Novel Quantum Materials for Spintronic and Opto-Electronic Applications

Multi-functional quantum materials play a crucial role in the development of spintronics and opto-electronics, as their properties can greatly influence device performance. For instance, in spintronics, materials such as ferromagnetic half-metals, Giant Magnetoresistants (GMR), and magnetic semiconductors have been extensively studied due to their ability to manipulate the spin of electrons for applications in magnetic storage. In opto-electronics, materials such as Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS) and non-oxide Transparent Conductors (TC) offer advantages such as tunable bandgap and high absorption coefficients, which enable improved device performance. For this purpose, we have experimentally investigated the compounds that have shown theoretically interesting physical properties. In the current study, we have synthesized, characterized, and studied some novel single crystals and polycrystalline structures of Cr-doped ZnTe, CrTex, and etc. to explore for the future candidate quantum materials for spintronic and opto-electronic purposes. Cr-doped ZnTe polycrystalline have depicted transparent conductivity as well as room temperature ferromagnetism for both polycrystalline and single crystalline structures. Also, the electrical transport properties of these compounds enhance along with the increase of the dopant (Cr) concentrations. On the other hand, DFT calculations have come to the conclusion of room temperature ferromagnetic half-metallicity for Cr-doped ZnTe monocrystalline. Furthermore, Cr5Te8 single crystals have exhibited promising high magnetoresistance up to %10 at low external magnetic field due to their self-intercalated van der Waals structures --Abstract, p. i

Environmental pollution and pattern formation of Harsin–Sahneh ophiolitic complex (NE Kermanshah—west of Iran)

193-204To determine and estimate the environmental impact of certain elements- 10 soil samples from various areas in these massifs have been investigated. The obtained results show that most of heavy and major elements were exceeding the permissible levels in soil samples in the study area. On the subject of soil quality, concentrations of elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Ca, Mg, Ca, Ni, and Zn are above permissible levels. Comparing the concentrations of elements with results of grain size analysis illustrates that the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Fe, Mg, and Co are positively correlated with sand fraction and the concentrations of Al, P, Mn, and Pb are directly proportional with clay fraction in soil samples. Petrographic evidence indicates that this ophiolitic sequence consists of both mantle and crustal suites. In this complex, generally lithologies include harzburgitic and lherzolitic peridotites, isotropic and mylonitic gabbros, dyke complex, basaltic pillow lavas, and small out crop of plagiogranite. The mineral chemistry of Harsin mafic rocks is island arc setting for this part of complex and geochemistry of mafic and ultramafic rocks of Sahneh region displaying P-type mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) nature

The impact of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Pseudomonas fluorescens on growth, seed yield and biochemical product of fenugreek under water deficit stress

Bacteria that colonize plant roots and promote plant growth are referred to as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). For a long-serving period, the PGPRs have been applied as biofertilizers in crops culture. Recent studies indicated the importance of PGPR for controlling the water deficit. The present study investigates the effects of two different PGPRs on some morphophysiological characteristics in fenugreek under water deficit stress. The first factor was application of four PGPR levels including (1. Sinorhizobium meliloti, 2. Pseudomonas fluorescens, 3. combination of S. meliloti and P. fluorescens and 4. control without bacterial inoculation) and four levels of soil water content including 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of field capacity (FC) was considered as second factor. The results showed that leaf area, shoot fresh and dry weight, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content, and water use efficacy (WUE) were significantly improved by PGPR inoculation and individual use of PGPR was more effective. Decreasing of soil water content up to 0.40 FC and inoculation of two bacteria led to increase of secondary metabolites such as nicotinic acid and trigonelline. However seed yield was decreased in PGPR treated plants

Study of Soil Pollution with Heavy Metals due to Leakage of Petroleum Hydrocarbons at Kermanshah Refinery

In recent decades, soil pollution with petroleum hydrocarbons in oil-rich countries (such as Iran) has been one of the most challenging issues. In these countries with petroleum industries, mines of oil exploration, refineries, etc., leakage from tanks or pipelines of oil transmission due to corrosion and damage bring about oil pollution for the soil. This study aimed at evaluating and measuring the amount of heavy metals in the soil of Kermanshah Refinery and statistical analysis in order to locate high-risk areas in terms of pollution caused by oil leaks, extraction, refining, and transportation. Therefore; 15 samples of surrounded soil of Kermanshah Refinery were analyzed to determine soil pollution with petroleum compounds. According to results of ICP-MS analysis of soil samples, the process of heavy metal changes in the soil of Kermanshah Refinery was Cr>Zn>Ni>V>Cu>Pb>Co>Sc>As>Cd. Geo accumulation index indicated that the intensity of the refinery soil is classified in the range of no pollution to average with reference to chromium and nickel. Besides, the finding from enrichment factor indicated the average enrichment of the region soil by chromium and lead. Moreover, it confirmed that enrichment in lead and copper has anthropogenic origin. Pollution load index of chromium, nickel, zinc, copper, and lead showed soil pollution to these metals. Zoning map of heavy metal density in the region soil demonstrates that high density of the elements in some stations is related to the petroleum leakage from installations and storage tank

Self-Intercalation Tunable Interlayer Exchange Coupling in a Synthetic Van Der Waals Antiferromagnet

One of the most promising avenues in 2D materials research is the synthesis of antiferromagnets employing 2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets. However, it has proven challenging, due in part to the complicated fabrication process and undesired adsorbates as well as the significantly deteriorated ferromagnetism at atomic layers. Here, the engineering of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) interlayer exchange coupling between atomically thin yet ferromagnetic CrTe2 layers in an ultra-high vacuum-free 2D magnetic crystal, Cr5Te8 is reported. By self-introducing interstitial Cr atoms in the vdW gaps, the emergent AFM ordering and the resultant giant magnetoresistance effect are induced. A large negative magnetoresistance (10%) with a plateau-like feature is revealed, which is consistent with the AFM interlayer coupling between the adjacent CrTe2 main layers in a temperature window of 30 K below the Néel temperature. Notably, the AFM state has a relatively weak interlayer exchange coupling, allowing a switching between the interlayer AFM and ferromagnetic states at moderate magnetic fields. This work represents a new route to engineering low-power devices that underpin the emerging spintronic technologies, and an ideal laboratory to study 2D magnetism

Blood Flow Restriction During Futsal Training Increases Muscle Activation and Strength

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of leg blood flow restriction (BFR) applied during a 3-a-side futsal game on strength-related parameters. Twelve male futsal players were randomly assigned into two groups (n = 6 for each group) during 10 training sessions either with or without leg BFR. Prior to and post-training sessions, participants completed a series of tests to assess anabolic hormones and leg strength. Pneumatic cuffs were initially inflated to 110% of leg systolic blood pressure and further increased by 10% after every two completed sessions. In comparison with baseline, the resting post-training levels of myostatin (p = 0.002) and IGF-1/MSTN ratio (p = 0.006) in the BFR group changed, whereas no change in the acute level of IGF-1 and myostatin after exercise was observed. Peak torque of knee extension and flexion increased in both groups (p < 0.05). A trend of increased neural activation of all heads of the quadriceps was observed in both groups, however, it was statistically significant only for rectus femoris in BFR (p = 0.02). These findings indicated that the addition of BFR to normal futsal training might induce greater neuromuscular benefits by increasing muscle activation and augmenting the hormonal response

Additively manufactured metallic biomaterials

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has led to an evolution in the design and fabrication of hard tissue substitutes, enabling personalized implants to address each patient's specific needs. In addition, internal pore architectures integrated within additively manufactured scaffolds, have provided an opportunity to further develop and engineer functional implants for better tissue integration, and long-term durability. In this review, the latest advances in different aspects of the design and manufacturing of additively manufactured metallic biomaterials are highlighted. After introducing metal AM processes, biocompatible metals adapted for integration with AM machines are presented. Then, we elaborate on the tools and approaches undertaken for the design of porous scaffold with engineered internal architecture including, topology optimization techniques, as well as unit cell patterns based on lattice networks, and triply periodic minimal surface. Here, the new possibilities brought by the functionally gradient porous structures to meet the conflicting scaffold design requirements are thoroughly discussed. Subsequently, the design constraints and physical characteristics of the additively manufactured constructs are reviewed in terms of input parameters such as design features and AM processing parameters. We assess the proposed applications of additively manufactured implants for regeneration of different tissue types and the efforts made towards their clinical translation. Finally, we conclude the review with the emerging directions and perspectives for further development of AM in the medical industry.National Institutes of Health || The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada || Network for Holistic Innovation in Additive Manufacturin

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions