Consensus guidelines for management of hyperammonaemia in paediatric patients receiving continuous kidney replacement therapy.

Hyperammonaemia in children can lead to grave consequences in the form of cerebral oedema, severe neurological impairment and even death. In infants and children, common causes of hyperammonaemia include urea cycle disorders or organic acidaemias. Few studies have assessed the role of extracorporeal therapies in the management of hyperammonaemia in neonates and children. Moreover, consensus guidelines are lacking for the use of non-kidney replacement therapy (NKRT) and kidney replacement therapies (KRTs, including peritoneal dialysis, continuous KRT, haemodialysis and hybrid therapy) to manage hyperammonaemia in neonates and children. Prompt treatment with KRT and/or NKRT, the choice of which depends on the ammonia concentrations and presenting symptoms of the patient, is crucial. This expert Consensus Statement presents recommendations for the management of hyperammonaemia requiring KRT in paediatric populations. Additional studies are required to strengthen these recommendations

Phosphorous- and Boron-Doped Graphene-Based Nanomaterials for Energy-Related Applications

Doping is a great strategy for tuning the characteristics of graphene-based nanomaterials. Phosphorous has a higher electronegativity as compared to carbon, whereas boron can induce p-type conductivity in graphene. This review provides insight into the different synthesis routes of phosphorous- and boron-doped graphene along with their applications in supercapacitors, lithium- ions batteries, and cells such as solar and fuel cells. The two major approaches for the synthesis, viz. direct and post-treatment methods, are discussed in detail. The former synthetic strategies include ball milling and chemical vapor discharge approaches, whereas self-assembly, thermal annealing, arc-discharge, wet chemical, and electrochemical erosion are representative post-treatment methods. The latter techniques keep the original graphene structure via more surface doping than substitutional doping. As a result, it is possible to preserve the features of the graphene while offering a straightforward handling technique that is more stable and controllable than direct techniques. This review also explains the latest progress in the prospective uses of graphene doped with phosphorous and boron for electronic devices, i.e., fuel and solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries. Their novel energy-related applications will continue to be a promising area of study

Carbon Quantum Dot-Titanium Doped Strontium Ferrite Nanocomposite: Visible Light Active Photocatalyst to Degrade Nitroaromatics

The synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from agricultural waste is a promising approach for waste valorization. In the present work, CQDs were synthesized using sugarcane bagasse as a carbon precursor. The nanocomposite of CQDs with trimetallic strontium–titanium ferrite was synthesized with an ultrasonication approach. The structural, magnetic and optical features of the synthesized nanocomposite and pristine NPs were studied using different analytical techniques. The TEM micrograph of the nanocomposite reveals the distribution of CQDs (8–10 nm) along with the agglomerated ferrite NPs. To validate the results, the photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposite, NPs and CQDs was comparatively studied for the photodegradation of nitroaromatic pollutants viz. p-nitrophenol, martius yellow and pendimethalin under visible-light irradiation. A nanocomposite having a 2:1 w:w ratio of CQDs and Sr0.4Ti0.6Fe2O4.6 displays an excellent photocatalytic performance, with the degradation efficiency ranging from 91.2 to 97.4%, as compared with 65.0–88.3% for pristine NPs and CQDs. These results were supported by band gap and photoluminescence analyses. The promising photocatalytic potential of the nanocomposite over the pristine CQDs and ferrite NPs could be ascribed to the increased specific-surface area (101.3 m2/g), lowering in band gap coupled with fluorescence-quenching which facilitated the transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. The impact of parameters affecting the photocatalytic process viz. pH, catalyst dose and contact time was also investigated. On the basis of quenching and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) studies, plausible degradation pathways were proposed. The results highlight the broad potential of designing substituted ferrite-CQDs-based nanocomposites as reusable and visible-light-driven photocatalysts

Development of Orange Grading Machine on Weight Basis

High value fresh agricultural produce such as orange must be carefully handled and graded in order to meet customer demands and quality standards. Manual grading is widely adopted practice which is costly and time consuming. The existing mechanical graders grade fruits on the basis of size, and owing to mechanical nature have limitations of lower capacity and efficiency. The present work describes the development of electronic grading machine on weight basis for oranges. The machine comprised of various elements such as feeding unit, weighing assembly, dropping and collection unit. The machine is capable of individually metering fruits in weighing section and weighing of individual fruits and grading them in four different weight grades

Structural and Photocatalytic Studies on Oxygen Hyperstoichiometric Titanium-Substituted Strontium Ferrite Nanoparticles

Doping of ferrites is an important domain of research for their application as photocatalysts. In the present work, the effect of Ti4+ substitution on the structural and photocatalytic properties of strontium ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) is studied. Ternary doped Sr1−xTixFe2O4+δ ferrite NPs (x = 0.0–1.0) were synthesized by sol–gel methodology. Tetravalent Ti4+ ions caused oxygen hyperstoichiometry and enhancement in the surface area from 44.3 m2/g for SrFe2O4 NPs to 77.6 m2/g for Sr0.4Ti0.6Fe2O4+δ NPs. The average diameter of NPs ranged between 25–35 nm as revealed by TEM analysis. The presence of two sextets in the Mössbauer spectrum of pristine SrFe2O4 and Ti4+-substituted ferrite NPs and a paramagnetic doublet in the TiFe2O5 confirmed their phase purity. The photocatalytic potential of pure and Ti4+-substituted ferrite NPs was studied using nitroaromatic compounds, viz. pendimethalin, p-nitrophenol and Martius yellow, as model pollutants. Doped ferrite NPs with a composition of Sr0.4Ti0.6Fe2O4+δ NPs showed the highest degradation efficiency ranging from 87.2% to 94.4%. The increased photocatalytic potential was ascribed to the lowering of band gap (Eg) from 2.45 eV to 2.18 eV, a fourfold decrease in photoluminescence intensity, increased charge carrier concentration (4.90 × 1015 cm−3 to 6.96 × 1015 cm−3), and decreased barrier height from 1.20 to 1.02 eV. O2●− radicals appeared to be the main reactive oxygen species involved in photodegradation. The apparent rate constant values using the Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model were 1.9 × 10−2 min−1, 2.3 × 10−2 min−1 and 1.3 × 10−2 min−1 for p-nitrophenol, pendimethalin and Martius yellow, respectively. Thus, tuning the Ti4+ content in strontium ferrite NPs proved to be an effective strategy in improving their photocatalytic potential for the degradation of nitroaromatic pollutants