Waste CO₂ to CO for Energy Storage

In this report, we present a process design for the storage of electricity using solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to convert electrical energy to chemical fuel via the reduction of carbon dioxide. The goal of this project was to design a system that could alleviate the issues around the intermittent nature of renewable energy production, which must phase out the use of fossil fuels in the future. The overall process was developed for two storage strategies, and the economics feasibility of the design is considered and reported. The key aspect of this process is its reversible nature. Both the production and consumption of the chemical fuel are achieved in the same plant, both with the SOFC technology. Two cases are presented. In both, carbon monoxide is produced via electrolysis during high-production hours for solar and wind power. Carbon dioxide is renewably sourced from fermentation plants. In the first case, the carbon monoxide is pressurized for storage at 2,000 psig. In the second case, the carbon monoxide is minimally compressed to 5 psig and stored at near atmospheric conditions. It was found that for the high-pressure storage case, the efficiency of the process was 53.5%, and in the low-pressure storage case, the efficiency was 54.6%. Two pricing strategies were considered. The first assigned an opportunity cost of electricity storage to the off-peak electricity price. In this scenario, the high- and low-pressure cases had negative ROI’s of -32.5% and -29.4%, respectively. In the second pricing strategy, we consider the eventuality of overproduction of solar and wind energy, when renewable energy sources comprise a majority of the supply. In this scenario, the opportunity cost of the excess electricity production would be zero, and the ROI of the high- and low-pressure cases are then positive at 29.9% and 31.8%, respectively. Though the latter is not reflective of the current economic reality, in the future it may become more relevant, and a design such as the one presented here should be considered as a potentially profitable solution

Cyclic Symmetry of Riemann Tensor in Fuzzy Graph Theory

In this paper, we define a graph-theoretic analog for the Riemann tensor and analyze properties of the cyclic symmetry. We have developed a fuzzy graph-theoretic analog of the Riemann tensor and have analyzed its properties. We have also shown how the fuzzy analog satisfies the properties of the 6X6 matrix of the Riemann tensor by expressing it as a union of the fuzzy complete graph formed by the permuting vertex set and a Levi-Civita graph analog. We have concluded the paper with a brief discussion on the similarities between the properties of the fuzzy graphical analog and the Riemann tensor and how it can be a plausible analogous model for the Petrov-Penrose classification.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

Accelerated generation of elite inbreds in maize using doubled haploid technology

The creation of homozygous parental lines for hybrid development is one of the key components of commercial maize breeding programs. It usually takes up to 6 to 7 generations of selfing to obtain homozygous inbreds from the initial cross using the conventional pedigree method. Using doubled haploid (DH) method, concurrent fixation of all the genes covering entire chromosomes is possible within a single generation. For generation of DH lines, haploids are generated first by several means such as in-vitro method using tissue culture technique and in-vivo method using the haploid inducer (HI) lines. Of which, tissue culture-based methods have shown little promise for large-scale DH production as it needs good infrastructures and technical requirements. In contrast, inducer-based method provides more optimistic solutions for large-scale DH lines production. Due to its rapidity, DH technology is now being adopted in many countries including India for reducing the breeding cycle

Characterization of maize genotypes using microsatellite markers associated with QTLs for kernel iron and zinc

224-234Crop genetic resources rich in Fe and Zn provide sustainable and cost-effective solution to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition. Maize being the leading staple crop assumes great significance as a target crop for biofortification. We report here wide genetic variation for kernel Fe and Zn among 20 diverse maize inbreds lines, majority of which were bred for quality protein maize (QPM) and provitamin-A. Kernel Fe ranged from 30.0 - 46.13 mg/kg, while kernel Zn ranged from 8.68-39.56 mg/kg. Moderate but positive correlation was observed between the micronutrients. Characterization using 25 Single sequence repeats (SSRs) linked to QTLs for kernel Fe produced 58 alleles. Similarly, 86 alleles were identified from 35 SSRs linked to QTLs for kernel Zn. One unique allele for kernel Fe and three unique alleles for kernel Zn were identified. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.40 for both kernel Fe and  Zn. Jaccard’s dissimilarity coefficients varied from 0.25 - 0.91 with a mean of 0.58 for kernel-Fe while 0.27- 0.88 with a mean of 0.57 for kernel Zn. Principal coordinate analysis depicted diversity of inbreds. Cluster analysis grouped the inbreds into three major clusters for both kernel Fe and Zn. Potential cross combinations have been proposed to develop micronutrient rich hybrids and novel inbreds with higher Fe and Zn. The information generated here would help the maize biofortification programme to develop nutritionally enriched hybrids

System for Water Quality Monitoring and Distribution

Water plays a vital role in the creation of human being and other natural phenomena. More than 80% of the resources is surrounded by water but in that only 20% is good for consumption others are fully polluted and contaminated. Now a days water is more polluted, and even supplied in a very lesser level so to check and monitor the quality of the water we mainly using a number of sensors are used to monitor the water’s quality and distribute it to the less fortunate. The quality of the water is affected by several parameters. Water is provided from difference resources like lake, pond, well, ground water, oceans etc.so these waters are not good for consumption Therefore, our goal is to assess the water’s quality while keeping an eye on the flow and level of the water. It is intended to use a variety of cutting-edge devices to check various water quality system parameters

Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Adult Study Protocol: Rationale, Objectives, and Design

IMPORTANCE: SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in ongoing, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects after the acute phase of infection; termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or long COVID. The characteristics, prevalence, trajectory and mechanisms of PASC are ill-defined. The objectives of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC in Adults (RECOVER-Adult) are to: (1) characterize PASC prevalence; (2) characterize the symptoms, organ dysfunction, natural history, and distinct phenotypes of PASC; (3) identify demographic, social and clinical risk factors for PASC onset and recovery; and (4) define the biological mechanisms underlying PASC pathogenesis. METHODS: RECOVER-Adult is a combined prospective/retrospective cohort currently planned to enroll 14,880 adults aged ≥18 years. Eligible participants either must meet WHO criteria for suspected, probable, or confirmed infection; or must have evidence of no prior infection. Recruitment occurs at 86 sites in 33 U.S. states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, via facility- and community-based outreach. Participants complete quarterly questionnaires about symptoms, social determinants, vaccination status, and interim SARS-CoV-2 infections. In addition, participants contribute biospecimens and undergo physical and laboratory examinations at approximately 0, 90 and 180 days from infection or negative test date, and yearly thereafter. Some participants undergo additional testing based on specific criteria or random sampling. Patient representatives provide input on all study processes. The primary study outcome is onset of PASC, measured by signs and symptoms. A paradigm for identifying PASC cases will be defined and updated using supervised and unsupervised learning approaches with cross-validation. Logistic regression and proportional hazards regression will be conducted to investigate associations between risk factors, onset, and resolution of PASC symptoms. DISCUSSION: RECOVER-Adult is the first national, prospective, longitudinal cohort of PASC among US adults. Results of this study are intended to inform public health, spur clinical trials, and expand treatment options