Carbon Monoxide Research Articles

Growth Enhancement and Physiological Responses of Tanacetum balsamita L. by Cerium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, and Activated Carbon Nanoparticles Foliar Treatment Under Salinity Stress

ABSTRACT Salinity damages the plant by creating an imbalance between free radicals and the antioxidant defense system. Plantˈs survival under salinity stress is possible through the changes and adaptation of physiological, biochemical, and anatomical processes. Nanoparticle (NP) treatment under salinity reduces the adverse effects of stress on the plant. To survey the effects of NaCl salinity (zero, 50, and 100 mm) and foliar application of activated carbon, cerium, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) on the growth and physiological responses of costmary; a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design. The results showed that the independent effect of salinity influenced the catalase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, sodium, and potassium content. Plant aerial part dry weight, essential oil, nitrogen content, and Na/K ratio were influenced by the independent effects of salinity and NP spray. By increasing the salinity stress to 100 mm; the aerial part dry weight of the plant decreased by 36% compared to the control. However, proline and MDA content, and Na/K ratio were increased. The highest content of essential oil was observed in the zero and 50 mm salinity. The results revealed the occurrence of up to 40 compounds in the essential oils. Carvone (49–60.1%) was the main component identified in all treatments, and the highest amount of this constituent was traced in NaCl50 mm × CeO2 treatment. The overall results revealed that costmary was sensitive to salinity stress; however, the NP foliar treatments were potentiated to meliorate the accumulation of some major essential oil constituents even under stressful environments.

Modeling the emitted carbon dioxide and monoxide gases in the gasification process using optimized hybrid machine learning models

Abstract The machine learning methods are hereby proposed to predict the amount of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emissions in a gasification process, which is one of the most important enabling technologies for carbon-containing materials, such as coal, biomass, and waste toward producing end products of worth, such as syngas, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels. In an attempt to support efforts for improving the emission prediction-a key criterion for enhancing efficiency and further, the environmental performance of gasification-two new advanced algorithms are being applied for the optimization of the model of a random forest: the Jellyfish Search Optimizer (JSO) and Sooty Tern Optimization Algorithm (STOA). The tuned RFJS (RF+JSO) was the best of these configurations, providing the least RMSE of 0.593 on test data and the highest R 2 on validation of 0.983, proving to be most effective for the prediction of emissions. This goes to attest that the model RFJS would be a strong tool in real-time-based carbon emissions reduction due to its effectiveness in dealing with major implications from environmental monitoring to regulation and further into sustainable energy production.

A comprehensive analysis of household air pollution due to traditional cooking in the himalayan belt

Abstract Household air pollution (HAP) and its health concerns are a significant challenge in the Indian subcontinent and other developing nations. Approximately 4.3 million deaths worldwide are attributed to indoor air pollution rather than outdoor air pollution, most of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional cookstoves, widely used in rural Himalayan areas of India, Nepal, and Pakistan, emit pollutants like particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). These stoves, which burn solid fuels such as wood, dung, charcoal, and agricultural waste, contribute to respiratory infections, cancer, premature mortality, and cardiovascular diseases. Improving biomass cookstoves can help reduce exposure to the harmful indoor air pollutants. This study evaluates household pollution levels in Uttarakhand, India, using direct data collection to determine the daily contaminant exposure. The findings show extremely high PM 2.5 and 10 emissions (2,100 μg/m³ and 5,000 μg/m³, respectively) due to inefficient cookstove design and incomplete fuel combustion. By comparing traditional and improved cookstoves using standardized testing protocols, the study also measures the efficiency and identifies the causes of high emissions. The results corroborated the hypothesis that traditional cookstoves have a very low thermal efficiency of ∼11 %, leading to the high emissions gathered from sensor data. This comparison provides specific insights into the reasons behind high emissions and suggests targeted improvements. The findings suggest potential improvements in cookstove efficiency, offering a foundation for further research and stakeholder involvement to enhance rural livelihoods in India.

The nitrogenase mechanism: new roles for the dangler?

Dangler sites protruding from a core metallocluster were introduced into the bioinorganic lexicon in 2000 by R.D. Britt and co-workers in an analysis of the tetramanganese oxygen-evolving cluster in photosystem II. In this perspective, we consider whether analogous dangler sites could participate in the mechanism of dinitrogen reduction by nitrogenase. Two possible roles for dynamic danglers in the active site FeMo cofactor are highlighted that might occur transiently during turnover. The first role for adangler involves the S2B belt sulfur associated with displacement by carbon monoxide and other ligands, while the second dangler rolecould involve the entire cluster upon displacement of the His- 442 side chain to the molybdenum by a free carboxyl group of the homocitrate ligand.To assess whether waters might be able to interact with the cofactor, a survey of small ligands (water and alkali metal ions) contacting [4Fe4S] clusters in synthetic compounds and proteins was conducted. This survey reveals a preference for these sites to pack over the centers of 2Fe2S rhombs. Waters are excluded from the S2B site in the resting state of nitrogenase, suggesting it is unlikely that water molecules coordinate to the FeMo cofactor during catalysis. While alkali metal ions are found to generally influence the properties of catalysts for dinitrogen reduction, no convincing evidence was found that any of the waters near the FeMo cofactor could instead be sodium or potassium ions. Dangler sites, if they exist in the nitrogenase mechanism, are likely formed transiently by localized changes to the resting-state FeMo cofactor structure.

Nonlinear interaction and compounding factors of vehicle parameters influencing exhaust pollution.

One of the main causes of air pollution, particularly in large cities, is vehicles due to it continued use of hydrocarbon fuels. The understanding of nonlinear interactions of vehicle parameters uncovers more realistic relationships for enhancing formulation of strategies to address vehicle-related pollution. Thus, the study aims to evaluate the interaction and quadratic effect of vehicle parameters on Hydrocarbon (HC), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), and Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The SV-5Q Vehicle Exhaust Gas Analyzer was used to collect emission concentrations data from one thousand and two (1002) light-duty petrol vehicles at three (3) government-accredited vehicle inspection sites in Accra, Ghana. Pollution control devices, maintenance frequency, and vehicle age were also collected. The linear regression analysis revealed that vehicle age showed a positive linear relationship with CO emissions. Maintenance frequency, on the other hand, demonstrated a negative linear relationship with both CO and HC emissions. The interaction between vehicle age and maintenance frequency positively impacted CO and HC emissions, while the interaction between vehicle age and emission technology had a negative effect on CO. Additionally, the combined effect of frequency of maintenance and emission technology significantly reduced CO emissions but increased HC emissions. Notably, the quadratic effect of vehicle age positively influenced CO emissions. Similarly, CO, HC, and NOx emissions were positively correlated with the squared effect of emission technology. Stricter emissions standards, encouraging frequent maintenance and testing of vehicular exhaust emissions, and doing away with over-aged vehicles are recommended to control and reduce vehicular exhaust emissions.

CO2-Assisted Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane to Propylene over Modified SiO2 Based Catalysts

The oxidative dehydrogenation of propane with CO2 (CO2-ODP) was investigated over different metal oxides MxOy (M: Ca, Sn, Cr, Ga) supported on a SiO2 surface. Catalysts were characterized employing nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO2 temperature programmed desorption (CO2-TPD) and pyridine adsorption/desorption experiments in order to identify their physicochemical properties and correlate them with their activity and selectivity for the CO2-ODP reaction. The effect of operating reaction conditions on catalytic performance was also examined, aiming to improve the propylene yield and suppress side reactions. Surface acidity and basicity were found to be affected by the nature of MxOy, which in turn affected the conversion of propane to propylene, which was in all cases higher compared to that of bare SiO2. Propane conversion, reaction rate and selectivities towards propylene and carbon monoxide were maximized for the Ga- and Cr-containing catalysts characterized by moderate surface basicity, which were also able to limit the undesired reactions leading to ethylene and methane byproducts. High surface acidity was found to be beneficial for the CO2-ODP reaction, which, however, should not be excessive to ensure high catalytic activity. The silica-supported Ga2O3 catalyst exhibited sufficient stability with time and better than that of the most active Cr2O3-SiO2 catalyst. Decreasing the weight gas hourly space velocity resulted in a significant improvement in both propane conversion and propylene yield as well as a suppression of undesired product formation. Increasing CO2 concentration in the feed did not practically affect propane conversion, while led to a decrease in propylene yield. The ratio of propylene to ethylene selectivity was optimized for CO2:C3H8 = 5:1 and space velocity of 6000 mL g−1 h−1, most possibly due to facilitation of the C–H bond cleavage against that of the C–C bond. Results of the present study provided evidence that the efficient conversion of propane to propylene is feasible over silica-based composite metal oxides, provided that catalyst characteristics have been optimized and reaction conditions have been properly selected.

Flexible solid-state supercapacitors based on biowaste-derived activated carbon and nanomaterials for enhanced performance.

Supercapacitors are energy storage devices with long cycle life that can harvest and deliver high power. This makes them attractive for a broad range of applications including flexible and lightweight wearable consumer electronics. In this work, we fabricate flexible solid-state supercapacitors with improved capacitance and cycle life. We synthesize activated carbon (AC) from cabbage leaves as a low cost, biowaste-derived active electrode material. To improve mechanical flexibility and conductivity, we incorporate reduced graphene oxide sheets (RGO) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) into the electrodes. We show that at the optimum AC/RGO/CQD composition, the capacitance of the solid-state supercapacitor is maximized while its scan rate dependence and bending stability are simultaneously improved. We envision that this approach offers significant potential for delivering efficient energy storage devices for consumer electronics.

Computational deconvolution of cell type-specific gene expression in COPD and IPF lungs reveals disease severity associations

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are debilitating diseases associated with divergent histopathological changes in the lungs. At present, due to cost and technical limitations, profiling cell types is not practical in large epidemiology cohorts (n > 1000). Here, we used computational deconvolution to identify cell types in COPD and IPF lungs whose abundances and cell type-specific gene expression are associated with disease diagnosis and severity.ResultsWe analyzed lung tissue RNA-seq data from 1026 subjects (COPD, n = 465; IPF, n = 213; control, n = 348) from the Lung Tissue Research Consortium. We performed RNA-seq deconvolution, querying thirty-eight discrete cell-type varieties in the lungs. We tested whether deconvoluted cell-type abundance and cell type-specific gene expression were associated with disease severity. The abundance score of twenty cell types significantly differed between IPF and control lungs. In IPF subjects, eleven and nine cell types were significantly associated with forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), respectively. Aberrant basaloid cells, a rare cells found in fibrotic lungs, were associated with worse FVC and DLCO in IPF subjects, indicating that this aberrant epithelial population increased with disease severity. Alveolar type 1 and vascular endothelial (VE) capillary A were decreased in COPD lungs compared to controls. An increase in macrophages and classical monocytes was associated with lower DLCO in IPF and COPD subjects. In both diseases, lower non-classical monocytes and VE capillary A cells were associated with increased disease severity. Alveolar type 2 cells and alveolar macrophages had the highest number of genes with cell type-specific differential expression by disease severity in COPD and IPF. In IPF, genes implicated in the pathogenesis of IPF, such as matrix metallopeptidase 7, growth differentiation factor 15, and eph receptor B2, were associated with disease severity in a cell type-specific manner.ConclusionsUtilization of RNA-seq deconvolution enabled us to pinpoint cell types present in the lungs that are associated with the severity of COPD and IPF. This knowledge offers valuable insight into the alterations within tissues in more advanced illness, ultimately providing a better understanding of the underlying pathological processes that drive disease progression.

Carbon monoxide poisoning: a clinical case report

BackgroundCarbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a serious yet frequently overlooked condition with diverse and nonspecific clinical presentations. The analysis of Lithuanian statistics reveals fluctuations in patient admissions and consultations through the poisoning center over a four-year period, with notable variations in fatality rates. Despite these trends, CO poisoning remains a significant public health concern due to its potential for severe long-term sequelae or death.CaseThis case report focuses on two distinct presentations of CO poisoning in a young couple, illustrating the varied manifestations and outcomes of this toxic exposure. The first case describes a 23-year-old male presenting with altered consciousness and neurological symptoms, while the second case involves a 21-year-old pregnant female presenting with cardiovascular symptoms, including Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.DiscussionHighlights include the challenges in diagnosing CO poisoning; factors influencing the severity and symptoms of CO poisoning; potential complications; and considerations for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) in severe cases and pregnancy.ConclusionThese cases illustrate the importance of recognizing CO poisoning, advocating for oxygen therapy as the first-line treatment, and calling for further research to improve understanding, treatment, and prevention of this potentially fatal condition.

Transforming Growth Factor-Beta is Increased in Sputum from Individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) develops in 5-10% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality, particularly in those with a fibrotic phenotype. Yet, biomarkers to reliably identify RA patients with underlying pulmonary fibrosis are inadequate. Herein, we used sputum to identify lung-based biomarkers that distinguish RA patients with underlying pulmonary fibrosis and may better inform underlying pathogenesis in RA-ILD. We included 37 RA patients with pulmonary fibrosis (RA-PF) and 30 RA patients without ILD (RA-no-ILD). Induced sputum and serum were tested for transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) levels by immunoassay. DNA was extracted to determine presence of the MUC5B ILD-risk allele ("T"). High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were completed within 3 months of sputum collection and quantified to determine lung disease severity. Sputum TGF-β was significantly elevated in individuals with RA-PF compared with RA-no-ILD (p< 0.001) and correlated with more fibrosis on HRCT (p= 0.005) and lower forced vital capacity (p= 0.006) and diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (p= 0.044) on PFTs. Within RA-PF patients, sputum TGF-β was higher in those with the MUC5B ILD-risk genotype (GT/TT) (p= 0.038). There were no differences in serum levels of TGF-β between groups. We demonstrate that sputum levels of TGF-β are significantly elevated in individuals with RA-PF, correlate with lung disease severity, and are elevated in those with the MUC5B ILD-risk polymorphism. These findings could identify novel approaches to ILD screening in RA and potential targeted therapeutic strategies for RA-ILD.

Seasonal, regional, and vertical characteristics of high-carbon-monoxide plumes along with their associated ozone anomalies, as seen by IAGOS between 2002 and 2019

Abstract. In situ measurements from the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) are used to characterise extreme values of carbon monoxide (CO) in large regions of the globe in the troposphere between 2002 and 2019. The SOFT-IO model, combining the FLEXPART Lagrangian dispersion model with emission inventories over the footprint region, is used to identify the origins of the CO in the sampled plumes. The impact of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions on such CO plumes is characterised through CO mixing ratios and simultaneously recorded ozone (O3) ones. In the Northern Hemisphere, CO reaches its maximum values in DJF in the lower troposphere, which can be attributed to elevated anthropogenic emissions and reduced convective activity during the season. Due to the low photochemistry and the fresh age of the air masses, the O3 values of these plumes are low. CO plumes in the upper troposphere (UT) result from intense emissions and efficient vertical transport, peaking during JJA. The largest values of CO in the Northern Hemisphere are found in eastern Asia in the lower troposphere (LT) and middle troposphere (MT) and in Siberia in the upper troposphere. Among the anomalies detected in the upper troposphere in JJA, the ones with higher associated O3 values are the ones associated with biomass-burning emissions. The middle troposphere is a combination of the characteristics of the LT and the UT, with contributions from both local emissions and long-range transport. Among the studied regions, the troposphere above the Middle East and the UT above Siberia presented extremely high O3 values. Indian CO anomalies have different characteristics depending on the season, as the wet and dry phases of the monsoon have a strong impact on the transport of the pollutant in this region. Similarly, the shift in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) strongly impacts the seasonality of the emissions and the transport patterns above Africa. In that region, convection is no longer the limiting factor, and the transport of the CO plumes is driven by the ITCZ shift, trade winds, and the upper branch of the Hadley cell redistributing the pollution to higher latitudes.

Degradation Assessment of In-Service Transformer Oil Based on Electrical and Chemical Properties

In order to ensure the long-term reliability and safety of power transformers, it is important to continuously monitor the characteristics of insulating oil, which not only helps in understanding its behavior over time but also ensures the safety of the equipment. The current study analyzes in-service insulating oil with the aim of relating deterioration and changes in the oil with service aging. Insulating oil samples were collected from three power transformers, with a voltage level of 220 kV and 132 kV, installed at a 220 kV substation. Electrical and chemical characteristics were obtained, and the impact of service aging and the relationships among load variation, oil, and winding temperatures with the characteristics were evaluated. Variations in the dielectric dissipation factor and breakdown voltage with service aging were recorded for all transformers, while the moisture content increased with each service year. Among the concentrations of gases present in the insulating oil, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and nitrogen concentrations increased after each service year. The impact of load variation on the breakdown voltage of the 132 kV transformer oil was more prominent than for the 220 kV transformers. The analysis of gas ratios and moisture content identified the degradation of cellulose insulation in all transformers, which was due to the presence of electrical faults.

Reversibly Modulating the Selectivity of Carbon Dioxide Reduction via Ligand-Driven Spin Crossover.

Selectivity is an essential aspect in catalysis. At present, the improvement of the selectivity for complex reactions with multiple pathways/products, for example the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), can usually be achieved for only one pathway/product. It is still a challenge to reversibly modulate the selectivity between two reaction pathways or products of the CO2RR by one catalyst. Here, we propose the reversible modulation of selectivity between two products via spin crossover. By employing first-principles calculations, six spin crossover molecular catalysts are found among 17 kinds of transition metal embedded porphyrin derivatives (ppy_TM), where the changes in axial ligand configurations can reversibly switch the spin state of catalysts between high spin and low spin. For ppy_Os and ppy_Ru, the alteration in spin state can effectively influence the reduction of CO2 into either formic acid or carbon monoxide by changing the relative stability of the key intermediates *COOH and *HCOO.

A geospatial approach for dynamic on-road emission through open-access floating car data

Abstract This paper presents a geospatial approach for quantifying street-level on-road emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO). By leveraging an existing open-access database of real-time congestion information derived from floating car data, we tested three methods to map high-resolution dynamic traffic emissions. To demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the methods, we showcased results for summer workdays and winter weekends in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA). The three methods employed include (1) a physics-based relation known as the macroscopic fundamental diagram, (2) a data-driven input-adaptive generalized linear model (GLM), and (3) their ensemble (ENS). These methods estimated traffic density with satisfactory accuracy (R 2 = 0.60–0.88, sMAPE = 31%–68%). Utilizing speed-dependent emission factors retrieved from a European database, the results compared favorably against the downscaled national emission inventory, particularly for CO2 (R 2 = 0.70–0.77). Among the three methods, GLM exhibited the best overall performance in the HMA, while ENS provided a robust upscaling solution. The modeled emissions exhibited dynamic diurnal and spatial behavior, influenced by different functional road classes, fleet compositions and congestion patterns. Congestion-induced emissions were calculated to account for up to 10% of the total vehicular emissions. Furthermore, to anticipate the forthcoming transportation transformation, we calculated emission changes under scenarios with various penetration rates of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) using this geospatial approach. The introduction of CAVs could result in emission reductions of 3%–14% owing to congestion improvements.

Fire Behavior Characteristics and Computational Simulation Research on Historic Wooden Structures

Wooden structures are prone to fire hazards, and studying their combustion properties is vital for their protection. Samples of fresh pine wood (FP) and pine subjected to artificially accelerated aging (treated at 240 circulation) were collected and prepared for analysis. The heat-release rate, smoke production, and yields of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from both types of pine were assessed using conical calorimetry to determine their combustion characteristics. A historic building in Xi’an was modeled using PyroSim to serve as a representative case. The experimentally obtained combustion characteristics of the two pine wood types were inputted into the model, and the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software was utilized to simulate the development of fire in both newly constructed and aging historic buildings. The results suggest that aging impairs the wood’s combustion properties and increases the susceptibility of pine to ignition. Consequently, this accelerates the spread of fire in wooden structures, leading to a rapid increase in temperature and swift smoke production during fires, thus amplifying the fire risk to historic wooden buildings.

A randomized trial for combination nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation among people with HIV in a low-resourced setting.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combination nicotine replacement therapy (c-NRT) for smoking cessation among people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa. We conducted an open label, individually randomized clinical trial. Using a two-armed approach, PWH who smoke were randomized to receive either 1) intensive anti-smoking behavioral counseling (BC) or 2) intensive anti-smoking BC plus c-NRT (nicotine patches augmented by nicotine gum). Self-reported smoking abstinence was biochemically validated with exhaled breath carbon monoxide (CO) and urine cotinine at six months. Recruitment, provision of trial interventions, and follow-up of participants took place March 2014 through June 2016. We randomly assigned 280 participants to the BC arm and 281 participants to the BC + c-NRT arm. 438 (78%) participants were male and 123 (22%) were female. For our primary outcome of biochemically verified abstinence at six months, 41 (15%) were quit in the BC + c-NRT arm versus 28 (10%) in the BC arm, resulting in a 5% (95% CI -1%, 10%) absolute difference in relative risk and an adjusted odd ratio of 1.47 (95% CI: 0.86, 2.52) comparing the BC + c-NRT to the BC arm. Although our results did not reach statistical significance, we found augmentation of BC with c-NRT to increase smoking abstinence at six months, which is consistent with performance in the general population. PWH in low-resource settings may benefit from the addition of c-NRT to existing tobacco cessation interventions.

Development of a local nomogram‐based scoring system for predicting overall survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A rural Appalachian experience

AbstractBackgroundAccurate staging systems are essential for assessing the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and guiding clinical management. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of pulmonary comorbidities and body mass index (BMI) in IPF, develop a nomogram predicting overall survival (OS), and create a nomogram‐based survival prediction model.MethodsPatients with IPF were identified from electronic medical records of the West Virginia hospital system. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was used for variable selection, and a nomogram was constructed. Risk groups were defined based on the nomogram's probability tertiles. The performance of the nomogram‐based model was evaluated using Harrell's concordance index (C‐index) and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test.ResultsThe study included 152 patients with IPF. The majority of the patients were elderly, male, and had a BMI above 24 kg/m2. The median survival duration was 7.6 years. The survival rates were 91% at 1 year, 78% at 3 years, and 68% at 5 years. LASSO regression selected carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity percentage predicted (DLco%), BMI, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and sleep apnea as independent predictive variables. The nomogram demonstrated good discrimination (C‐index = 0.71) and calibration.ConclusionsPulmonary comorbidities and BMI have significant prognostic value in IPF, emphasizing the necessity for consistent screening, assessment, and management of these factors in IPF care. Furthermore, the nomogram‐based staging system showed promising performance in predicting OS and represents an actionable staging system that could potentially improve clinical management in IPF. Further validation of the nomogram is warranted to confirm its utility in clinical practice.

Optimizing engine performance and emission properties with Garcinia indica biodiesel: a holistic RSM-TLBO-DFA strategy

Garcinia indica (GI) feedstock poses high oil content (45.2%) and after transesterification resulted with 94.8% yield. The GI crude oil, biodiesel, and their blends were tested for fuel characteristics and run in a diesel engine. Response surface methodology based on central composite design experimental matrices was used to model and examine the input variables (engine load, injection timing, injection pressure, and blend type) on engine performance (brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC)) and emission characteristics (nitrogen oxide (NOx), unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC), carbon monoxide (CO)). All factors showed significant effects (except injection pressure and injection time for NOx) on all responses. The empirical equations predicted 27 experimental cases with 4.75% accuracy. Desirability function approach was applied to transform all output functions (maximize BTE and minimize BSFC, CO, NOx, and UHC) with different weight fractions (WF) to single composite desirability function for maximization. Teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) determined optimal condition corresponding to case 4 (maximum WF to CO, minimum WF to BTE, BSFC, UHC, NOx) resulting in highest desirability function value (0.9432) with a percent deviation of 7.09%. The developed models assist novice users in predicting unknown parametric conditions and improving engine performance and emission characteristics without practical experiments.

Pelletizing of ferruginous quartzites with red mud addition and heat treatment of obtained pellets in carbon monoxide atmosphere

Pelletizing of ferruginous quartzites with red mud addition and heat treatment of obtained pellets in carbon monoxide atmosphere

Synthesis of Block Copolymers Utilizing Alkoxycarbonylation or Aminocarbonylation of Growing Chain End in Pd‐Catalyzed Living Polymerization of Olefins

AbstractDiimine Pd catalysts have been known to promote the living polymerization of olefins. Treatment of the living polyolefin with carbon monoxide followed by the addition of alcohols or amines results in alkoxycarbonylation or aminocarbonylation of the living chain end. The alkoxycarbonylation or aminocarbonylation using polymers having hydroxy or amino terminal group leads to direct linking of the end‐functionalized polymer with the living polyolefins. The introduction of hydroxy, amino, and 2‐bromoisobutyrate functional groups on the terminal of the polyolefin is also possible by the alkoxycarbonylation or aminocarbonylation. The end‐functionalized polyolefin having 2‐bromoisobutyryl terminal group acts as a macroinitiator for living radical polymerization of styrene to give poly(olefin‐block‐styrene).