Mn-doped nickeltitanate (Ni1-x Mn x TiO3) as a promising support material for PdSn electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation in alkaline media.

Nickeltitanate (Ilmenite) has been prepared with stoichiometric variation by substituting Mn in the 'A' site, using the sol-gel method in a highly active form. The PdSn electrocatalyst was then impregnated with nickeltitanate by a microwave-assisted polyol method. The physiochemical characterisation of the synthesized electrocatalyst PdSn-Ni1-x Mn x TiO3 was done by X-ray diffractometry, UV-visible spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The elemental composition was obtained using energy dispersive spectra which confirmed the presence of Ni, Mn, Ti, O, Pd and Sn. Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry and polarization experiments showed that the synthesized PdSn-Ni1-x Mn x TiO3 exhibited an enhanced catalytic activity and better stability in the alkaline medium, compared to conventional PdSn/C catalysts. It was observed that the charge transfers from the support material (Ni1-x Mn x TiO3) to the PdSn electrocatalyst boosted the oxidation reaction. By varying the methanol concentration from 0.5 M to 2.0 M, the resulting current density also varied from 129 to 151 mA cm-2. This result demonstrated that the prepared material PdSn-Ni1-x Mn x TiO3/C electrocatalyst is an excellent candidate for the methanol oxidation reaction.

Economic evaluation of end stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: In India the incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing day by day and the option for the treatment of ESRD is dialysis or transplantation. In the present scenario, due to the cost of treatment normal people can afford only hemodialysis rather than transplantation. Since the cost of hemodialysis differs across the country, research is needed to evaluate its exact cost. AIM: This study is to analyze the healthcare cost of hemodialysis in a private hospital of South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Patients who are undergoing routine hemodialysis in this hospital were selected for the study. Patient data as well as cost details were collected for a period of six months. Thirty patients were selected for the study and a total of 2160 dialysis sessions were studied. Patient perspective was taken for the analysis of cost. Both direct and indirect costs were analyzed. This includes cost of dialysis, investigations, erythropoietin, food, transportation, lost wages etc. Socioeconomic status of the patient was also studied. RESULT: The total cost per session was found to be around Rs. 4500. Fifty six percent contributes direct medical cost whereas 20% contributes direct non medical cost. Twenty four percent cost was due to indirect costs. Since the patients are paying from their own pocket, only the upper or upper middle class patient can undergo hemodialysis regularly. CONCLUSION: These findings are important to find out the impact of cost of hemodialysis on patients suffering from ESRD. Further studies related to costs and outcome, otherwise known as pharmacoeconomic studies, are needed to analyze the pros and cons of renal replacement therapy and to improve the quality of life of ESRD patients. Thus pharmacoeconomical studies are needed to realize that government has to take initiative to provide insurance or reimbursement for the common people.

Environmental impact of nitrogen fertilization in tea eco-system.

To quantify the nitrogen losses through runoff and leaching under a tea plantation in hilly soil, a field experiment was conducted from October 2001 to October 2002 at United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI), Coonoorin Nilgiri district. Runoff water was collected in the collection tub on most rainy days but the leachate was collected in the soil water sampler when the rainfall exceeded 150 mm. Higher nitrogen fertilization levels significantly influenced the NO3-N concentration in both the runoff and leachate and it was likely to cause adverse environmental impact at the delivery end. The NH4-N and NO3-N concentrations in runoff decreased with the days after fertilizer application. NH4-N concentration reduced from 10.27 mg/l on the 9th day to 1.72 mg/l on the 34th day after fertilizer application. NO3-N concentration reduced from 23.5 mg/l on the 9th day to 4.32 mg/l on the 34th day after fertilizer application. Nitrogen loss varied depending on the quantity of rainfall and runoff. The NO3-N concentration in the leachate increased with increase in depth (18.06 mg/l at 22.5 cm depth to 20.98 mg/l at 45 cm depth) whereas NH4-N concentration decreased with increase in depth (6.32 mg/l at 22.5 cm depth to 5.79 mg/l at 45 cm depth.

Nitrogen losses through leachate and its distribution.

A column experiment was conducted to elucidate information on the nitrogen losses with clay loam and sandy clay loam soil collected from the farm of UPASI, Coonoor and UPASI, Valparai respectively with 5 levels of nitrogen viz., 0, 250, 375, 500 and 625 kg ha(-1) and two different rainfall intensities viz., i1 = 40 mm hr(-1) (medium rainfall intensity) and i2 = 60 mm hr(-1) (high rainfall intensity). The losses of nitrogen fractions through leachate were analyzed for a month period. The results indicated that the nitrogen application increased the concentration of NH4-N and NO3-N in the leachate collected under both the soils. The NH4-N concentration was high in the leachate collected under sandy clay loam soil (33.99 mg l(-1)) whereas N03-N concentration was high in the leachate collected under clay loam soil (17.75 mg l(-1)). Between the rainfall intensities, the NO3-N concentration was high in the leachate collected from clay loam soil under medium rainfall intensify and the reverse trend was observed under sandy clay loam soil. The distribution of NH4-N and NO3-N was higher in the clay loam soil than sandy clay loam soil. The NH4-N content increased with increase in the depth of soil column under both the soil. The N03-N distribution followed the similar trend under sandy clay loam soil. But in the clay loam soil, the highest N03-N content was detected at 14-21 cm depth under medium rainfall intensity.