Gel growth and characterisation of cerium neodymium oxalate

115-118<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Cerium neodymium oxalate single crystals have been grown in silica gel by the diffusion of a mixture of aqueous solutions of the respective rare earth nitrates into a test tube having a set gel in which oxalic acid is incorporated. Rose coloured, transparent, cubical or hexagonal crystals of various dimensions have been under different growth parameters. Infrared (IR) spectrum confirms the presence of water molecules and carboxylic acid. X-ray diffraction (XRO) pattern of these samples reveals the crystalline nature. Diffraction peaks are indexed. Unit cell parameters are determined. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) data support the presence of 9H2O molecules attached to the crystal lattice which are lost around 100 and 175oC as revealed by the double peaked endotherm record. Exothermic peak at 350oC shows the release of CO and CO2 Elemental analysis done by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) for the mixed rare earth compound is in good agreement with experimental and theoretical values.</span

Retrospective study of severe cases of leptospirosis admitted in the intensive care unit

<b>Objectives:</b> Evaluate patient demographics, risk factors, complications, seropositivity, treatment and outcome among leptospirosis patients. <b>Design: </b> Retrospective analysis of 104 patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a clinical suspicion of leptopirosis. <b>Setting: </b> Ten-bedded medical ICU in a medical school situated in a rural area endemic for leptospirosis. <b>Main Outcome Measures:</b> Seropositivity for leptospirosis, patient demographics, risk factors, complications, treatment and survival. <b>Results:</b> One hundred and four patients were admitted with a clinical suspicion of leptospirosis. Fifty-three (50.7&#x0025;) were serologically confirmed cases. Males dominated both groups. Most of the admissions were in the monsoon season. Exposure to moist soil was the main risk factor. The mortality in the seronegative group was 26.8&#x0025; while it was only 3.8&#x0025; in the seropositive group. Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, primarily acute respiratory distress syndrome with thromboctyopenia and renal failure were the causes for mortality. All the patients who died presented late into the illness. <b>Conclusions:</b> The initial diagnosis of leptospirosis depends on a high index of clinical suspicion, routinely available diagnostic tests being unreliable in the initial period. A reliable, unsophisticated test should be developed for early detection of this disease. As leptospirosis in its early stage mimics other tropical infections, both medical professionals and the general public (especially with risk of occupational exposure) should be educated about the disease and the need to seek early medical intervention

Thermal decomposition studies of struvites

664-669<span style="font-size: 15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">Ammonium <span style="font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:6.0pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR; mso-hansi-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:hiddenhorzocr"="">magnesium phosphate hexahydrate crystals (struvites) were grown using silica gel technique by the controlled reaction method . The grown crystals were characterized using X- ray powder diffraction. Thermal analysis or these crystals was studied in the temperature range 30- 1000°C<span style="font-size:20.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""=""> <span style="font-size:15.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">in argon atmosphere. A two-stage decomposition occurs. <span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:="" en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">Corresponding activation energies are determined using Coats-Redfern method.</span