towards the development of waste conversion facilities and devising a sustainable waste management strategy. The goal of this study is to develop a framework, as well as to develop and demonstrate a comprehensive techno-economic model to help county and municipal decision makers in establishing waste conversion facilities. The user-friendly data-intensive model, called the FUN damental E N gineering Principl E s-based Mode L for Estimation of Cost of Energy and Fuels from MSW (FUNNEL-Cost-MSW), compares nine different waste management scenarios, including landfilling and composting, in terms of economic parameters such as gate fees and return on investment. In addition, a geographic information system (GIS) model was developed to determine suitable locations for waste conversion facilities and landfill sites based on integration of environmental, social, and economic factors. Finally, a case study on Parkland County and its surrounding counties in the province of Alberta, Canada, was conducted and a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the influence of the key technical and economic parameters on the calculated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is becoming a serious issue in all over the world. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the technologies to convert that waste into useful form of energy. But megacities like Singapore having limited resources, cannot fulfill the cow dung or other animal manure requirements in AD. Therefore there is a need to study critically the operating parameters and also the pretreatment technologies available for treating the substrate so that one can get the maximum output with limited input. To fulfill the need, the present paper deals with the review of various operating parameters and their effects on AD. This paper also reviews different pretreatment methods including mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological methods to improve the effectiveness of AD of MSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Stability of metal contaminated biodiesel blend has been checked. [•] Effectiveness of different antioxidants has also been checked. [•] Biodiesel blends with diesel have shown the better oxidation stability. [•] Effect of metals on the oxidation stability of biodiesel has found catalytic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Present paper reports the storage stability studies of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (JCB). [•] Various correlations were developed for storage stability. [•] These correlations can be used to predict the amount of antioxidants required for stabilizing the biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of the present study is to investigate engine performance and the exhaust emissions of a diesel engine using oxidatively stabilized biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel used in the study was prepared from Jatropha curcas oil. Different samples with various metal contaminants, generally available in the metallurgy of the containers are oxidatively stabilized with antioxidant (PY) according to EN 14112. The brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of biodiesel fuel with and without antioxidant is more than that of petro-diesel fuel. The BSFC of biodiesel fuel with antioxidants is lesser than that of biodiesel fuel without antioxidants, but no specific trends were detected according to the type of metal content and amount of antioxidants. The combustion characteristics and exhaust emissions in diesel engine were not influenced very much by the addition of antioxidants in biodiesel fuel. Also performance and emission characteristics of unstablized biodiesel and stabilized biodiesel (stabilized for 6months) are measured with respect to time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently, world has been confronted with an energy crisis due to fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation. Biodiesel is one of the most promising alternative fuels to meet these problems. However the oxidation stability and thermal stability are the problems which are faced while we are going for commercial application of biodiesel. There are standards available discussing the minimum specification of oxidation stability of biodiesel while using in IC engine but at the same time there is no specification is available for thermal stability. Specification for thermal stability can be developed if one can develop the relationship between oxidation and thermal stability. The present paper deals with the development of relation between the oxidation stability and thermal stability which will further be useful for the development of such specifications for thermal stability of biodiesel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The vegetable oil, fats and their biodiesel suffer with the drawback of deterioration of its quality during long term storage unlike petroleum diesel because of large number of environmental and other factors making the fuel stability and quality questionable. There are various types of stabilities such as oxidation, storage and thermal, playing key roles in making the fuel unstable. In the present paper the thermal stability of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (JCB) as engine fuel was studied. The thermodynamic parameter of activation energy (E a) of the samples was determined by direct Arrhenius plot. The results show that the thermal degradation of all JCB samples can be treated as a first order reaction. It seems at this stage that the additives under study can offer a significant solution in inhibiting the degradation rate of biodiesel. The pyrogallol (PY) has been found to have more pronounced effect on the onset temperature (T on) as well as on the E a followed by propyl galate (PG)>tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ)>butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)>butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The results may have important applications in the development of JCB as engine fuel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Naphthalene degrading bacterial consortium (DV-AL) was developed by enrichment culture technique from sediment collected from the Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard, Gujarat, India. The 16S rRNA gene based molecular analyzes revealed that the bacterial consortium (DV-AL) consisted of four strains namely, Achromobacter sp. BAB239, Pseudomonas sp. DV-AL2, Enterobacter sp. BAB240 and Pseudomonas sp. BAB241. Consortium DV-AL was able to degrade 1000ppm of naphthalene in Bushnell Haas medium (BHM) containing peptone (0.1%) as co-substrate with an initial pH of 8.0 at 37°C under shaking conditions (150rpm) within 24h. Maximum growth rate and naphthalene degradation rate were found to be 0.0389h−1 and 80mgh−1, respectively. Consortium DV-AL was able to utilize other aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, phenol, carbazole, petroleum oil, diesel fuel, and phenanthrene and 2-methyl naphthalene as sole carbon source. Consortium DV-AL was also efficient to degrade naphthalene in the presence of other pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is a basic requirement for economic development. Every sector of Indian economy-agriculture, industry transport, commercial and domestic needs input of energy. The economic development plans implemented since independence have necessarily required increasing amount of energy. As a result consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the country. This growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Rising prices of oil and gas and potential shortage in future lead to concern about the security of energy supply needed to sustain our economic growth. Increased use of fossil fuels also causes environmental problems both locally and globally. In view of the fast depletion of fossil fuel, the search for alternative fuels has become inevitable, looking at huge demand of diesel for transportation sector, captive power generation and agricultural sector, the biodiesel is being viewed a substitute of diesel. The vegetable oils, fats, grease are the source of feed stocks for the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel is an engine fuel that is created by chemically reacting fatty acids and alcohol. This usually means combining vegetable oil with methanol in the presence of a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide). Biodiesel is much more suitable for use as an engine fuel than straight vegetable oil for a number of reasons, the most notable one being its lower viscosity. The aim of the present paper is to focus on the work done in the area of biodiesel and also the impact analysis of biodiesel on engine performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel, an ecofriendly and renewable fuel substitute for diesel has been receiving the attention of researchers around the world. Due to heavy import of edible oil, the production of biodiesel from edible oil resources in India is not advisable. Therefore it is necessary to explore non-edible seed oils, like Jatropha curcas (J. curcas) and Pongamia for biodiesel production. The oxidation stability of biodiesel from J. curcas oil (JCO) is very poor and therefore an idea is given to increase the oxidation stability of biodiesel by blending it with petro-diesel. J. curcas biodiesel (JCB), when blended with petro diesel leads to a composition having efficient and improved oxidation stability. The results have shown that blending of JCB with diesel with less than 20% (v/v) would not need any antioxidants but at the same time, need large storage space. Similarly, if the amount of diesel is decreased in the blend, it will require the addition of antioxidant but in lesser amount compared to pure JCB. For the purpose five antioxidants were used namely butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate (PG), and pyrogallol (PY). A B30 blend (30% JCB in the blend of JCB and petro-diesel) has been tested for the same purpose. PY is found to be the best antioxidant among all five antioxidants used. The optimum amount of antioxidant (PY) for pure biodiesel tested for the present experiment is around 100ppm while it is around 50ppm for B30 blend to maintain the international specification of oxidation stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper reports the results of the study of the effect of metal contaminants on the storage stability of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (JCB) with and without antioxidants. Taking 1,2,3 -Trihydroxybenzene/Pyrogallol (PY) as the most effective antioxidant based on the earlier work of the authors, JCB was mixed with different transition metals – Fe, Ni, Mn, Co and Cu in different concentrations. Induction period (IP) was measured using Rancimat method (EN 14112) as the stability parameter. Based on results, several correlations were developed for assessing the storage stability in terms of IP as a function of antioxidant, metal concentration and storage time. For the purpose of design of experiment, response surface methodology (RSM) has been used. From the experiments it is found that if metal concentration is 0 then, 200 g m−3 of PY is sufficient to make biodiesel stable for 6 months. If metal (Fe) concentration is 2 g m−3 or more, then 800 g m−3 PY is sufficient to make biodiesel stable for 5.5 months. The value of storage time for Ni, Mn, Co and Cu contaminated JCB is found as 3.62, 3.24, 2.76 and 2.07 months respectively if metal and antioxidants concentration is same in all the cases. The models developed by RSM shall be highly useful for predicting the optimum antioxidant concentration to achieve maximum storage stability of JCB as well as biodiesel from other resources under the conditions set for 3 factors (antioxidant concentration, metal concentration and time). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this work was to study the long term storage stability of JCB (Jatropha curcas biodiesel). For the objective JCB was mixed with PY (Pyrogallol) and different metal contaminants. JCB samples were stored for 6 months in open air exposed to sunlight. Different properties were checked with respect to time. It was found that stability of fresh JCB was not acceptable as per EN 14214. When PY was mixed with JCB, it stability increased and 200 ppm of PY was sufficient to make fresh and pure JCB stable for almost 6 months. Viscosity (n), PV (peroxide value) and AV (acid value) increased with respect to time. Unsaturated fatty acid composition was also checked with respect to time. From the experiment it was clear that as oxidation deterioration advanced, linoleic and linolenic acid methyl esters decreased and the fraction of oleic acid methyl became relatively high with respect to storage time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper deals with the study on the effect of metal contaminants on the oxidation stability of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (JCB). Taking pyrogallol as the most effective antioxidant based on the earlier work of the authors, JCB was mixed with different transition metals – Fe, Ni, Mn, Co and Cu in different concentrations. Induction period (IP) was measured using Rancimat method (EN 14112). Based on results, several correlations are developed for assessing the oxidation stability in terms of IP as a function of antioxidant and metal concentration. A comparison between the experimental IP values and those predicted by the correlation shows that about 95% of the predicted data points lie within ±10% deviation lines of the experimental results. This is the first study of its kind being reported showing the relationship of IP with antioxidant concentration and metal contaminants. The correlations developed can be used to predict the amount of antioxidants required to stabilize the JCB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The vegetable oil, fats and their biodiesel suffer with the drawback of deterioration of its quality during long term storage unlike petroleum diesel due to large number of environmental and other factors making the fuel stability and quality questionable. There are various types of stabilities like oxidation, storage and thermal, playing key roles in making the fuel unstable. The present paper is an attempt to review the work done so far on the thermal stability of biodiesel and their blends with diesel under different conditions. The mechanism of thermal deterioration of vegetable oils, various methods of stability measurement including a new proposed method based on Karl Fischer coulometer, an alternative to conventional Rancimat test has been discussed. No correlations have been found in the literature among the results of various methods used. The effect of antioxidants on the stability parameters has also been discussed. TGA/DTA has been found as an effective method to check the deterioration of oil with respect to temperature using activation energy and order of reaction as the parameter to monitor the deterioration of oil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy plays significant role in the development of a nation. The conventional sources, though exhausting and not environment friendly are being increasingly used. Looking at limited supplies and various environment problems associated with its uses, renewable energy sources are getting attention. Municipal solid waste [MSW] is getting importance in recent years. Having fewer disposal problems is being considered as valuable bio-energy resources. The MSW management involves collection, transportation, handling and conversion to energy by biological and thermal routes. The present paper reports the results of physical, proximate and TGA/DTA analysis, used to select the most appropriate method of energy conversion. Based on the energy potential available, the feasibility of energy conversion through biogas production using available waste has been carried out. The CDM benefits have also been considered. The cost of generation with and without CDM benefits is Rs. 1.36/- and Rs. 1.41/- per kWh respectively as compared to cost of energy from grid [Rs. 3.50/- per kWh]. Therefore power generation from MSW of Haridwar city using biomethanation conversion technology is feasible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In view of the fast depletion of fossil fuel, the search for alternative fuels has become inevitable, looking at huge demand of diesel for transportation sector, captive power generation and agricultural sector, the biodiesel is being viewed a substitute of diesel. The vegetable oils, fats, grease are the source of feedstocks for the production of biodiesel. Significant work has been reported on the kinetics of transesterification of edible vegetable oils but little work is reported on non-edible oils. Out of various non-edible oil resources, Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) is considered as future feedstocks for biodiesel production in India and limited work is reported on the kinetics of transesterification of high FFA containing oil. The present study reports a review of kinetics of biodiesel production. The paper also reveals the results of kinetics study of two-step acid–base catalyzed transesterification process carried out at pre-determined optimum temperature of 65 and 50°C for esterification and transesterification process, respectively, under the optimum condition of methanol to oil ratio of 3:7 (v/v), catalyst concentration 1% (w/w) for H2SO4 and NaOH and 400rpm of stirring. The yield of methyl ester (ME) has been used to study the effect of different parameters. The maximum yield of 21.2% of ME during esterification and 90.1% from transesterification of pretreated JCO has been obtained. This is the first study of its kind dealing with simplified kinetics of two-step acid–base catalyzed transesterification process carried at optimum temperature of both the steps which took about 6h for complete conversion of TG to ME. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Out of various non-edible oil resources, Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) is considered as future feedstock for biodiesel production in India. Limited work is reported on the kinetics of transesterification of high free fatty acids containing oil. The present study reports the results of kinetic study of two-step acid base catalyzed transesterification process carried out at an optimum temperature of 65 °C and 50 °C for esterification and transesterification respectively under the optimum methanol to oil ratio of 3:7 (v/v), catalyst concentration 1% (w/w) for H2SO4 and NaOH. The yield of methyl ester (ME) has been used to study the effect of different parameters. The results indicate that both esterification and transesterification reaction are of first order with reaction rate constant of 0.0031min−1 and 0.008min−1 respectively. The maximum yield of 21.2% of ME during esterification and 90.1% from transesterification of pretreated JCO has been obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The vegetable oil, fats and their biodiesel suffer with the drawback of deterioration of its quality when it is in contact with oxygen unlike petroleum diesel. There are various types of stabilities like oxidation, storage and thermal, playing key roles in making the fuel unstable. The present paper is an attempt to review all type of stability measuring test methods to find out the best method for stability measurement. From the review it is found that there are several methods to measure the stability of biodiesel but two test methods emerges the most likely choice for the purpose of measurement of oxidation stability of biodiesel. These are ASTM 2274 and 743 Rancimat test. A comparison between these two shows that these may be used alternatively. Most commonly used methods to investigate the thermal stability are Rancimat test, ASTM D 6408-08, D 5304-06 and TGA/DTA. Rancimat test has been suggested as an important method to measure the thermal stability of oils, fats and biodiesel fuels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The increasing industrialization and modernization of the world has to a steep rise for the demand of petroleum products. Economic development in developing countries has led to huge increase in the energy demand. In India, the energy demand is increasing at a rate of 6.5% per annum. The crude oil demand of the country is met by import of about 80%. Thus the energy security has become a key issue for the nation as a whole. Petroleum-based fuels are limited. The finite reserves are highly concentrated in certain regions of the world. Therefore, those countries not having these reserves are facing foreign exchange crises, mainly due to the import of crude oil. Hence it is necessary to look forward for alternative fuels, which can be produced from feedstocks available within the country. Biodiesel, an ecofriendly and renewable fuel substitute for diesel has been getting the attention of researchers/scientists of all over the world. The R & D has indicated that up to B20, there is no need of modification and little work is available related to suitability and sustainability of biodiesel production from Jatropha as non-edible oil sources. In addition, the use of vegetable oil as fuel is less polluting than petroleum fuels. The basic problem with biodiesel is that it is more prone to oxidation resulting in the increase in viscosity of biodiesel with respect to time which in turn leads to piston sticking, gum formation and fuel atomization problems. The report is an attempt to present the prevailing fossil fuel scenario with respect to petroleum diesel, fuel properties of biodiesel resources for biodiesel production, processes for its production, purification, etc. Lastly, an introduction of stability of biodiesel will also be presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel consists of long chain fatty acid esters derived from feed stocks such as vegetable oils, animal fats and used frying oil, etc. which may contain more or less unsaturated fatty acids which are prone to oxidation accelerated by exposure to air during storage and at high temperature may yield polymerized compounds. Auto oxidation of biodiesel can cause degradation of fuel quality by affecting the stability parameters. Biodiesel stability includes oxidation, storage and thermal stability. Oxidation instability can led to the formation of oxidation products like aldehydes, alcohols, shorter chain carboxylic acids, insolubles, gum and sediment in the biodiesel. Thermal instability is concerned with the increased rate of oxidation at higher temperature which in turn, increases the weight of oil and fat due to the formation of insolubles. Storage stability is the ability of liquid fuel to resist change in its physical and chemical characteristics brought about by its interaction with its environment and may be affected by interaction with contaminants, light, factors causing sediment formation, changes in color and other changes that reduce the clarity of the fuel. These fuel instabilities give rise to formation of undesirable substances in biodiesel and its blends beyond acceptable quantities as per specifications and when such fuel is used in engine, it impairs the engine performance due to fuel filter plugging, injector fouling, deposit formation in engine combustion chamber and various components of the fuel system. The present review attempts to cover the different types of fuel stabilities, mechanism of occurrence and correlations/equations developed to investigate the impact of various stability parameters on the stability of the fuel. A review of the use of different types of natural and synthetic antioxidants has also been presented which indicates that natural antioxidants, being very sensitive to biodiesel production techniques and the distillation processes have varying impacts on fuel stability and available literature is very much scarce. The work on the use of synthetic antioxidants on the stability of biodiesel (both distilled and undistilled) from various resources has indicated that out of various 8 synthetic antioxidants studied so far only 3 antioxidants have been found to increase the fuel stability significantly. However, effectiveness of these antioxidants is in the order of TBHQ>PY>PG. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Present study presents the results of methyl esters preparation from Jatropha-Algae oil using transesterification process. In this study, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and the response surface methodology (RSM) based Box–Behnken techniques were used for modelling and analysis of different parameters viz molar ratio, temperature, reaction time, and catalyst concentration in biodiesel production process. Significant regression model with R2value of 0.9867 was obtained under a molar ratio of 6–12, KOH of 0–2% w/w, time of 60–180 min and temperature of 35–55 °C using RSM. The ANFIS model was used to individually correlate the output variable (biodiesel yield) with four input variables with R2 value of 0.9998. Finally, a study investigating the performance and emissions of a diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel blends (B0, B5, B10 and B20 vol%) has been performed concluding significant reduction of emission. [Display omitted] • Biodiesel produced from Jatropha–Algae oil. • RSM used for design of experiment. • ANFIS technique used for prediction. • Performance and Emission analysis done on diesel coupled with electric generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Introduction: b Robotic colorectal surgery is rapidly evolving as it addresses many of the technical and ergonomic limitations of laparoscopic surgery. The precision of robotic surgery results in smaller incisions, shortened hospital stay, much quicker return to normal, thus significantly improving patient experience. B Method: b Consecutive patients having emergency robotic colorectal surgery at our institution over 12 month period (October 2019 to September 2020) were recruited. [Extracted from the article]

• Comparitive study of RSM and ANN for modeling of biodiesel production is studied. • Catalyst, Reaction time and Methanol amount were used for modeling. • ANN has been found to have good predictability as compared to RSM. Biodiesel production from algae oil at low temperature as well as a comparative study of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) for the modeling of yield and process parameters was carried out in this research work. Box–Behnken experimental design was adopted and the three process parameters considered were methanol to oil percentage (v/v) (20–60%), catalyst concentration (0–2 wt%) and reaction time (60–180 min) at constant temperature of 50 °C. The results of the present work indicate that ANN has good predictability as compared to RSM. A significant quadratic regression model with value of R2 of 0.99 and 0.96 was obtained in case of ANN and RSM respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between prenatal exposure to general anaesthesia for maternal surgery during pregnancy and subsequent risk of disruptive or internalising behavioural disorder diagnosis in the child has not been well-defined. A nationwide sample of pregnant women linked to their liveborn infants was evaluated using the Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX, 1999–2013). Multivariate matching was used to match each child prenatally exposed to general anaesthesia owing to maternal appendectomy or cholecystectomy during pregnancy with five unexposed children. The primary outcome was diagnosis of a disruptive or internalising behavioural disorder in children. Secondary outcomes included diagnoses for a range of other neuropsychiatric disorders. We matched 34,271 prenatally exposed children with 171,355 unexposed children in the database. Prenatally exposed children were more likely than unexposed children to receive a diagnosis of a disruptive or internalising behavioural disorder (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–1.40). For secondary outcomes, increased hazards of disruptive (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.24–1.41) and internalising (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.20–1.53) behavioural disorders were identified, and also increased hazards of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.22–1.43), behavioural disorders (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14–1.42), developmental speech or language disorders (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.05–1.28), and autism (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.05–1.64). Prenatal exposure to general anaesthesia is associated with a 31% increased risk for a subsequent diagnosis of a disruptive or internalising behavioural disorder in children. Caution is advised when making any clinical decisions regarding care of pregnant women, as avoidance of necessary surgery during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on mothers and their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The severity of the initial encephalopathy in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy correlates with seizure burden. Early electroencephalograph (EEG) background activity reflects the severity of encephalopathy. Thus, we hypothesized that early EEG background would be predictive of subsequent seizures in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Methods: This study included infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia at St. Louis Children's Hospital between January 2009 and April 2013. Two pediatric epilepsy specialists independently characterized EEG background qualitatively using amplitude-integrated EEG trends. Total EEG power in the 1-20 Hz frequency band was calculated for quantitative EEG background assessment. Seizures were identified on conventional full montage EEG. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression.Results: Seventy-eight of the 93 eligible infants had artifact-free EEG data; 23 of 78 infants (29%) developed seizures, and of these, 11 developed status epilepticus. The best predictors of subsequent seizures during the first hour of EEG recording were a flat tracing pattern on amplitude-integrated EEG (sensitivity 26%, specificity 98%, likelihood ratio 13, positive predictive value 85%) and the total EEG power less than 10 μV2 (sensitivity 52%, specificity 98%, likelihood ratio 30, positive predictive value 92%).Conclusions: Early EEG biomarkers predict subsequent seizures in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Compared with the qualitative amplitude-integrated EEG background, total EEG power improves our ability to identify high-risk infants from the first hour of EEG recording. Infants with a total EEG power of less than 10 μV2 have a 90% risk of subsequent seizures. Quantitative EEG measures could stratify cohorts while evaluating novel neuroprotective strategies in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Slow Pyrolysis of cooked food waste to produce bio-oil at various temperatures. • Lignocellulosic and nutrient analysis of cooked food waste. • H-NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT, and GC–MS analysis of bio-oil showed aliphatic and aromatics. • Aromatic fraction in bio-oil increased at higher pyrolysis temperatures (∼500 °C). Bio-oil was generated from slow pyrolysis of cooked food waste (CFW) at various temperatures (300–500 °C). Then NMR analysis was used as a qualitative means to characterize the bio-oil for its nature (aliphatic or aromatic), and then the compounds were confirmed and quantified using the GC–MS. This analysis indicated that the pyrolysis at low temperature (300 °C) mainly generated carbonyl compounds (Aldehydes, Ketones, Esters, and Oxo groups), Levoglucosans, and Furans (17%, 24%, and 38%, respectively) considered as typical pyrolysis chemicals. Similarly, the pyrolysis at medium temperature (400 °C) generated other compounds that were present in significant quantity, including sugars, aliphatic compounds, nitrogen compounds, acids, phenolic compounds, and alcohols. However, their fraction decreased with an increase in pyrolysis temperature to 500 °C and the fraction of aromatics increased significantly (>60%). This aromatics fraction was much more than that in a bio-oil from typical biomass which can be attributed to distinctively different chemical characteristics of CFW due to presence of additional compounds such as starch, proteins, waxes and oils in CFW. Moreover, the composition of aromatic fraction was better because a very high percentage of aromatic ethers (>58%) e.g. Benzene, 1,3-bis (3-phenoxyphenoxy), was found at 500 °C which can be converted into aliphatic alkanes, aliphatic alcohols, aromatic derivatives and platform chemicals by means of catalyst addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Substantial genetic contributions to addiction vulnerability are supported by data from twin studies, linkage studies, candidate gene association studies and, more recently, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Parallel to this work, animal studies have attempted to identify the genes that may contribute to responses to addictive drugs and addiction liability, initially focusing upon genes for the targets of the major drugs of abuse. These studies identified genes/proteins that affect responses to drugs of abuse; however, this does not necessarily mean that variation in these genes contributes to the genetic component of addiction liability. One of the major problems with initial linkage and candidate gene studies was an a priori focus on the genes thought to be involved in addiction based upon the known contributions of those proteins to drug actions, making the identification of novel genes unlikely. The GWAS approach is systematic and agnostic to such a priori assumptions. From the numerous GWAS now completed several conclusions may be drawn: (1) addiction is highly polygenic; each allelic variant contributing in a small, additive fashion to addiction vulnerability; (2) unexpected, compared to our a priori assumptions, classes of genes are most important in explaining addiction vulnerability; (3) although substantial genetic heterogeneity exists, there is substantial convergence of GWAS signals on particular genes. This review traces the history of this research; from initial transgenic mouse models based upon candidate gene and linkage studies, through the progression of GWAS for addiction and nicotine cessation, to the current human and transgenic mouse studies post-GWAS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]