The knight of sugar industry: T. S. Venkatraman (1884-1963)

Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkatraman (TSV) was a plant breeder. In response to a call from Pundit Madan Mohan Malaviya, he made it his mission to develop high-yielding varieties of sugarcane for manufacturing sugar and making it available as a sweetening agent and an energy source for the malnourished children of India. Using Saccharum officinarum, then under cultivation in India, as the female parent, he artificially fertilized it with pollen from S. barberi, which grew wild in Coimbatore. After 4-5 recurrent backcrossings of S. officinarum Chi wild Sorghum spontaneum with S. officinarum as the female parent, TSV selected the `rare' interspecies hybrid cane varieties that resembled sugarcane and had approximately 2.5 cm thick juicy stems containing 16-18% sucrose - nearly 35 times more than what occurred in parent stocks. The hybrid canes matured quickly, were resistant to waterlogging, drought, and to the red-rot disease caused by Glomerella tucumanensis (Sordariomycetes: Glomerellaceae), and to the sereh-virus disease. Most importantly, they were amenable for propagation using stem cuttings. In recognition of the development of high-yielding sugarcane varieties, TSV was conferred the titles Rao Bahadur, Rao Sahib, and Sir by the British Government, and Padma Bhushan by the Republic of India. In the next few decades, consequent to TSV's work, India turned into the second largest sugar producer in the world, after Brazil. The hybrid sugarcane varieties developed are the foundational stocks for new sugarcane x bamboo hybrids, and for possible resistance to Puccinia megalocephala (Pucciniomycetes: Pucciniaceae) and Ustilago scitaminea (Ustilaginomycetes: Ustilaginaceae) using molecular techniques.

BIOMASS GASIFICATION TO SUBSTITUTE FOSSIL FUEL IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Food industries like biscuit and confectionary use significant amount of fossil fuel for thermal energy. Biscuit manufacturing in India is carried out both by organized and unorganized sector. The ratio of organized to unorganized sector is 60 : 40 (1). The total biscuit manufacturing in the organized sector India in 2008 was about 1.7 million metric tons (1). Accounting for the unorganized sector in India, the total biscuit manufacturing would have been about 2.9 million metric tons/annum. A typical biscuit baking is carried in a long tunnel kiln with varying temperature in different zones. Generally diesel is used to provide the necessary heat energy for the baking purpose, with temperature ranging from 190 C in the drying zone to about 300 C in the baking area and has to maintain in the temperature range of +/- 5 C. Typical oil consumption is about 40 litres per ton of biscuit production. The paper discusses the experience in substituting about 120 lts per hour kiln for manufacturing about 70 tons of biscuit daily. The system configuration consists of a 500 kg/hr gasification system comprising of a reactor, multicyclone, water scrubbers, and two blowers for maintaining the constant gas pressure in the header before the burners. Cold producer gas is piped to the oven located about 200 meters away from the gasifier. Fuel used in the gasification system is coconut shells. All the control system existing on the diesel burner has been suitably adapted for producer gas operation to maintain the total flow, A/F control so as to maintain the temperature. A total of 7 burners are used in different zones. Over 17000 hour of operation has resulted in replacing over 1800 tons of diesel over the last 30 months. The system operates for over 6 days a week with average operational hours of 160. It has been found that on an average 3.5 kg of biomass has replaced one liter of diesel.

The physicochemical characteristics and anaerobic degradability of desiccated coconut industry waste water

Desiccated coconut industries (DCI) create various intermediates from fresh coconut kernel for cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The mechanized and non-mechanized DCI process between 10,000 and 100,000 nuts/day to discharge 6-150 m(3) of malodorous waste water leading to a discharge of 2646642 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) daily. In these units, three main types of waste water streams are coconut kernel water, kernel wash water and virgin oil waste water. The effluent streams contain lipids (1-55 g/l), suspended solids (6-80 g/l) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) at concentrations that are inhibitory to anaerobic bacteria. Coconut water contributes to 20-50 % of the total volume and 50-60 % of the total organic loads and causes higher inhibition of anaerobic bacteria with an initial lag phase of 30 days. The lagooning method of treatment widely adopted failed to appreciably treat the waste water and often led to the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (propionic acid) along with long-chain unsaturated free fatty acids. Biogas generation during biological methane potential (BMP) assay required a 15-day adaptation time, and gas production occurred at low concentrations of coconut water while the other two streams did not appear to be inhibitory. The anaerobic bacteria can mineralize coconut lipids at concentrations of 175 mg/l; however; they are severely inhibited at a lipid level of = 350 mg/g bacterial inoculum. The modified Gompertz model showed a good fit with the BMP data with a simple sigmoid pattern. However, it failed to fit experimental BMP data either possessing a longer lag phase and/or diauxic biogas production suggesting inhibition of anaerobic bacteria.

Industry perceptions of barriers to commercialization of regenerative medicine products in the UK.

AIMS: Regenerative medicine is an emerging field with the potential to provide widespread improvement in healthcare and patient wellbeing via the delivery of therapies that can restore, regenerate or repair damaged tissue. As an industry, it could significantly contribute to economic growth if products are successfully commercialized. However, to date, relatively few products have reached the market owing to a variety of barriers, including a lack of funding and regulatory hurdles. The present study analyzes industry perceptions of the barriers to commercialization that currently impede the success of the regenerative medicine industry in the UK. MATERIALS & METHODS: The analysis is based on 20 interviews with leading industrialists in the field. RESULTS: The study revealed that scientific research in regenerative medicine is thriving in the UK. Unfortunately, lack of access to capital, regulatory hurdles, lack of clinical evidence leading to problems with reimbursement, as well as the culture of the NHS do not provide a good environment for the commercialization of regenerative medicine products. CONCLUSION: Policy interventions, including increased translational government funding, a change in NHS and NICE organization and policies, and regulatory clarity, would likely improve the general outcomes for the regenerative medicine industry in the UK.

Innovation processes within the healthcare industry: Determining critical success factors aligned to product strategies

The impact of differing product strategies on product innovation processes pursued by healthcare firms is discussed. The critical success factors aligned to product strategies are presented. A definite split between pioneering product strategies and late entrant product strategies is also recognised.

La teolog��a pastoral de Evangelii Gaudium en el proyecto misionero de Francisco

Resumen: Este ensayo teol��gico comprende y expone el pensamiento pastoral del Papa Francisco, primer obispo de Roma y Papa latinoamericano, elegido desde las periferias del orbe para guiar al Pueblo de Dios en el coraz��n de la urbe. Francisco es un pastor misionero y un pastoralista l��cido, que ha ense��ado teolog��a pastoral y, lo sigue haciendo, de otra forma, desde el ministerio petrino. La exhortaci��n Evangelii gaudium (2013) condensa de una forma org��nica su mirada a la evangelizaci��n en la huella de la exhortaci��n Evangelii nuntiandi de Pablo VI (1975) y del Documento Conclusivo de Aparecida del Episcopado latinoamericano y caribe��o (2007). La novedad de su pontificado reformador y misionero hunde sus ra��ces en la figura singular del jesuita argentino Jorge Mario Bergoglio; en su arraigo en la Iglesia latinoamericana y en el proyecto misionero de Aparecida; y en la incipiente pero promisoria teolog��a argentina postconciliar. El autor hace un pormenorizado estudio sistem��tico y contextualizado de la exhortaci��n La alegr��a del Evangelio desde el propio documento y en relaci��n a otros textos de Jorge Bergoglio y, ahora, del Papa Francisco. Articula su discurso en dos momentos mostrando sus interrelaciones. El primero, breve, presenta al sucesor de Pedro como un icono de la fisonom��a regional y la reflexi��n pastoral de la Iglesia latinoamericana. El segundo analiza nueve claves de la Evangelii gaudium: la alegr��a de evangelizar, s��ntesis de la m��stica misionera; la figura de la Iglesia centrada en la misi��n; la influencia del proyecto misionero de Aparecida; la conversi��n misionera para la reforma eclesial desde el Concilio Vaticano II; la Iglesia, Pueblo de Dios y Madre de los pueblos, como sujeto de la misi��n; la fuerza evangelizadora de la piedad cat��lica popular; la revoluci��n de la ternura comunicada en el Evangelio de la misericordia; la dimensi��n social del Evangelio y de la evangelizaci��n; la opci��n por los pobres desde el coraz��n de Dios.

El discernimiento teol��gico-pastoral de los signos de los tiempos en Medell��n

Resumen: El proceso eclesial y teol��gico que llev�� a la tem��tica de la II Conferencia General del Episcopado Latinoamericano de Medell��n se aliment�� de diversas fuentes y constituy�� un ejercicio de discernimiento teol��gico-pastoral de los signos de los tiempos latinoamericanos. La proximidad de los 50 a��os de la inauguraci��n del Concilio Vaticano II ofrece una ocasi��n particular para hacer memoria y reflexionar sobre Medell��n como un hito fundamental de la recepci��n conciliar en Am��rica Latina. El prop��sito de este estudio es realizar un recorrido hist��rico-gen��tico del camino tem��tico hacia la II Conferencia y presentar, a partir de ��l, una lectura interpretativa de los grandes temas de Medell��n en la perspectiva de los signos de los tiempos. Como toda recepci��n es inacabada, queda abierta la tarea para reapropiarla y profundizarla.

���Evangelizaci��n con esp��ritu��� (EG 261) : la unidad de la teolog��a, la espiritualidad y la pastoral al servicio del anuncio del evangelio: una lectura de la exhortaci��n pastoral Evangelii Gaudium desde la Teolog��a Espiritual

Resumen: Uno de los grandes ���maestros en teolog��a��� en la Argentina de los ��ltimos tiempos, Lucio Gera (+07.08.2012), cuyo segundo aniversario de fallecido honramos en este n��mero de la revista Teolog��a, hablaba de la ineludible exigencia posconciliar de integrar teolog��a, espiritualidad y pastoral. El cap��tulo V de Evangelii gaudium, ���Evangelizadores con Esp��ritu��� (cf. EG 259ss), se ubica especialmente en este horizonte de convicciones porque tiene un inconfundible contenido teol��gico, un marcado acento espiritual y una clara orientaci��n y lenguaje pastoral, pero sobre todo en raz��n de expresar una ��ntima compenetraci��n entre estas tres dimensiones. En este art��culo, que reelabora y ampl��a una presentaci��n oral en la Jornada Evangelii gaudium, organizada por la Facultad de Teolog��a de la UCA el pasado 5 de junio, se asume el vigor de la propuesta de una ���evangelizaci��n con esp��ritu��� (EG 261) y se reflexiona, en di��logo con nuestra iglesia local, sobre cuatro aspectos relacionados con ella: 1. una teolog��a de la ���evangelizaci��n con esp��ritu���, es decir, ���con Esp��ritu Santo���; 2. una espiritualidad contemplativa: amar la Palabra y gustar ser pueblo; 3. el estilo pastoral mariano de la evangelizaci��n; y 4. la danza de la teolog��a, la espiritualidad y la pastoral al servicio de la alegr��a de evangelizar.

Desde el s��mbolo guadalupano : algunos criterios para el momento pastoral

Resumen: El autor de esta colaboraci��n profundiza en una posibilidad que nos orienta a ser protagonistas en la construcci��n compartida de un presente m��s fraterno y aut��nticamente plural. El s��mbolo guadalupano se ofrece como un modelo que puede ayudar a mejor vivir el momento pastoral de la Teolog��a. El suceso guadalupano sigue acaeciendo y anal��gicamente nos abre y propone una serie de fecundas precisiones, sugerencias e interrogantes. En tanto s��mbolo, del cual la Imagen de Nuestra Se��ora de Guadalupe es su elemento nuclear, plasma e incentiva a encarnar una pragm��tica evangelizadora. Una din��mica de di��logo, inculturante e inculturador, que anima a dejar empapar lo propio por el Amor Salvador; y a compartirlo, como pueblo, con una actitud cordial y misericordiosa, y dando lugar a lo ajeno y al mestizaje.

Teolog��a pastoral Inter Loci : una disciplina teol��gica ante el aporte de las experiencias creyentes en escenarios sociales contempor��neos

Resumen: El texto realiza una relectura del m��todo Ver-Juzgar-Actuar teniendo en cuenta el acercamiento biogr��fico que ofrecen las ciencias sociales. Propone considerar que la Teolog��a Pastoral desarrolla as�� un discurso sobre la Iglesia, la Academia y la Plaza P��blica en el cruce que estos ��mbitos tienen en las mismas pr��cticas cristianas, dando lugar a una Teolog��a Inter Loci. Y describe el perfil teol��gico emergente en dicha experiencia utilizando el marco de las inteligencias m��ltiples.