Sulphuric acid leaching of low/medium grade managanese ores using a novel nitrogeneous reductant-NH3NH2HSO4

Low and medium grade land as well sea based manganese ores were used for manganese extraction in H2SO4 - NH3NH2HSO4 (hydrazine sulphate) medium For land based Mn ores, only Mn recovery is important but for sea nodules which contain substantial amounts Co, Ni, and Cu, their recovery is equally important. In the present studies four samples used were: Indian ocean manganese nodules, medium and low grade Mn ores of Gujarat, and low grade Mn ore of Orissa, India. The Mn content of these ores varied from 15 to 39%. The objective of this work is to establish a reductant which can be used for leaching Mn from all types of ores. The optimum conditions established for nodules by varying parameters such as time, temperature, pulp density, H2SO4 and NH3NH2HSO4 concentrations were: pulp density 10%, time 0.5h, temperature 110ºC, NH3NH2HSO4 3.25 g/10g, H2SO4 2.0% (v/v) for 96.9% Mn, 85.25% Cu, 92.58% Ni and 76.5% Co extractions. More than 92% Mn could be leached from different types of ores by varying amount of reductant and acid concentration at 35ºC. Depending on Mn content 1.0 to 1.2 times stochiometric amount of reductant and 1.5 to 1.8 times sulphuric acid were required for >92% Mn extraction

Effect of thermal annealing on the structure and microstructure ofTiO2 thin films

Nanostructured TiO2 thin films have been prepared through chemical route using sol-gel and spin coating techniques. The deposited films were annealed in the temperature range 400–1000°C for 1 h. The structure and microstructure of the annealed films were characterized by GAXRD, micro-Raman spectroscopy and AFM. The as-deposited TiO2 thin films are found to be amorphous. Micro-Raman and GAXRD results confirm the presence of the anatase phase and absence of the rutile phase for films annealed up to 700°C. The diffraction pattern of the film annealed at 800 to 1000°C contains peaks of both anatase and rutile reflections. The intensity of all peaks in micro-Raman and GAXRD patterns increased and their width (FWHM) decreased with increasing annealing temperature, demonstrating the improvement in the crystallinity of the annealed films. Phase transformation at higher annealing temperature involves a competition among three events such as : grain growth of anatase phase, conversion of anatase to rutile and grain growth of rutile phase. AFM image of the as-deposited films and annealed films indicated exponential grain growth at higher temperature.Effect of thermal annealing on the structure and microstructure ofTiO2 thin films Haripriya Rath1*, S Anand2, M Mohapatra2, Priyadarshini Dash1, T Som3, U P Singh4 and N C Mishra1 1Department of Physics, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar-751 004, Orissa, India 2Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar-751 013, Orissa, India 3Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar-751 005, Orissa, India 4KIIT University, Bhubaneswar-751 024, Orissa, India E-mail : [email protected] of Physics, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar-751 004, Orissa, India 2Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar-751 013, Orissa, India 3Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar-751 005, Orissa, India 4KIIT University, Bhubaneswar-751 024, Orissa, India 1Department of Physics, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar-751 004, Orissa, India 2Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar-751 013, Orissa, India 3Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar-751 005, Orissa, India 4KIIT University, Bhubaneswar-751 024, Orissa, Indi

Electronic nutritional intake assessment in patients with urolithiasis: A decision impact analysis

Purpose: To evaluate a physician’s impression of a urinary stone patient’s dietary intake and whether it was dependent on the medium through which the nutritional data were obtained. Furthermore, we sought to determine if using an electronic food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) impacted dietary recommendations for these patients. Materials and Methods: Seventy-six patients attended the Stone Clinic over a period of 6 weeks. Seventy-five gave consent for enrollment in our study. Patients completed an office-based interview with a fellowship-trained endourologist, and a FFQ administered on an iPad. The FFQ assessed intake of various dietary components related to stone development, such as oxalate and calcium. The urologists were blinded to the identity of patients’ FFQ results. Based on the office-based interview and the FFQ results, the urologists provided separate assessments of the impact of nutrition and hydration on the patient’s stone disease (nutrition impact score and hydration impact score, respectively) and treatment recommendations. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to compare pre-FFQ data to post-FFQ data. Results: Higher FFQ scores for sodium (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; p=0.02) and fluids (OR, 1.03, p=0.04) were associated with a higher nutritional impact score. None of the FFQ parameters impacted hydration impact score. A higher FFQ score for oxalate (OR, 1.07; p=0.02) was associated with the addition of at least one treatment recommendation. Conclusions: Information derived from a FFQ can yield a significant impact on a physician’s assessment of stone risks and decision for management of stone disease

Exploration of mycorrhizal fungi as potential biofertilizer in the management of plant biotic and abiotic stresses

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are fungi found in the soil and it can significantly enhance plant nutrient uptake and increase resistance to various environmental stresses. Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is the most common non-pathogenic symbiosis in the soil and is found in 80% of vascular plant roots. Most of AM fungi species belong to the sub-phylum Glomeromycotina within the phylum Mucoromycota. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi not only enhance the phosphorus supply to plants but also boost the absorption of zinc, copper, nitrogen and iron. AM fungi limit the uptake of Na and Cl. AM fungal hyphae make significant contributions in enhancing soil structure and its ability to retain water. Additionally, these fungi demonstrate resilience against certain root diseases and display a tolerance to drought conditions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi serve as crucial endosymbionts, playing a significant role in enhancing plant productivity and contributing to the overall functioning of ecosystems. Their importance is paramount in the context of sustainable crop enhancement

FLIM-MAP: Gene Context Based Identification of Functional Modules in Bacterial Metabolic Pathways

Prediction of functional potential of bacteria can only be ascertained by the accurate annotation of its metabolic pathways. Homology based methods decipher metabolic gene content but ignore the fact that homologs of same protein can function in different pathways. Therefore, mere presence of all constituent genes in an organism is not sufficient to indicate a pathway. Contextual occurrence of genes belonging to a pathway on the bacterial genome can hence be exploited for an accurate estimation of functional potential of a bacterium. In this communication, we present a novel annotation resource to accurately identify pathway presence by using gene context. Our tool FLIM-MAP (Functionally Important Modules in bacterial Metabolic Pathways) predicts biologically relevant functional units called ‘GCMs’ (Gene Context based Modules) from a given metabolic reaction network. We benchmark the accuracy of our tool on amino acids and carbohydrate metabolism pathways

Trends in the Management of Small Renal Masses: A Survey of Members of the Endourological Society

Treatment modalities for small renal masses (SRMs) include open or minimally invasive radical or partial nephrectomy, and laparoscopic or percutaneous ablations. Members of the Endourological Society were surveyed to evaluate how practitioner and clinical practice characteristics may be associated with the management of SRMs over time. The survey assessed characteristics of urologists (recency of residency and fellowship training, clinical practice type and location, and treatment modalities available) and their management of SRMs over the past year and over the course of the year 5 years prior. Of the 1495 surveys e-mailed, there were 129 respondents (8.6%). Comparing the past year to 5 years prior, there was increasing utilization of robotic partial nephrectomy (p < 0.001) and robotic radial nephrectomy (p = 0.031). In contrast, there was decreasing utilization of open partial nephrectomy (p < 0.001), open radical nephrectomy (p = 0.039), laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (p = 0.002), and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (p = 0.041). Employment of laparoscopic ablation decreased (p = 0.001), but that of percutaneous ablation did not change significantly. For masses treated with image-guided therapy, there was increasing utilization of microwave ablation (p = 0.008) and decreasing usage of radiofrequency ablation (p = 0.002). Future studies should focus on the most effective treatment modalities based on provider, patient, and tumor characteristics

Agreement between the one-minute sit-to-stand test and the six-minute walk test in assessing exercise capacity in patients with interstitial lung disease

The six-minute walk test (6-MWT) assesses functional exercise capacity in interstitial lung disease (ILD), providing key prognostic and functional insights. Logistical challenges, such as space and time limitations, limit its clinical use. The one-minute sit-to-stand test (1-MSTST) has emerged as a practical, space- and time-efficient alternative reflecting similar functional capacity. This study examined 1-MSTST and 6-MWT agreement in ILD patients and their correlations with pulmonary function tests and physiological responses. A prospective observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with ILD at a tertiary care center. Patients underwent both 6-MWT and 1-MSTST at baseline, with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months. The agreement between these two tests was assessed using Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Secondary outcomes included correlations with pulmonary function parameters, such as forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide, and physiological responses, including oxygen desaturation, heart rate variation, blood pressure variation, and perceived exertion measured by the Modified Borg Dyspnea Score. They were assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. A total of 59 patients completed the study. At baseline, a moderate agreement between 1-MSTST and 6-MWT was observed (CCC=0.37), which improved over time with CCC values of 0.49 at 3 months and 0.54 at 6 months, indicating increasing concordance. Both tests demonstrated similar oxygen desaturation responses and Borg score variations, highlighting their utility in detecting exercise-induced hypoxemia. While 6-MWT showed significant correlations with FVC (r=0.34, p=0.009) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR, r=0.39, p=0.002), 1-MSTST exhibited weaker associations with lung function parameters. The 1-MSTST is a feasible and practical alternative to the 6-MWT for assessing exercise capacity in ILD patients, particularly in resource-limited settings where space and time constraints hinder using the 6-MWT. Its ease of implementation and ability to detect exercise-induced desaturation make it a valuable tool for routine clinical assessment and follow-up of ILD patients