Kinetics of thermal liquefaction of coal

A model is presented for the kinetic study of the thermal liquefaction of Belle Ayr subbituminous and Burning Star bituminous coals with anthracene oil, hydrogenated anthracene oil and hydrogenated phenanthrene. All experiments were performed in a continuous-feed, stirred tank reactor, at a temperature of 450 °C and a space time of approximately 5 to 55 min. A kinetic model which includes a reaction: coal + oil→more reactive coal, correlates the data reasonably well. This reaction explains the net consumption of anthracene oil during the initial stages of liquefaction. Such a reaction may account for a portion of the swelling of coal at low space times and the sizable increase of viscosity of reaction slurry during these initial stages of liquefaction. It is also observed that the yield of oil increases when solvents of increasing hydrogen donor capacity are used.     

Bioprocess Scale-up for Acetohydroxamic Acid Production by Hyperactive Acyltransferase of Immobilized Rhodococcus Pyridinivorans

Catalysis Letters - In this study, Rhodococcus pyridinivorans cells containing hyperactive acyltransferase was immobilized on various macromolecules based-polymeric matrices and used to improve...     

The metabolism and analysis of isoflavones and other dietary polyphenols in foods and biological systems

Polyphenols in dietary and botanical matrices are usually present as simple and complex O-glycosides. In fermented dietary materials, the glycosidic moiety is removed and accompanied in some cases by more complex changes to the polyphenol. As for most xenobiotics, polyphenols undergo phase II conjugation in the intestinal wall during their absorption from the gut. In contrast, a few polyphenols, such as puerarin in the kudzu vine, are C-glycosides and are stable in the gut and during absorption, distribution and excretion. Large bowel bacteria reduce polyphenol aglycones, causing opening of the heterocyclic B-ring and ring cleavage. The products are mostly absorbed and enter the bloodstream. Phase I and II metabolism events occur in the intestine and the liver - most polyphenols predominantly circulate as β-glucuronides and sulfate esters with very little as the aglycones, the presumed active forms. In addition, metabolism can occur in non-hepatic tissues and cells including breast tumor cells that have variable amounts of cytochrome P450s, sulfatase and sulfotransferase activities. Inflammatory cells produce chemical oxidants (HOCl, HOBr, ONO(2)(-)) that will react with polyphenols. The isoflavones daidzein and genistein and the flavonol quercetin form mono- and dichlorinated products in reaction with HOCl. Genistein is converted to 3'-nitrogenistein in the lung tissue of lipopolysaccharide-treated rats. Whereas polyphenols that can be converted to quinones or epoxides react with glutathione (GSH) to form adducts, chlorinated isoflavones do not react with GSH; instead, they are converted to β-glucuronides and are excreted in bile. Analysis of polyphenols and their metabolites is routinely carried out with great sensitivity, specificity and quantification by LC-tandem mass spectrometry. Critical questions about the absorption and tissue uptake of complex polyphenols such as the proanthocyanins can be answered by labeling these polyphenols with (14)C-sucrose in plant cell culture and then purifying them for use in animal experiments. The (14)C signature is quantified using accelerator mass spectrometry, a technique capable of detecting one (14)C atom in 10(15) carbon atoms. This permits the study of the penetration of the polyphenols into the interstitial fluid, the fluid that is actually in contact with non-vascular cells.     

Investigations on Buckling Behaviour of Laminated Curved Composite Stiffened Panels

In Industrial applications structural efficiency is primary concern, this brings about the need of strong and lightweight materials. Due to their high specific strength, fibre reinforced polymers find wide application in these areas. Panels made of composite materials are widely used in aerospace structures, automobile, civil, marine and biomedical industries because of their good mechanical properties, impact resistance, excellent damage tolerance and also low fabrication cost. In this Paper, buckling and post-buckling analysis was performed on composite stiffened panel to obtain the critical load and modes of failures, with different parameters like ply-orientation, different composite materials, and stiffeners and by changing the number of stiffeners was derived. To analyze the post buckling behaviour of composite stiffened panels the nonlinear finite element analysis is employed and substantial investigations are undertaken using finite element (FE) model. Effect of critical parameters on buckling behaviour is studied and parametric studies were conducted with analytical tool to understand the structural behaviour in the post buckling range.     

Agro-Waste Generated Pd/CAP-Ash Catalyzed Ligand-Free Approach for Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling Reaction

Catalysis Letters - We converted agro-waste Custard Apple Peels (CAP) to ash via thermal treatment, on which Pd(OAc)2 was immobilized easily that produced a low-cost, highly efficient Pd/CAP-ash...     

Study of mixed convection in an annular vertical cylinder filled with saturated porous medium,using thermal non-equilibrium model

The present study deals with numerical investigation of effects of different parameters on enhancement or retardation of the heat transfer rate in an annular vertical cylinder filled with saturated porous medium. The heat transfer is assumed to take place by mixed convection mode. The thermal non-equilibrium approach is considered. The inner surface of the annular cylinder is maintained at constant wall temperature whereas the outer surface remains at ambient temperature. The governing partial differential equations are solved using finite element method. The results are discussed for the effects of Peclet number, interphase heat transfer co-efficient and thermal conductivity ratio.     

Impact of Gd Doping on Morphology and Superconductivity of NbN Sputtered Thin Films

We report the effect of Gd inclusion in the NbN superconductor thin films. The films are deposited on single crystalline Silicon (100) by DC reactive sputtering technique, i.e., deposition of Nb and Gd in presence of reactive N₂ gas. The fabricated relatively thick films (400 nm) are crystallized in cubic structure. These films are characterized for their morphology, elemental analysis, and roughness by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) respectively. The optimized film (maximum T _c ) is achieved with gas ratio of Ar:N₂ (80:20) for both pristine and Gd-doped films. The optimized NbN film possesses T _c (R=0) in zero and 140 kOe fields are at 14.8 K and 8.8 K, respectively. The Gd-doped NbN film showed T _c (R=0) in zero and 130 kOe fields at 11.2 K and 6.8 K, respectively. The upper critical field H _c2(0) of the studied superconducting films is calculated from the magneto-transport [R(T)H] measurements using GL equations. It is found that Gd doping deteriorated the superconducting performance of NbN.     

Differential Response to Single and Combined Salt and Heat Stresses: Impact on Accumulation of Proteins and Metabolites in Dead Pericarps of Brassica juncea

Dead organs enclosing embryos, such as seed coats and pericarps, are emerging as important maternally-derived components of the dispersal unit that affect seed performance and fate. In the face of climate change and increased incidents of heatwaves, we sought to investigate the effect of salinity (S), short episodes of high temperature (HS), and combination of S + HS (SHS), at the reproductive phase, on the properties of dead pericarps of Brassica juncea. Proteome and metabolome analyses revealed multiple proteins and metabolites stored in dead pericarps whose levels and composition were altered under single and combined stress conditions. The protein profile of SHS showed a higher correlation with salt than with HS indicating the dominant effect of salt over heat stress. On the other hand, the analysis of metabolites showed that the profile of SHS has better correlation with HS than with salt. The integration of metabolic and proteomic data showed that changes in TCA cycle intermediates and certain amino acids (e.g., proline) under salt treatments (S and SHS) are highly correlated with changes in proteins involved in their biosynthetic pathways. Thus, accumulation of proteins and metabolites in dead pericarps is differently affected by single and combination of salt and heat stresses. Salinity appears to dominate plant response to combined stresses at the protein level, while heat appears to be the major factor affecting metabolite accumulation in dead pericarps.