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Background:Recently, the Indian government introduced pictorial warnings that occupy an important position among different tobacco control initiatives. A study was done to evaluate the opinion of tobacco consumers on the implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco packs and to compare the effectiveness of these warnings among individuals of varying socioeconomic status.Materials and Methods:This was a hospital-based study carried out among the tobacco-using patients attending the Outpatient Department of Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad, Andhra Pradesh. The number of participants in the survey was 111. Questionnaire method was used for collecting the data.Results:Among the 111 participants, maximum number of study participants using any form of tobacco products were in the age group of 15–24 years, and higher consumption was seen among the lower socioeconomic strata. 88.3% of the participants strongly agreed on strengthening the warnings while 73.2% of them felt that pictures on tobacco packs should occupy 100% of the display area to make them more effective.Conclusion:These results suggest that policy makers should not be reluctant to introduce stronger and vivid pictures.

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This study exhibits and compares the damage mechanism and mechanical properties of the polymer composites reinforced with dry and matured fruit fibers obtained from Cocos nucifera and Luffa cylindrica fruits respectively. Composite samples are prepared using polyester resin and different weight proportion of these fibers ranging from 10 to 40 wt% in intervals of 10 wt% with random fiber orientation involving hand layup technique. Studies prove that the composites containing 30 wt% of the fibers exhibit optimum mechanical properties. The maximum flexural strength and impact strength of the Cocos nucifera composites obtained is 27 MPa and 12.22 kJ/m 2 whereas the corresponding values are 30 MPa and 24.88 kJ/m 2 for Luffa cylindrica composites. Load versus Deflection curve obtained for Cocos nucifera composites exhibit non-catastrophic failure with increased percent elongation showing the slow and steady ductile failure. On the contrary, Luffa cylindrica composites exhibit catastrophic failure with sudden abrupt brittle fracture. Fractured samples are examined to show the failure mode through scanning electron microscope and are reported.

Summary Biofuel is an eco‐friendly alternative source for the depleting fossil fuel resources. The catalytic conversion of biomass into biofuel is an emerging technique in biofuel production. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from Spinacia oleracea by green synthesis method and subsequently sulfonated to produce active nanocatalyst material. The catalyst obtained has high acid activity and can be readily recovered by an external magnetic field. Corncob waste was crushed to powder form and is subjected to pretreatment by ultrasonication. The compositional analysis was carried out using the Soxhlet extraction method to estimate the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents. The functional group of biomass and morphology changes were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The active nanocatalyst was tested for the hydrolysis of corncob into sugar. The effects of catalyst dosage and temperature on sugar yield were studied. The reducing sugar yield was measured using the dinitrosalicylic acid test. The production of bioethanol from sugar hydrolysate was carried out using a simultaneous saccharification route. A reference sample and the sample with a high yield of reducing sugar were taken into the fermentation process, which was done using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast; this yeast was initially cultured in the YPD medium, and the grown yeast was used in the fermentation process for the production of bioethanol, whose yield was confirmed using GC analysis.

This study is mainly focused on the intrinsic fiber parameters and their influence on the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites. Cellulosic fibers are extracted from mesocarp of Cocos nucifera fruit and outer mat of Luffa cylindrica fruit. The inherent fiber parameters such as fiber diameter, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness are observed under light microscope. Micro-fibrillar angle is found using X-ray diffraction technique. Three varieties of hybrid polymer composite samples are fabricated using Cocos nucifera and Luffa cylindrica fibers as reinforcements in the ratio 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 respectively employing hand layup technique with their combined weight maintained as 30%. Significant response in the Load Vs Deflection curve and mechanical properties of the hybrid composites are found attributing to the difference in the respective weight proportion of the constituent fibers in the hybrid composite system. Results exemplify that the hybrid composite sample comprising Cocos nucifera and Luffa cylindrica fibers in the ratio 1:2 capitulates the maximum flexural strength and impact strength of 31.05 MPa and 14.24 kJ/m 2 respectively when compared with other hybrid composites. The reason for the difference in mechanical strength of hybrid composite samples containing two different fibers is found to be related to the built-in architecture and physical characteristics of the constituent fibers. The morphology of the fractured samples are examined and reported. It is concluded that properties of hybrid composites can be tailor made depending upon the requirements either by using the Cocos nucifera fibers to impart ductility or Luffa cylindrica fibers to impart brittleness.

Pretreatment is used to reduce the lignin and hemicellulose content present in biomass as they are inhibitory to the hydrolysis of cellulose. As time proceeds, it is found that redeposition of lignin occurs on the biomass surface. This paper focuses on the preparation of natural additives using soy-protein extract, and it is used for the enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis. Acid pretreatment followed by hydrogen peroxide and hotwater pretreatment has been attempted for the black urad dhal (Vigna mungo) biomass.Hot-water-pretreated biomass was further subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using additives. The nonproductive lignin binding on to the surface of the biomass lowers the activity of the enzyme and increases the requirement of enzymes for the hydrolysis of cellulose. The hydrolyzed biomass subjected to bioethanol production using saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is noticed that the bioethanol produced using hot-water pretreatment with additives and acid pretreated biomass with additives has a concentration of about 0.443 and 0.204 mL/g, respectively.

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