Yttrium Copper Titanate as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Fuel Cells, Synthesized via Ultrafast Automatic Flame Technique.

Replacing platinum (Pt) metal-based electrocatalysts used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells is an important research topic due to the high cost and scarcity of Pt, which have restricted the commercialization of these clean-energy technologies. The ABO3-type perovskite family of an ACu3Ti4O12 (A = Ca, Y, Bi, and La) polycrystalline material can serve as an alternative electrocatalyst for the ORR in terms of low-cost, activity, and stability. These perovskite materials may be considered the next generation electro-catalyst for the ORR because of their photocatalytic activity and physical and chemical properties capable of containing a wide range of A- and B-site metals. This paper reports the ORR activity of a new Y2/3Cu3Ti4O12 perovskite, synthesized via a rapid and facile automatic flame synthesis technique using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements. Y2/3Cu3Ti4O12/C has superior ORR activity, stability, and durability compared to commercial Pt/C. The results presented in this article will provide the future perspectives to research based on ACu3Ti4O12 (A = Ca, Y, Bi, Sm, Cd, and La) perovskite as the next generation electro-catalyst for the ORR in various electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and electrolysis.

Renal dysfunction in patients of kala azar treated with sodium antimony gluconate.

We studied 27 patients presenting with renal dysfunction after Stibamate therapy. Eighteen patients were proved cases of Kala Azar, others of PUO. Out of 10 cases in whom Kidney biopsy was done, 6 had tubular necrosis, one had mild mesangial proliferation and 3 had normal picture.

Hepatic changes during short-term haemodialysis.

Twenty five patients with end stage renal disease were studied to find out the biochemical and hepatic morphological changes during short term haemodialysis. Asymptomatic hepatomegaly was seen in 32% of cases, transaminase elevation in 28% and positive Australia antigen in 12% of cases. Histopathological changes were observed in all the 12 patients in whom liver biopsy was done. Ten patients (82%) exhibited multiple abnormalities. The commonest findings were fatty change (8 patients); hepatic congestion, focal necrosis, Kupffer cell hyperplasia (6 patients each); and portal triaditis (5 patients).

Covert bacteriuria in nephrotic syndrome.

Prevalence of covert bacteriuria in patients of nephrotic syndrome admitted for kidney biopsy was studied in 205 patients. Age ranged from 10 years to 65 years. 148 patients were male and 57 were female. Prevalence of covert bacteriuria was found in 38 patients (18.53%). In bacteriuric patients 30 were male, 8 were female. Escherichia coli was the commonest organism grown in bacteriuric patients (30 or 78.9%). Serum albumin was low and 24-hour urinary protein excretion was high in bacteriuric patients in comparison to abacteriuric patients. In bacteriuric patients membranous nephropathy was the commonest histopathological finding present in 15 patients (39.47%).

Covert bacteriuria in nephrotic syndrome.

Prevalence of covert bacteriuria in patients of nephrotic syndrome admitted for kidney biopsy was studied in 205 patients. Age ranged from 10 years to 65 years. 148 patients were male and 57 were female. Prevalence of covert bacteriuria was found in 38 patients (18.53%). In bacteriuric patients 30 were male, 8 were female. Escherichia coli was the commonest organism grown in bacteriuric patients (30 or 78.9%). Serum albumin was low and 24-hour urinary protein excretion was high in bacteriuric patients in comparison to abacteriuric patients. In bacteriuric patients membranous nephropathy was the commonest histopathological finding present in 15 patients (39.47%).

The role of haemolysis in neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia as reflected in carboxyhaemoglobin levels.

Carboxyhaemoglobin levels were measured in 250 consecutive, normal, term newborns and in a group of 75 severely jaundiced infants in an effort to assess the role of haemolysis in non-specific neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia--"Physiologic jaundice"-as well as in severe jaundice of various etiologies. In normal newborns a significant correlation (r=0.3293, p less than 0.001) was found between third-day carboxyhaemoglobin and serum bilirubin levels. Significant correlations were also found between the cord and third day values for carboxyhaemoglobin (infants of non-smoking mothers) for reticulocyte count, and for serum bilirubin. Third day haemoglobin showed no correlation with any of the other parameters including cord haemoglobin. Of the infants with third day carboxyhaemoglobin up to 0.75%, 1.7% had third day serum bilirubin values above 16.0 mg/100 ml. The corresponding percentage for the infants with carboxyhaemoglobin above 0.75% was 6.1%. It is concluded that increased rates of haemolysis due to as yet unspecified caused play an important role in the non-specific hyperbilirubinaemia of normal term newborns. As expected, high levels of carboxyhaemoglobin were found in infants with severe jaundice due to Rhesus and ABO haemolytic disease and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency but also in jaundiced prematures and in Greek infants with severe jaundice of unknown cause.

Complications of percutaneous renal biopsy.

Three hundred twenty renal biopsies were done in 305 patients over a period of 5 years. Adequate tissue for pathologic diagnosis was obtained in about 79% of biopsy attempts. The overall morbidity of procedure was 6.8%. Haematuria in 11.8% cases was the commonest complication. Haematuria resolved spontaneously in 63.8% of patients within 4-12 hours. Hypotension due to blood loss occurred in 3 patients (0.98%) who required blood transfusion. Five patients (1.6%) developed perirenal haematoma. Urinary retention requiring single catheterisation was seen in 12 cases (3.9%). Perirenal abscess occurred in one case. Minor complications improving with symptomatic medication included vomiting, abdominal pain and vasovagal attack in 3.6%, 2.6% and 1.6% cases respectively.