Thermo-kinetic Study of Genetically Different Carbon-Source Materials.

A nonisothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique was applied to determine the devolatilization kinetic parameters of completely different genesis samples of four groups: coal, biomass, lignite, and petcoke. The physical and chemical characteristics were determined using the proximate and ultimate analysis and the ash composition profile using the X-ray fluorescence method. Heating rates of 10, 15, and 20 °C/min were used in the temperature range of 25-1000 °C during the slow pyrolysis under an inert gas atmosphere. A widely used and proposed first-order Coats-Redfern kinetic model was applied, which showed the highest values of activation energies (Ea) for the petcoke sample from 57.17 to 67.58 kJ/mol at three different heating rates, while the lignite sample represented the lowest Ea values between 12.84 and 16.03 kJ/mol. The thermo-kinetic behavior was explained based on the catalytic effect of the ash composition profile, morphology, and structure of the substances determined using different analytical techniques. For the TGA process, the application of scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, etc., for the physiochemical analysis of the four genetically different carbon-source materials represented the novelty of the present work.

Applied mineralogical investigation on coal gasification ash.

This work aims to perform the applied mineralogical characterization of coal gasification ash (CGA) generated from a commercial fixed bed downdraft gasification plant in eastern India. Analytical and characterization techniques such as stereomicroscopy, optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) attached, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer associated scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied for analyzing the coal and the corresponding gasification ash sample. These analytical techniques illustrate that SiO2 and Al2O3 are the major gasification ash phases, accounting for almost 85% of the entire CGA composition. The dominant mineral phases, such as quartz, mullite, and other aluminosilicates, provide an opportunity for utilization in construction and refractory material manufacturing. Moreover, confirming the presence of rare and valuable earth elements (RVEEs) in the CGA sample with SEM-EDX analysis unearths a new application window in meeting the requirement of the RVEEs starved nation like India, where very few commercial-scale coal gasification units are operational.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and pioglitazone for its therapy: a comprehensive review with an emphasis on the molecular pathogenesis and pharmacological aspects.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited chronic kidney disorder (CKD) that is characterized by the development of numerous fluid-filled cysts in kidneys. It is caused either due to the mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 gene that encodes polycystin-1 and polycystin-2, respectively. This condition progresses into end-stage renal disorder if the renal or extra-renal clinical manifestations remain untreated. Several clinical trials with a variety of drugs have failed, and the only Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved drug to treat ADPKD to date is tolvaptan that works by antagonizing the vasopressin-2 receptor (V2R). The pathology of ADPKD is complex and involves the malfunction of different signaling pathways like cAMP, Hedgehog, and MAPK/ERK pathway owing to the mutated product that is polycystin-1 or 2. A measured yet substantial number of preclinical studies have found pioglitazone to decrease the cystic burden and improve the renal function in ADPKD. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma is found on the epithelial cells of renal collecting tubule and when it gets agonized by pioglitazone, confers efficacy in ADPKD treatment through multiple mechanisms. There is only one clinical trial (ongoing) wherein it is being assessed for its benefits and risk in patients with ADPKD, and is expected to get approval from the regulatory body owing to its promising therapeutic effects. This article would encompass the updated information on the epidemiology, pathophysiology of ADPKD, different mechanisms of action of pioglitazone in the treatment of ADPKD with preclinical and clinical shreds of evidence, and related safety updates.

Climatic variability at Gangtok and Tadong weather observatories in Sikkim, India, during 1961-2017.

The present study documents the long-term trends in the temperature and precipitation of a poorly represented region, the Sikkim, eastern Himalaya using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test and the Sen's slope estimator. Additionally, the normal distribution curves and Cusum charts have been used to identify the shifts in extreme events and to detect the points of change in the climatic data series for robust analysis. The minimum temperatures recorded a positive trend in Gangtok (0.036 ˚C year-1 from 1961 to 2017) as well as in Tadong (0.065 ˚C year-1 from 1981 to 2010) stations, while the maximum temperatures showed no trend in Tadong station from 1981 to 2010 which is consistent with the trend in Gangtok station for the overlapped period. However, it was negative for the overall assessed period (- 0.027 ˚C year-1 from 1961 to 2017) in Gangtok. The average temperatures in Gangtok recorded no trend whereas a positive trend (0.035 ˚C year-1 from 1981 to 2010) was observed at Tadong station. A similar positive trend in the average temperatures has been detected at Gangtok also for the overlapped period. Accelerated warming was noticed during the last two decades with an increase in the probability of extreme events of temperatures (minimum, maximum, average) at the higher end. Precipitation was found to be more variable across the observed period and suggested no trend in the study area.

Stem Cells: A Review Encompassing the Literature with a Special Focus on the Side-Lined Miraculous Panacea; Pre-Morula Stem Cells.

Stem cells are the undifferentiated cells in the body that possess the ability to differentiate and give rise to any type of cells in the body. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in therapies involving stem cells as different treatment methods got developed. Depending on the source, there are two major kinds of stem cells, embryonic and adult stem cells. The former type is found in the embryo at the different developmental stages before the implantation and excels the latter owing to pluripotency. On the premise of the attributes of stem cells, they are touted as the "panacea for all ills" and are extensively sought for their potential therapeutic roles. There are a lot of robust pieces of evidence that have proved to cure the different ailments in the body like Huntington disease, Parkinson's disease, and Spinal cord injury with stem cell therapy but associated with adverse effects like immune rejection and teratoma formation. In this regard, the pre-morula (isolated at an early pre-morula stage) stem cells (PMSCs) are one of its kind of embryonic stem cells that are devoid of the aforementioned adverse effects. Taking the beneficial factor into account, they are being used for the treatment of disorders like Cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disorder, Aplastic anemia, Multiple sclerosis and many more. However, it is still illegal to use stem cells in the abovementioned disorders. This review encompasses different stem cells and emphasizes on PMSCs for their uniqueness in therapy as no other previously published literature reviews have taken these into consideration. Later in the review, current regulatory aspects related to stem cells are also considered.

Streaming potential revisited: the influence of convection on the surface conductivity.

Electrokinetic phenomena play an important role in the electrical characterization of surfaces. In terms of planar or porous substrates, streaming potential and/or streaming current measurements can be used to determine the zeta potential of the substrates in contact with aqueous electrolytes. In this work, we perform electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements to infer the electrical resistance in a microchannel with the same conditions as for a streaming potential experiment. Novel correlations are derived to relate the streaming current and streaming potential to the Reynolds number of the channel flow. Our results not only quantify the influence of surface conductivity, and here especially the contribution of the stagnant layer, but also reveal that channel resistance and therefore zeta potential are influenced by the flow in the case of low ionic strengths. We conclude that convection can have a significant impact on the electrical double layer configuration which is reflected by changes in the surfaces conductivity.