Design, development and performance analysis of FSPV system for powering sustainable energy based mini micro-grid.

The Floating Solar Photovoltaic System (FSPV) is emerging as a favorable technology to policymakers for economically harvesting renewable energy. The implementation of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems is often disrupted due to the unavailability of land. The FSPV systems, where the PV modules are floated in water bodies facilitate optimal utilization of water resources and land assets. The FSPV provides higher power output compared to land-based PV systems of the equal area because of improved energy conversion efficiency at a lower temperature. Another opportunity for the FSPV system is integration with hydropower stations, storage systems, and the electric grid. This paper explores the flood duration curve-based optimal sizing of the FSPV System with the objective of electrification of rural micro-grid. A comparison of energy output and module temperature rise has been made for the FSPV system and its equivalent land-based PV system of equal area. The system generates 18.08 GWh, which is 10.04% more than the land-based PV system. The DC Capacity factor is 17.2%. The Demand Supply Factor (DSF) for a particular day in winter, spring, summer, and monsoon is 37.55%, 41.7%, 45.9%, and 25% respectively. The results indicate that the FSPV system is a sustainable alternative to power renewable energy-based mini micro-grid and provide cost effective electricity to all.

Clinico-demographic profile of COVID-19 positive patients - first wave versus second wave - an experience in north-east India.

INTRODUCTION: India witnessed two distinct COVID-19 waves. We evaluated the clinico-demographic profile of patients infected during first wave (FW) and second wave (SW) in a hospital in north-east India. METHODOLOGY: Patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 specific gene by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction across FW and SW were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. The clinico-demographic data of these positive patients were retrieved from the specimen-referral-form. Vital parameters including respiratory rate, SpO2, data on COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM), COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) were obtained from hospital records for in-patients. Patients were categorized based on disease severity. The data obtained in both waves were analyzed comparatively. RESULTS: Out of a total of 119,016 samples tested, 10,164 (8.5%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive (2907 during FW, 7257 during SW). Male predominance was seen across both waves (FW: 68.4%; SW:58.4%), with more children infected during SW. Patients with travel history (24%) and contact with laboratory confirmed cases (61%) were significantly higher during SW relative to FW (10.9% and 42.1% respectively). Healthcare worker infection was higher in SW (5.3%). Symptoms like vomiting [14.8%], diarrhea [10.5%], anosmia [10.4%] and aguesia [9.4%] were more in SW. More patients developed CARDS in SW (6.7%) compared to FW (3.4%) with 85% and 70% patients expiring across FW and SW respectively. No case of CAM is documented in our study. CONCLUSIONS: This was probably the most comprehensive study from north-east India. Industrial oxygen cylinder usage may have been the source of CAM in the rest of the country.

Insulin fibril inhibition using glycopolymeric nanoassemblies.

To address the obstacles in insulin protein homeostasis leading to the formation of neurotoxic amyloid plaques associated with different diseases, herein we have synthesized block copolymers using the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization method, composed of tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protected leucine and acetyl (Ac) protected glucose pendant moieties, respectively. Selective or dual deprotection of Boc- and Ac-groups from leucine and/or glucose moieties resulted in amphiphilic polymers, which self-assembled into nanoaggregates in aqueous medium, confirmed by critical aggregation concentration (CAC) determination, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These glycopolymeric nanoassemblies were used to study the inhibition rates of insulin fibrillation and were found to impede the fibrillation of the insulin protein. Using several biophysical techniques, we observed that hydrophobic, electrostatic, and hydrogen bonding interactions were responsible for binding the insulin monomer/oligomer with various glycopolymeric aggregates, inhibiting insulin fibrillation. Tyrosine (Tyr) and Nile red (NR) fluorescence measurements manifested the hydrophobic interactions, whereas temperature-dependent fluorescence and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements revealed respectively the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions involved in the inhibition process of insulin amyloid formation. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the involvement of different interactions among polymer-protein residues in averting the fibrillation process.