Experimental Investigation of Performance and Emissions using Ethanol Petrol Blends in SI Engine-A Comparative Study of 2-Stroke and 4- Stroke SI Engines

The huge consumption of fossil fuels is directly affects the economy of our country as importing it from other countries so this may give scope for many researchers to find other alternatives to drag out the USAge of petroleum. Thus, using bio-fuel as an alternative, the problem could be reduced. Also the transportation mainly depends on the fossil fuels particularly liquid fuels which are depleting at much faster rate than production. The transport vehicles also based on USAge operated on 2-stroke and 4 ndashstroke engines. In present work both the test engines are considered for experimental study with approximately equal horse power and rated speed for comparative study, run with various blends of gasoline-ethanol and also evaluated using pure petrol fuel without any modification in a present engine. nbspIndia is ranked second place in cultivating sugar cane, from which ethanol is produced and 99% purity ethanol is considered for the preparation of test fuels. Experiments were conducted using different blends of gasoline-ethanol such as E0 (Pure petrol), E20 (20% of ethanol in vol.based), E30 (30% of ethanol in vol.based), E40 (40% of ethanol in vol.based), and E50 (50% of ethanol in vol.based) and its effect on specific fuel consumption, break thermal efficiency and emissions with respect to the engine load taking pure petrol as datum. The results of experimental investigation were compared between 2-stroke and 4 ndashstroke engines. Results show that alternative fuel like ethanol blending with gasoline increases the thermal efficiency in 4-stroke engine, liberates less emission and also noticed the better combustion

Cutting Edge: Differential Regulation of Chemoattractant Receptor-Induced Degranulation and Chemokine Production by Receptor Phosphorylation

Phosphorylation of G protein-coupled receptors and the subsequent recruitment of β-arrestin play an important role in desensitization of receptor-mediated responses, including degranulation in leukocytes. In this study, we report that receptor phosphorylation also provides a stimulatory signal for CCR ligand 2 (CCL2) production. C3a stimulated degranulation in a basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cell expressing wildtype C3aR or a phosphorylation-deficient mutant (ΔST-C3aR). In contrast, C3a caused CCL2 production only in C3aR but not eΔST-C3aR cells. Furthermore, overexpression of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 resulted in enhancement of both ligand-induced receptor phosphorylation and CCL2 production but inhibition of degranulation. Agonist activation of C3aR, but not ΔST-C3aR, led to the translocation of green fluorescent protein tagged β-arrestin 2 from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. These data demonstrate that receptor phosphorylation, which provides a turn off signal for degranulation, is essential for CCL2 production

Cross-Desensitization of Chemoattractant Receptors Occurs at Multiple Levels: Evidence for a Role for Inhibition of Phospholipase C Activity

To define the molecular mechanisms of cross-regulation among chemoattractant receptors, we stably coexpressed, in a rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cell line, epitope-tagged receptors for the chemoattractants formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP), a peptide of the fifth component of the complement system (C5a), and interleukin-8 (IL-8). All the expressed receptors underwent homologous phosphorylation and desensitization upon agonist stimulation. When co-expressed, epitope-tagged C5a receptor (ET-C5aR) and epitope-tagged IL-8 receptor (ET-IL-8RA) were cross-phosphorylated by activation of the other. Activation of epitope- tagged fMLP receptor (ET-FR) also cross-phosphorylated ET-C5aR and ET-IL- 8RA, but ET-FR was totally resistant to cross-phosphorylation. Similarly, C5a and IL-8 stimulation of [35S]guanosine 5\u27-3-P-(thio) triphosphate (GTPγS) binding and Ca2+ mobilization were cross-desensitized by each other and by fMLP. Stimulation of [35S]GTPγS binding by fMLP was also not cross- desensitized by C5a or IL-8, however, Ca2+ mobilization was, suggesting a site of inhibition distal to G protein activation. Consistent with this desensitization of Ca2+ mobilization, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate release in RBL-2H3 cells expressing both ET-C5aR and ET-FR revealed that fMLP and C5a cross-desensitized each other\u27s ability to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Taken together, these results indicate that receptor cross- phosphorylation correlates directly with desensitization at the level of G protein activation. The ET-FR was resistant to this process. Of note, cross- desensitization of ET-FR at the level of phosphoinositide hydrolysis and Ca2+ mobilization was demonstrated in the absence of receptor phosphorylation. This suggests a new form of chemoattractant cross-regulation at a site distal to receptor/G protein coupling, involving the activity of phospholipase C

Power Quality Enhancement of Grid interconnected wind energy system with 4-Leg Inverter

A Power quality problem is an occurrence of nonstandard voltage, current or frequency that results in a failure or a misoperation of end user equipments. Utility distribution networks, sensitive industrial loads and critical commercial operations suffer from various types of outages and service interruptions which can cost significant financial losses.With the increase in load demand, the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are increasingly connected in the distribution systems which utilizes power electronic Converters/Inverters. This paper presents a novel control strategy for achieving maximum benefits from these grid-interfacing inverters using the closed loop fuzzy logic control, when installed in 3-phase 4-wire distribution systems. The inverter is controlled to perform as a multi-function device by incorporating active power filter functionality. The inverter can thus be utilized as: 1) power converter to inject power generated from RES to the grid, and 2) shunt APF to compensate current unbalance, load current harmonics, load reactive power demand and load neutral current. All of these functions may be accomplished either individually or simultaneously. This new control concept is demonstrated with extensive MATLAB/Simulink. Index Terms—Active power filter (APF), distributed generation (DG), distribution system, grid interconnection, power quality (PQ), renewable energy, Photo Voltaic (PV) System

Biocompatibility studies on lanthanum oxide nanoparticles

Lanthanum oxide nanoparticles (LONP), a rare earth metal oxide, have unique properties that make them a suitable candidate for several biomedical applications. We investigated certain key in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility endpoints on LONP. LONP were cytotoxic in in vitro assays and predominantly exerted their action via release of reactive oxygen species. These nanoparticles were neither irritants nor sensitizers in a rabbit model. LONP extracts did not exert any acute systemic toxicity effects in mice. On the other hand LONP exerted toxicity to the liver following oral administration, suggesting that these particles are absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and deposited in the hepatobiliary system. LONP did not induce any mutation in the Ames test both in the presence or absence of S-9. These observations provide a base line biocompatibility and toxicity data on LONP. The current findings will also be useful in defining standards for nanoparticle containing devices. © The Royal Society of Chemistry

A Small Molecule Exerts Selective Antiviral Activity by Targeting the Human Cytomegalovirus Nuclear Egress Complex

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen for which new antiviral drugs are needed. HCMV, like other herpesviruses, encodes a nuclear egress complex (NEC) composed of two subunits, UL50 and UL53, whose interaction is crucial for viral replication. To explore whether small molecules can exert selective antiviral activity by inhibiting NEC subunit interactions, we established a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay of these interactions and used it to screen \u3e200,000 compound-containing wells. Two compounds, designated GK1 and GK2, which selectively inhibited this interaction in the HTRF assay with GK1 also active in a co-immunoprecipitation assay, exhibited more potent anti-HCMV activity than cytotoxicity or activity against another herpesvirus. At doses that substantially reduced HCMV plaque formation, GK1 and GK2 had little or no effect on the expression of viral proteins and reduced the co-localization of UL53 with UL50 at the nuclear rim in a subset of cells. GK1 and GK2 contain an acrylamide moiety predicted to covalently interact with cysteines, and an analog without this potential lacked activity. Mass spectrometric analysis showed binding of GK2 to multiple cysteines on UL50 and UL53. Nevertheless, substitution of cysteine 214 of UL53 with serine (C214S) ablated detectable inhibitory activity of GK1 and GK2 in vitro, and the C214S substitution engineered into HCMV conferred resistance to GK1, the more potent of the two inhibitors. Thus, GK1 exerts selective antiviral activity by targeting the NEC. Docking studies suggest that the acrylamide tethers one end of GK1 or GK2 to C214 within a pocket of UL53, permitting the other end of the molecule to sterically hinder UL50 to prevent NEC formation. Our results prove the concept that targeting the NEC with small molecules can selectively block HCMV replication. Such compounds could serve as a foundation for development of anti-HCMV drugs and as chemical tools for studying HCMV

An Essential Role of the Cytoplasmic Tail of CXCR4 in G-Protein Signaling and Organogenesis

CXCR4 regulates cell proliferation, enhances cell survival and induces chemotaxis, yet molecular mechanisms underlying its signaling remain elusive. Like all other G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), CXCR4 delivers signals through G-protein-dependent and -independent pathways, the latter involving its serine-rich cytoplasmic tail. To evaluate the signaling and biological contribution of this G-protein-independent pathway, we generated mutant mice that express cytoplasmic tail-truncated CXCR4 (ΔT) by a gene knock-in approach. We found that ΔT mice exhibited multiple developmental defects, with not only G-protein-independent but also G-protein-dependent signaling events completely abolished, despite ΔT's ability to still associate with G-proteins. These results reveal an essential positive regulatory role of the cytoplasmic tail in CXCR4 signaling and suggest the tail is crucial for mediating G-protein activation and initiating crosstalk between G-protein-dependent and G-protein-independent pathways for correct GPCR signaling

Expression of SDF-1α and nuclear CXCR4 predicts lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer

Although stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α and its receptor CXCR4 are experimentally suggested to be involved in tumorigenicity, the clinicopathological significance of their expression in human disease is not fully understood. We examined SDF-1α and CXCR4 expression in colorectal cancers (CRCs) and their related lymph nodes (LNs), and investigated its relationship to clinicopathological features. Specimens of 60 primary CRCs and 27 related LNs were examined immunohistochemically for not only positivity but also immunostaining patterns for SDF-1α and CXCR4. The relationships between clinicopathological features and SDF-1α or CXCR4 expression were then analysed. Stromal cell-derived factor-1α and CXCR4 expression were significantly associated with LN metastasis, tumour stage, and survival of CRC patients. Twenty-nine of 47 CXCR4-positive CRCs (61.7%) showed clear CXCR4 immunoreactivity in the nucleus and a weak signal in the cytoplasm (nuclear type), whereas others showed no nuclear immunoreactivity but a diffuse signal in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane (cytomembrane type). Colorectal cancer patients with nuclear CXCR4 expression showed significantly more frequent LN metastasis than did those with cytomembrane expression. Colorectal cancer patients with nuclear CXCR4 expression in the primary lesion frequently had cytomembrane CXCR4-positive tumours in their LNs. In conclusion, expression of SDF-1α and nuclear CXCR4 predicts LN metastasis in CRCs