Solar assisted biogas plants IV: Optimum area for blackening and double glazing over a fixed-dome biogas plant

The paper presents the economic analysis of a fixed-dome biogas plant of rated capacity 8 m³, above which a part of the ground is blackened and doubly glazed in the cold climate of Srinagar. Blackening and glazing of the ground cannot alone maintain the slurry temperature at 35°C, which is the optimum temperature in the mesophilic range for the anaerobic digestion of cattle dung, and so a part of the biogas must be burnt. The electrical simulation experiments have been performed to determine the loss or gain of heat from the underground biodigestor to the ambient atmosphere through the ground if a part of the ground above is blackened and double glazed. Economic analysis of the system shows that the optimum area to be blackened and glazed would have a radius 1.5 times that of the biodigestor.     

Solar assisted biogas plants IV A: Experimental validation of a numerical model for slurry temperature in a glazed fixed-dome biogas plant

The paper presents a comparison between the theoretical and experimental temperatures of digester slurry in a glazed fixed-dome biogas plants. The agreement is within ±2.6°C except for an instance of 4.2°C in the month of April 1988.     

Comparison Study of DG-MOSFET with and without Gate Stack Configuration for Biosensor Applications

Silicon - In this Paper, we have studied and compared the performance of two different configurations of simulation model advanced MOSFET devices which can be used for biosensor application. The...     

Diatomaceous Earth as a Source of Silicon and its Impact on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties,Yield and Quality,Pests and Disease Incidence of Arabica Coffee cv. Chandragiri

Silicon - To assess the impact of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a source of silicon on soil physical-chemical properties, yield attributes and clean coffee yield of Arabica coffee cv. Chandragiri,...     

Performance analysis of waste brick magnesia as a storage material in a solar still

In this current study, a single basin solar still (SBSS) was explored in the climatic state of Patan (23.84° N, 72.12° E) India over March 2019. The SBSS was examined with the use of waste brick magnesia (WBM) for the same amount of water (10 L). For experimentation, three same-sized SBSS were taken with 3 and 6 kg WBM and without storage materials. It was found that a daytime yield for SBSS of 2.27 L without storage materials was obtained; and this was reduced for SBSS with 3 and 6 kg WBM to 1.96 and 1.75 L, respectively. It has also been noticed that the yield of SBSS during off-sunshine hours due to the energy storage capacity increased with WBM but the combined (daytime + off-sunshine hours) yield was found reduced with an increment in a mass of the WBM. It was found that the maximum instantaneous thermal efficiency of the SBSS without WBM, 3 and 6 kg WBM was 60.24%, 45.65%, and 54.26%, respectively. Overall thermal efficiency was also determined and obtained to be higher for SBSS without WBM as storage.     

The Effects of Competitive Displacement on Haloperidol's Plasma Distribution in Normolipidemic and Hyperlipidemic Plasma

Purpose. To assess whether dyslipidemia affects haloperidol's overall plasma distribution when it is in the presence of another highly protein bound drug that competes for plasma protein binding sites. Methods. We performed in vitro studies in which warfarin sodium was pre-incubated in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic plasma samples in varying concentrations. Following the pre-incubation with warfarin, [³H]-haloperidol mixed with unlabeled haloperidol was added to the plasma samples. The plasma was separated into its lipoprotein and lipoprotein deficient fractions by density gradient ultracentrifugation and haloperidol distribution was determined. Results. Our results indicate that when normolipidemic plasma was pre-incubated with various concentrations of warfarin no significant redistribution of haloperidol was noted among the various plasma lipoprotein fractions. However, in the case of the hyperlipidemic plasma, pre-incubating with warfarin did result in a significant redistribution of haloperidol from the lipoprotein-deficient fraction to the very-low-density and low-density fractions of lipoproteins. Conclusion. Understanding how plasma lipoproteins influence competitive displacement interactions would be valuable in helping to explain and perhaps predict pharmacokinetic parameters that may affect clinical outcome. The clinical significance of competitive displacement of drugs in patients with dyslipidemia requires further study.     

Assessing the Antifungal Activity of a New Oral Lipid-Based Amphotericin B Formulation Following Administration to Rats Infected with Aspergillus Fumigatus

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the antifungal activity of a new oral amphotericin B (AmpB) lipid-based formulation following administration to rats infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Aspergillus fumigatus inoculum (2.1–2.5 × 10⁷ colony forming units [CFU]) were injected via the jugular vein; 48h later male albino Sprague-Dawley rats (350–400 g) were administered either a single oral dose of AmpB incorporated into Peceol (50 mg AmpB/kg), physiologic saline (nontreated controls) or Peceol alone (vehicle control) once daily for 4 days. To assess antifungal activity Brain, Lung, Heart, Liver, Spleen and Kidney sections were homogenized with normal saline (1 mL/g of tissue) and a 0.1-mL aliquot was spread plated onto a Sabourand dextrose agar plate. The plates were incubated for 48 hr at 37°C, at which time the number of fungal CFU were determined and corrected for tissue weight. In addition, plasma galactomannan antigen concentrations were determined. Data was reported as mean ± standard error of the mean. The AmpB-Peceol oral formulation significantly decreased total fungal CFU concentrations recovered in all the organs added together, brain CFU concentrations, spleen CFU concentrations and plasma galactomannan antigen concentrations compared to baseline. No significant differences in lung, heart, liver and kidney CFU concentrations between treatment and control groups were observed. Peceol vehicle control did not exhibit any antifungal activity. These findings suggest that a new oral lipid-based formulation of AmpB incorporated into Peceol can significantly decrease brain and spleen CFU concentrations and plasma galactomannan antigen concentrations compared to non-treated controls.