Practicality and importance of selected endothelial dysfunction measurement Techniques- Review

The measurement of endothelial dysfunction (ED) has importance in that it indicates the presence of coronary  artery  disease  in  addition  to  acting  as  a  predictor  of  future  adverse  events.  Various  tools, methods,  and  metrics  exist  that  can  provide  an  indicator  of  endothelial  dysfunction.  Given  the significance of ED, it is of utmost importance to find a measurement technique that is reliable, while defining  a  metric  providing  a  framework  for  an  overall  system  that  is  practical,  accurate,  and repeatable. Success would provide a tool for early detection of cardiovascular disease not only moving patients that are currently classified as asymptomatic to symptomatic but also providing a method to monitor efficacy of treatments.

Food matrix: Natural barrier or vehicle for effective delivery of carotenoids from processed foods?

Carotenoids are lipophilic compounds naturally occurring in plant species where they exert their main biological role as photosynthetic pigments. Due to their chemical structure, carotenoids have the ability to act as antioxidants primarily by scavenging reactive oxygen species. The antioxidant potential of carotenoids is of significant importance to human health and a carotenoid rich diet is recommended for the prevention of a number of chronic and age-related diseases. The bioaccessibility and bioavailability of carotenoids is not proportional to their relative abundance in the original food matrix. The structural integrity of the plant material in which they are embedded and their chemical interactions with other food components seem to be critical factors for their release from the food source and their subsequent uptake by cells at the intestinal epithelium.

Tsho Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Bhutan: cause and impact

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) is an inherent threat in countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region and is projected to increase in the face of climate change. One of the recent GLOF events in the region was the outburst of Lemthang Tsho (lake) in Bhutan on 28 July 2015. This paper discusses the cause and impact of the event based on the analysis of multi-temporal satellite images and field observation.

The event, which was small to medium in volume, was triggered by the emptying of two supraglacial ponds located upstream of Lemthang Tsho. The area had experienced heavy rainfall till the morning of 28 July. On the same day, at 7:10 am local Bhutan time, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck about 177 km southeast of the lake. In the absence of firsthand information from the field, it cannot be confirmed that these two events triggered the lake outburst that took place around 3 pm. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out, either. The rainfall and earthquake are likely to have had a role in triggering the outburst.

Release of alkali metals during biomass thermal conversion

Biomass has great potential to become an economic source of renewable energy; however, its high chlorine and alkali metal content may cause series problems (e.g. slagging and corrosion) thus limiting its utilization. This paper reviews the release of potassium during biomass thermal conversion.

Organic potassium is released first when the temperature is relatively low, starting at about 473 K and slowing down at about 773 K; the release of inorganic potassium occurs with the increase of processing temperature. The potassium vapors are mainly in the form of KCl, KOH and K2SO4. In addition to the temperature, the properties of biomass, fuel-air ratio, pressure and heating rate also significantly influence the release rate of alkali metals. Future studies are required to develop accurate kinetic models of potassium release to address the ash related challenges when firing and co-firing biomass with high inherent alkali content.