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Introduction: For kidney, patients' socioeconomic status (SES) and employment significantly contribute to their general well-being, mental health (MH), and quality of life (QoL). Due to the scarcity of the literature, the present study was conducted to analyze the interrelationship between QoL, employment, and sociodemographic factors postkidney transplant and to identify the possible predictors of employment. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 kidney transplant patients during follow-up visits from July 2018 to June 2019 in the tertiary care government institute in North India. Employment before and after transplant was evaluated using a sociodemographic schedule. Short-form health survey 36 was used for the QoL. Results: Lower SES was not found in any of the subject's prekidney transplants, whereas it was revealed in 27.8% of the subject's postkidney transplant with a statistically significant difference. Unemployed status was also increased from 23.3% to 47.8% postkidney transplant. Employment posttransplant (EPT) is not associated with a good perception of psychophysical well-being: EPT/general health, r = −01.6; EPT/MH, r=-0.08, and EPT/ Mental component summary score (MCS), r = −0.34. It emerged that job return depends on the highest education, exercise, and insurance, while it is inversely proportional to the residence in a rural area and lower SES. Conclusion: Maintaining employment pretransplant and posttransplant should be actively supported and in case employment is lost, return to work should be integrated into the transplant planning. It may be useful to organize psychological support for these patients and to cure any psychological fragility in the posttransplant condition.

Nanocrystalline tin oxide (SnO2) thin films were fabricated using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The as-deposited films were irradiated at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature using 100 MeV Ag ions at different fluences ranging from 3×10 13 to 3×10 14 ions/cm 2 and at 75o with respect to surface normal. Pristine and irradiated samples were characterized using XRD, AFM, Raman and I-V (current-voltage characteristics) for the study of modifications in structural, surface morphological, bond angle and resistivity respectively. XRD patterns show that the pristine film is highly polycrystalline and irradiation amorphizes the film systematically with increasing the irradiation fluence. The surface of the pristine film contains nanograins of tin oxide with roughness 5.2 nm. Upon irradiation at lower fluences agglomeration is seen and roughness increased to 10.8 nm. Highest fluence irradiation again develops nanograins with roughness 7.5 nm. Raman spectra and I-V characteristics also confirms the irradiation induced amorphization. The observed results are explained in the frame work of thermal spike model. Copyright © 2014 VBRI press.

PbTe nanocrystals are synthesised using low energy ion beam mixing of a Te/Pb bilayer on a Si substrate. The bilayer films are irradiated using 90 keV Ar+ ions and 140 keV Kr+ ions at different fluences ranging from 3 × 1015 ions/cm2 to 3 × 1016 ions/cm2. The samples are characterised by resonant Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RRBS) for determination of presence of oxygen and for ion beam mixing analysis. The simulation of RRBS spectra reveals the mixing of Te and Pb layers with ion irradiation and sputtering of Te and Pb. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to study the phase formation and change in surface morphology of the pristine and irradiated films. HRTEM confirms the formation of PbTe nanocrystals of ∼3–5 nm. The present work reveals that local spherical thermal spike contributes significantly to the mixing process whereas the possibilities of mixing at interface by ballistic process and radiation enhanced diffusion are rather low.

Vertically protruding out nano structures of PbTe are synthesized by ion beam mixing of Te/PbO bilayer using 100 MeV Ag ions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of pristine and irradiated samples are performed to study surface structures. Power spectral density (PSD) spectra of the structures at different fluences have been determined from AFM micrograph. The values of roughness and growth exponent, deduced from PSD, are far from any universality classes. Results distinctly indicate the unstable growth and rapid roughening of surface under swift heavy ion (SHI) bombardment.

Tin oxide (SnO 2 ) thin films were deposited on quartz and Si substrates by thermal evaporation method. These films were irradiated by 100 MeV Ag ions at different fluences ranging from 1 × 10 12 to 1 × 10 13 ions/cm 2 . Pristine and irradiated films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy for optical properties and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for morphological changes to study the modifications induced by irradiation. As deposited films showed the amorphous nature on both the substrates, which crystallized after irradiation as inferred from XRD spectra. It is also observed that the crystallization is better in the films grown on Si substrate rather than the films on quartz substrate. UV–Vis study showed red shift at the lower fluences up to 3 × 10 12 and blue shift at the fluence of 1 × 10 13 ions/cm 2 . The pristine films on both the substrates are featureless as observed in AFM micrograph. Surface structures are randomly distributed and have broader size distribution. Roughness of the films were increased at initial fluences up to 3 × 10 12 ions/cm 2 and then decreased with further increase in fluence. Moreover, irradiation has induced the formation of regular shape structures with narrow size distribution. The results may be attributed to the energy deposited by swift heavy ion (SHI) in the film.

Introduction: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB) is not uncommon after renal transplantation with limited data from developing countries; we did this study to assess the microbiological spectrum and its short-term graft outcome in our tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective observational study. We included all the patients who underwent renal transplantation over a period of 18 months, from January 2016 to June 2017. Patients who had indwelling urinary catheter beyond 5 days posttransplant and those with persistent graft dysfunction within 6 months of transplant were excluded from the study. Results: A total of 67 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 33.78 ± 8.91 years and a male-to-female ratio of 7:1; live-related donors were 36 (53.73%), live unrelated were 19 (28.35%), and 12 (17.91%) were cadaveric renal allograft recipients (RARs). Twenty-eight (41.79%) patients had 42 episodes of AB over 6 months of follow-up. The maximum episodes occurred within 1 month of postrenal transplantation, and 42 out of 67 (62.68%) RARs had bacterial growth in their double-J ureteral stents (USs). The most frequently isolated pathogen from urine was Escherichia coli (n = 14, 33.33%), whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 10, 23.80%) was in US culture (USC). The prevalence of AB was higher in cadaveric RARs compared to live RARs (83.33% vs. 32.72%, P = 0.001) and with bacterial growth in the USC compared to those who did not show any growth in USs (57.14% vs. 16.0%, P = 0.001). However, the estimated glomerular filtration rate between those with AB and those without at 6 months of follow-up (66.36 ± 14.98 vs. 66.10 ± 13.83 ml/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.943) was not different. Conclusion: AB is not uncommon in RARs and it is more common in cadaveric RARs and those with growth in US culture without compromise in allograft function at 6 months postrenal transplant.

Ge nanocrystals embedded in an SiO2 matrix were prepared by the atom beam co-sputtering (ABS) method from a composite target of Ge and SiO2. The as-deposited films were rapid thermally annealed at the temperatures 700 and 800 °C in nitrogen ambience. The structure of the films was evaluated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. XRD results reveal that as-deposited films are amorphous in nature whereas annealed samples show crystalline nature. Raman scattering spectra showed a peak of Ge–Ge vibrational mode shifted downwards to 297 cm−1, presumably caused by quantum confinement of phonons in the Ge nanocrystals. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry has been used to measure the thickness and Ge composition of the composite films. Size variation of Ge nanocrystals with annealing temperature has been discussed. The advantages of ABS over other methods are highlighted.

Copper nickel alloys 90/10 and 70/30 are used extensively in saltwater systems operating on marine platforms and offer high corrosion and biofouling resistance. However, systems using these materials were reported to fail prematurely. Preliminary investigations revealed pollution of harbor waters with tangible levels of ammonia and sulphides which was reported to be the primary cause of failure. The present author(s) have performed laboratory and field investigations to identify the stress-material-environment interaction of the copper nickel alloys extensively in use on seawater system of marine platforms. Results obtained point to the fact that polluted seawaters can affect the material properties of the alloy leading to premature failure(s) of systems at stresses well below the designed stress. The paper presents the correlation of the results of the laboratory and field tests of 90/10 and 70/30 copper–nickel alloys in seawaters polluted with ammonia and sulphide pollutants.

The authors carried out failure analysis of bent and branched copper-nickel alloy pipelines that had failed in marine environments. These failures were almost always dominated by a brittle stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) mode and could often be attributed to the presence of ammoniacal byproducts in the operating environment. Attempts were made to reproduce the marine-type field failures in the laboratory by testing a Cu-5.37%Ni alloy, similar to the material used in failed pipelines. The tests were performed under slow strain rate test (SSRT) conditions in aqueous ammonia and ammoniacal seawater. Results revealed that the ammonia-induced brittle SCC failures were predominant and reduced the load-bearing capacity of the alloy. The real-life failures are not simple SSRT-type failures. The operating conditions, in addition to the induced residual stresses from manufacturing/processing, subject the system pipes to external forces and widely varying pressures and fluid flow rates. This combination of stresses can produce both static and cyclic stress conditions, similar to a static load coupled with a low-amplitude cyclic load. Tests conducted under superimposed cyclic stresses on prestressed specimens were found to accelerate the stress-corrosion failures in the present copper-nickel alloy in an ammoniacal environment.

The author has studied several failures in the field of bent and branched copper-nickel pipelines exposed to marine environments contaminated by ammoniacal byproducts. The cause of the failures was investigated by laboratory tests on the Cu-5.37 wt-%Ni alloy used for the failed pipes. The tests were conducted under slow strain rate testing (SSRT) conditions, in aqueous ammonia and ammoniacal sea water environments. These studies revealed that the presence of ammonia in sea water impairs the load bearing capacity of the alloy, and the aqueous ammonia environments tend to cause brittle stress corrosion cracking failures, which are often premature and/or catastrophic. However, in addition to induced residual stresses from manufacturing/processing, the operating conditions in marine environments subject these pipes to external forces and widely varying pressures and fluid flow rates, which can cause both static and cyclic stresses. Experiments conducted under SSRT conditions, however, could not predic...

Copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) alloys are the materials of choice for many piping applications; however, a number of premature field failures in copper-nickel pipes exposed to the marine environment have been observed by the author. A majority of these failures occurred at the bends in long-span and branched pipes located near water closets and/or bilges that were frequently filled with stagnated water. Failure analysis investigation revealed that the nickel content of the failed pipes was typically less than the specified value. The operative mechanism(s) causing the premature field failures invariably involved corrosion-assisted material cracking. The environment to which the failed pipes were exposed contained magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and sodium chloride (NaCl), along with biodegradable materials capable of releasing ammoniacal byproducts. Many complex material-environment interactions are possible in marine piping systems, and the operative interaction depends on the stresses encountered and the chemistry and temperature of the exposure environment. While a failure analysis can usually identify the overall operative modes and mechanisms that cause the failures, an understanding of the material-environment interactions is needed to develop the corrective measures necessary to avoid premature field failures in real life applications. A commercial Cu-5.37% Ni alloy very similar to the composition of the field failure pipes was studied under slow strain conditions in air and in solutions containing 3.5 wt.% NaCl + 10.0 wt.% MgCl2 + either 1.0 wt.% ammonia or no ammonia additions. No deterioration of the mechanical properties of the alloy was observed in the tests conducted in the NaCl/MgCl2 solution without ammonia. However, with the introduction of 1.0% ammonia, there was a reduction in the mechanical strength of the alloy, and the mode of failure changed from ductile rupture to brittle fracture. The slow strain rate tests of the alloy were conducted in aqueous ammonia at various concentration levels. The failures observed in aqueous ammonia showed a significant loss of strength with increasing ammonia concentration. The failures were predominantly brittle, exhibiting both intergranular and transgranular fracture paths. In general, the propensity for crack formation increased with increasing ammonia. The failures observed in aqueous ammonia were more severe and different than those observed previously in samples tested in ammonia containing 3.5% NaCl + 10.0% MgCl2 solutions. This paper discusses the aqueous ammonia failures in detail.

The test results from an earlier investigation by the author on the mechanical behaviour of a low nickel nickel-copper alloy exposed to a solution of 3·5%NaCl + 10%MgCl2 with and without ammonia indicated that the presence of 1% ammonia alters the failure mode and affects the load bearing capacity of the material. In the present investigation, further tests have been conducted on the same alloy to study its mechanical/corrosion behaviour on exposure to an aqueous solution of ammonia in comparison with exposure to a similar solution of ammonia containing 3·5%NaCl + 10%MgCl2. A constant displacement rate of 9·6 × 10-3 μ m s-1 was used and the concentration of ammonia was maintained at 5%. On exposure to the 5% aqueous ammonia solution, the mechanical properties of the alloy were degraded significantly and the material exhibited a brittle stress corrosion type of failure. However, on exposure to 5% ammonia in the presence of 3·5%NaCl + 10%MgCl2, there was less change in failure mode relative to that ...

A low nickel copper alloy commonly used in the plumbing/drainage pipelines on ships was investigated under slow strain rate conditions in air, and in solution containing 3·5%NaCl + 10%MgCl2, with and without 1% ammonia. The tests were conducted at ambient temperature (28 ± 1°C) at strain rates corresponding to a crosshead speed of 5·76 × 10-5cm min-1, without a passivation current. The results obtained did not show any significant deterioration in the mechanical properties of the alloy in the tests conducted in air or in solution without ammonia. However, with the introduction of 1% ammonia, a reduction in the material strength and a change in the mode of failure were observed. This paper discusses the results obtained in the present investigation and in particular the load bearing capacity of the material and the modes of failure in Cu–Ni alloys exposed to sea water.

PbTe thin film were synthesized using thermal evaporation and irradiated by 100 MeV Ag ions at different fluences ranging from 3×1013 and 1×1014 ions/cm2. Pristine films annealed under Ar atm at 250 °C for 1 hr. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) of pristine and irradiated films reveals the improvement of PbTe phase with increasing fluence. The thickness of the film is decreased from 195 nm to 150 nm after ion irradiation as indicated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) analysis due to the sputtering. Resistivity measurement using four probe techniques of these films shows the conductivity enhancement with ion fluence. The conductivity is found to be ∼ 6 fold at fluence 3×1013 ions/cm2 whereas it decreases to 3 fold after annealing in comparison to pristine sample. On further increasing the fluence from 3×1013 ions/cm2, the properties of the film begin to deteriorate. SHI induced modification may be explained on the basis of oxygen desorption and change in stochiometry of film during irradiation.

Present study demonstrates the role of metal-insulator interface and ion irradiation induced defects on the ferromagnetic properties of the non-magnetic materials. Magnetic properties of the Pd nanoparticles(NPs) embedded in the a-silica matrix synthesized using atom beam sputtering technique, were determined using SQUID magnetometry measurements which showed that ferromagnetic response of Pd increased by 3.5 times on swift heavy ion(SHI) irradiation. The ferromagnetic behavior of the as-deposited Pd NPs is due to strain induced by the surrounding matrix and modification in the electronic structure at the Pd-silica interface as revealed by insitu XRD and XPS investigations, respectively. The defects created by the SHI bombardment are responsible for enhancement of the magnetization in the Pd NPs.

Tin oxide (SnO2) thin films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on Si substrates. The as-deposited films were irradiated using 100 MeV Ag ions at different fluences ranging from 3×1013 to 3×1014 ions/cm2 at an incidence angle of 75° with respect to surface normal at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature. The as-deposited and irradiated films have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to study the modifications in structural and surface morphological properties. Nanocrystalline film become completely amorphous and nanograins of tin oxide disappeared from the surface as indicated by XRD spectra and AFM micrographs respectively.

The Te/Pb bilayer samples were prepared by sequential thermal evaporation of Pb and Te on glass substrate. These bilayer samples were irradiated by 100 MeV Ag9+ at different fluences (3×1012, 1×1013, and 3×1013 ions/cm2) to synthesis PbTe by ion beam mixing. The samples were characterized by RBS to study composition and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) for phase identification before and after irradiation. Thickness of Pb and Te were 75 nm and 105 nm respectively in pristine film as deduced from RBS analysis. The RBS of irradiated sample indicates the mixing between Pb and Te layers. XRD revealed phases of PbTe in sample irradiated at 3×1013 ions/cm2. This phase formation may be due to inter diffusion across the interface induced by swift heavy ion irradiation.

Tin oxide thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on quartz and Si substrates. The as‐deposited films were irradiated using 100 MeV Ag ions at different fluencies. The as‐deposited and irradiated films have been characterized using XRD and UV‐Vis techniques to study the changes in structural and optical properties. Crystallinity has decreased and band gap has increased from 3.92 eV to 4.24 eV as indicated by XRD and UV‐Vis spectroscopy.

NiO thin films grown on Si(100) substrate by electron beam evaporation and sintered at 500 °C and 700 °C were irradiated with 120 MeV 197Au9+ ions. The FCC structure of the sintered films was retained up to the highest fluence (3 × l013 ions.cm−2) of irradiation. As against the expected amorphization due to ion irradiation when electronic energy loss exceeds certain threshold value, we observe an improvement of crystallinity and grain orientation at certain fluences of irradiation.

C3 glomerulopathy has recently been described as a distinct entity. The underlying mechanism is unregulated activation of the alternate pathway of the complement system. The most common presentation is with an acute nephritic syndrome. The diagnosis is made on immunofluoroscence by the presence of isolated or dominant C3 staining. In this retrospective study, renal biopsy data were collected from 2010 to 2013 patients with C3 glomerulopathy identified and their clinical and biochemical parameters analyzed. Out of 514 biopsies available for analysis, the incidence of C3 glomerulopathy was 1.16% ( n = 6). The mean age of the presentation was 26 years and the average estimated glomerular filtration rate was 30.65 ml/min/1.73 m 2 . The most common histopathological pattern was membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis ( n = 4).

Histoplasmosis is a progressive granulomatous disease caused by the intracellular dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. We report a rare case of esophageal histoplasmosis in a renal allograft recipient. A 55-year-old male who received a live, unrelated renal allograft 20 years ago presented with complaints of recurrent fever for ten to 12 months, weight loss over six months, progressive dysphagia more for solids for five to six months and joint pain and swelling involving the bilateral metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Biopsy from the esophageal ulcers revealed dense inflammation infiltrated with lymphocytes and macrophages with clusters of strongly positive intracellular fungal spores with a clear area or "halo-like" zone suggestive of Histoplasma capsulatum invasion. The patient was treated with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B for ten days and later switched over to oral itraconazole. Repeated endoscopy revealed significant improvement of the lesions.

A case of basal cell carcinoma presenting in an unusual manner as orbital myiasis is reported. Orbit was full of maggots. Histopathology examination from the margin of the ulcerative area confirmed the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, which was infested secondarily with larvae of flies. Turpentine oil packs were used to remove the maggots.

Production rates of atomic oxygen ions in the metastable states (2P and 2D) by photo-ionization have been calculated, Equilibrium distributions of these species have been calculated using recently measured rate-coefficients of ion-atom interchange and other ionic reactions. Finally, the zenith intensity of the (7318.6- 733OA) multiple of O+in the dayglow has been calculated and found to be approximately in the range 4.5-8. OR.

The paper deals with the theory of Whistler propagation in a weakly drifting magnetoplasma. The equation for the refractive index (n) for this type of propagation has been derived. It is found that the complex value of the refractive index (n) for this type of propagation is independent of the drift velocity.

The paper deals with oblique wave propagation in inhomogeneous compressible electron plasmas. The refractive index equation has been derived for arbitrarily directed oblique waves in inhomogeneous compressible plasma. The q factor obtained in the present investigation obeys a general third order algebraic equation.

This paper deals with the studies of the mode conversion problems involved in the H-plane semicircular waveguide bent. Expressions for the conversion coefficient for different modes have been derived and calculated as a function of bent angle and the radius of the waveguide.

The paper deals with some aspects of electromagnetic wave propagation in the Martian ionosphere. Using recent data, the effective collision frequency and high frequency conductivity have been calculated for all the three models, namely F2, F1 and E. The real part of the complex refractive index is then calculated for νeff = 0 and νeff ≠ 0. The results are then discussed in some detail and it is concluded that propagation of electromagnetic waves below 100 kHz range is not possible through the Martian ionosphere.

The paper deals with the lateral deviation of radio waves reflected from ionosphere and specifically the effect of collisions on it has been studied for frequency range 1–9 kc/s. It is shown that collisions have negligible effect on the lateral deviation of magnetoionic components.

The paper deals with the propagation of elf and vlf waves in abnormally ionized lower atmosphere. The absorption of these waves in whistler mode propagation has been calculated for three disturbed conditions (PCA event, solar flares and nuclear explosion) and ambient condition of the lower ionosphere. It is found that due to enhanced ion density, elf waves suffer more absorption than that suffered by vlf waves.

The paperdealswiththeemission of lambda 6300Aof Olin the Martian atmosphere, Using, the recently measured rate of coefficients of ion-atom interchange and other ionic reactions, the volume emission of this radiation is calculated out and found to be approximately 5 kg.

This paper deals with the study of light transmission through multi-layered dielectric slab. It is Seen that W type structure is quite suitable. Some important computations for such a structure are presented.

The equation of refractive index for whistler mode propagation in drifting magnetoplasma derived by Agarwal1 is considered for large values of Z, an expression for the complex refractive index being derived. To a first approximation, it is found that the imaginary part of the refractive index is unaffected by the imposed magnetic field, while the real part depends on the longitudinal component of the field.

The effect of large values of Zi = νi/ω and Ze = νe/ω (where νi and νe are the frequency of collisions of ions and electrons respectively and ω is the angular frequency of the propagating wave) on the general refractive index (n = μ—iχ) of the ionosphere has been studied. The complex value of n has been evaluated taking into account the effects of magnetic field, ion and temperature using McLaurin's expansion. For the particular case of no magnetic field, the imaginary component of n is found to be independent of temperature effects.