Abstract: Methods and compositions for enhancing the activity and/or duration of action of soft anti-inflammatory steroids of the haloalkyl 17?-alkoxy-11?-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one-17?-carboxylate type and the corresponding ?1,4 compounds and of anti-inflammatory steroids of the hydrocortisone and prednisolone type are described. The enhancing agents have the formula: wherein R is H or C1-C4 alkyl; Z1 is carbonyl or ?-hydroxymethylene; X1 is —O— or —S—; R5 is —OH, —OR6, —OCOOR6 or —OCOR7 wherein R6 is C1-C4 alkyl and R7 is C1-C4 alkyl, fluoromethyl or chloromethyl; and the dotted line in ring A indicates that the 1,2-linkage is saturated or unsaturated; with the proviso that when R is C1-C4 alkyl, then R5 is —OH.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of plant growth stimulator from fly ash, comprising treating fly ash with effluent NOx gases in a reactor under agitation at a temperature in the range of 60 to 100 degree celsius, for a time period in the range of 2 to 5 hours and treating the resulting material with effluent ammonia gas in the same reactor under ambient conditions for time period in the range of 20 to 50 minutes.