Dataset on the performance characteristics of briquettes from selected agricultural wastes using a piston-type briquetting machine.

Densification of agricultural wastes for briquette production has considerable potential to meet the growing energy demand and contribute towards a safe environment worldwide. The datasets contained in this paper are the performance characteristics of raw and torrefied briquettes produced from sawdust (SD), cassava peels (CP), cornhusk (CH), and their blends using a developed piston-type briquetting machine. The physicomechanical, chemical, structural, and combustion indices including the kinetic parameters, were determined using standard methods. The result obtained show that each briquettes sample has the infrared transmittance of C-H, OH, C-O, and C=C with the SD sample having the highest and CP, the lowest. The feedstock mixture and increase in torrefaction temperature enhance the physicomechanical properties of the briquettes through water preconditioning. The combustion characteristics show that the torrefied briquettes and their blends could be co-fired with coal, and are well suited for heating applications and reduce environmental pollution. The activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and R2 values of the briquettes ranged between 39.70-60.76 kJ/mol, 5.52-9.17 min-1, and 0.95-0.98, respectively. The data provided in this paper will therefore be useful for energy enthusiasts and coal engine design, and assist in choosing the appropriate briquette blends with increased calorific value for heating applications.

A corpus-based analysis of the stylistic features of Chinese and American diplomatic discourse.

The study investigates the linguistic aspects of Chinese and American diplomatic discourse using Biber's theoretical underpinnings of multi-dimensional (MD) analysis. The corpus of the study comprises texts taken from the official websites of the Chinese and US governments from 2011 to 2020. The study results show that China's diplomatic discourse falls into the text type of learned exposition which includes informational expositions focused on conveying information. In contrast, the United States diplomatic discourse falls into the text type of "involved persuasion," which is persuasive and argumentative. Furthermore, the two-way ANOVA test reveals few distinctions between spoken and written diplomatic discourse from the same country. Furthermore, T-tests demonstrate that the diplomatic discourse of the two countries differs significantly in three dimensions. In addition, the study highlights that China's diplomatic discourse is informationally dense and context independent. In contrast, the United States diplomatic discourse is emotive and interactional, strongly dependent on context, and created within time restrictions. Finally, the study's findings contribute to a systematic knowledge of the genre aspects of diplomatic discourse and are helpful for more effective diplomatic discourse system creation.

An overview of torrefied bioresource briquettes: quality-influencing parameters, enhancement through torrefaction and applications.

In recent years, the need for clean, viable and sustainable source of alternative fuel is on the rampage in the global space due to the challenges posed by human factors including fossil induced emissions, fuel shortage and its ever-rising prices. These challenges are the major reason to utilize alternative source of energy such as lignocellulosic biomass as domestic and industrial feedstock. However, biomass in their raw form is problematic for application, hence, a dire need for torrefaction pre-treatment is required. The torrefaction option could ameliorate biomass limitations such as low heating value, high volatile matter, low bulk density, hygroscopic and combustion behaviour, low energy density and its fibrous nature. The torrefied product in powder form could cause air pollution and make utilization, handling, transportation, and storage challenging, hence, densification into product of higher density briquettes. This paper therefore provides an overview on the performance of torrefied briquettes from agricultural wastes. The review discusses biomass and their constituents, torrefaction pre-treatment, briquetting of torrefied biomass, the parameters influencing the quality, behaviour and applications of torrefied briquettes, and way forward in the briquetting sector in the developing world.

Should COVID-19 patients >75 years be Ventilated? An Outcome Study.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with COVID-19 disease are at increased risk for adverse outcomes. Current data regarding disease characteristics and outcomes in this population are limited. AIM: To delineate the adverse factors associated with outcomes of COVID-19 patients ≥75 years of age. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients were classified into mild/moderate, severe/very severe and critical disease (intubated) based on oxygen requirements. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 355 patients aged ≥75 years hospitalized with COVID-19 between 19 March and 25 April 2020 were included.Mean age was 84.3 years. One-third of the patients developed critical disease. Mean length of stay was 7.10 days. Vasopressors were required in 27%, with the highest frequency in the critical disease group (74.1%). Overall mortality was 57.2%, with a significant difference between severity groups (mild/moderate disease: 17.4%, severe/very severe disease: 71.3%, critical disease: 94.9%, P < 0.001).Increased age, dementia, and severe/very severe and critical disease groups were independently associated with increased odds for mortality while diarrhea was associated with decreased odds for mortality (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.60, P < 0.05). None of the cardiovascular comorbidities were significantly associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Age and dementia are associated with increased odds for mortality in patients ≥75 years of age hospitalized with COVID-19. Those who require intubation have the greatest odds for mortality. Diarrhea as a presenting symptom was associated with lower odds for mortality.

Dataset on thermodynamics performance analysis and optimization of a reheat - regenerative steam turbine power plant with feed water heaters.

Steam power plants have a considerable potential to meet the growing energy demand, but its dependence on conventional fossil fuels has hampered its viability. One of the ways to minimize fuel consumption and upgrade the performance of a Rankine cycle is by incorporating closed feedwater heaters(FWHs). The datasets contained in this paper are thermodynamic performance analysis carried out on reheat - regenerative steam power plant with FWHs using CyclePad V2.0 software. The thermodynamic performance indices assessed are thermal efficiency, network output, heat rate, fuel consumption, boiler efficiency and specific steam consumption. Result obtained show that an increase in the number of FWHs decreases the fuel consumption, heat rate, heat rejected in condenser and heat input to the cycle. This effect invariably can lead to a reduction in operating cost and environmental impacts.

Outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 disease treated with tocilizumab: a case-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an ongoing threat to society. Patients who develop the most severe forms of the disease have high mortality. The interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab has the potential to improve outcomes in these patients by preventing the development of cytokine release storm. AIMS: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 disease treated with the interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, case-control, single-center study in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 disease treated with tocilizumab. Disease severity was defined based on the amount of oxygen supplementation required. The primary endpoint was the overall mortality. Secondary endpoints were mortality in non-intubated patients and mortality in intubated patients. RESULTS: A total of 193 patients were included in the study. Ninety-six patients received tocilizumab, while 97 served as the control group. The mean age was 60 years. Patients over 65 years represented 43% of the population. More patients in the tocilizumab group reported fever, cough and shortness of breath (83%, 80% and 96% vs. 73%, 69% and 71%, respectively). There was a non-statistically significant lower mortality in the treatment group (52% vs. 62.1%, P = 0.09). When excluding intubated patients, there was statistically significant lower mortality in patients treated with tocilizumab (6% vs. 27%, P = 0.024). Bacteremia was more common in the control group (24% vs. 13%, P = 0.43), while fungemia was similar for both (3% vs. 4%, P = 0.72). CONCLUSION: Our study showed a non-statistically significant lower mortality in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 disease who received tocilizumab. When intubated patients were excluded, the use of tocilizumab was associated with lower mortality.

Oxidative stress in Vitiligo patients and administration of Munzij and Mushil therapy, a poly herbal Unani formulation - hospital-based study.

Background Vitiligo, a skin disorder is viewed as a multifactorial process with major role of reactive oxygen species in concert to destroy or incapacitate melanocytes. In Unani system of medicine the treatment of Bars (Vitiligo) starts with removal of harmful materials from the body with Munzij and Mushil (MM), a poly herbal Unani formulation. Methods Herein, oxidative stress related parameters as MDA, SOD, GPx and CAT have been estimated in the 21 clinically diagnosed Vitiligo in-patients and subsequently these parameters were evaluated during and after administration of MM therapy and compared with 21 healthy subjects. Results There was significant difference in the parameters viz., SOD (p<0.001) and CAT (p<0.005) activity at the baseline with no statistical significant difference in MDA and GPx activity among Vitiligo subjects and controls. After MM therapy there was no statistical significant difference among the values of these parameters in Vitiligo subjects. Conclusions The results suggest that there is imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant status of Vitiligo subjects and the MM therapy is not found to significantly change the levels of oxidative stress related parameters.

CTLA-4 A49G gene polymorphism is not associated with vitiligo in South Indian population.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo or leukoderma is a chronic skin condition that causes loss of pigment due to destruction of melanocytes, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. Vitiligo is a polygenic disease and is associated with autoimmunity with an unknown etiology. AIMS: One of the candidate genes which has a strong association with several autoimmune diseases is CTLA-4 gene located in chromosome 2q33 region. We investigated the possible association between CTLA-4 gene polymorphism in exon 1 (A49G) and vitiligo in patients from South India and compared the distribution of this polymorphism to matched control groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The polymorphism was detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in 175 patients and 180 normal, age/ethnicity matched individuals. Consistency of genotype frequencies with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was tested using a chi(2) test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the genotype (P = 0.93) and allele (P = 0.615) frequencies of CTLA-4 A49G polymorphism in patients and normal healthy individuals. However there was significant association of the CTLA-4 genotype (P = 0.02) and allelic frequency (P = 0.008) between the segmental and non-segmental sub groups within vitiligo. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that there is no association between CTLA-4 A49G gene polymorphism and vitiligo in southern Indian population.

In vitro assessment of 'T' lymphocyte functioning in vitiligo. Support for autoimmune hypothesis concerning the disease.

Ten patients with vitiligo in the active state of the disease and an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls were selected for certain immunological markers. A significantly high production of leukocyte migration inhibition factor was observed in these patients when compared with controls. Levels of immunoglobulin G were found to be significantly elevated. Eighty percent of the cases showed elevated levels of circulating immune complexes. Our investigation supports the autoimmune hypothesis for the disease, showing an increased release of LMIF with a subsequent activation of B-cells which might have led to the observed hypergammaglobulinaemia and elevated levels of circulating immune complexes in these patients.