Sol-gel preparation and electrical behaviour of Ln: YAG (Ln = Ce, Nd, Ho, Er)

A sol-gel method has been developed to prepare pure yttrium aluminum garnet, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), and rare-earth substituted (Ce-Y3Al5O12, Nd-Y3Al5O12, Ho-Y3Al5O12, and Er-Y3Al5O12) samples. The XRD patterns of the polycrystalline powders sintered at 1000ºC showed the formation of monophasic garnet materials. The micro-structural features in the polycristalline samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy. A homogeneous distribution of rare-earth dopants in the YAG lattice was achieved in all of the cases. Electrical conductivity measurements were also performed on the compacts of sol-gel derived Ln-YAG samples. In contrast to the expected dielectric behaviour, the conducting properties of the examined specimens indicate metallic behaviour with the resistivity increasing gradually with increasing temperature

Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Selected Transition Metal Nano-Ferrites

In the present work, the sinterability and formation of nanosized yttrium iron garnet (Y₃Fe₅O₁₂), yttrium perovskite ferrite (YFeO₃),cobalt, nickel and zinc iron spinel (CoFe₂O₄, NiFe₂O₄and ZnFe₂O₄, respectively) powders by an aqueous sol-gel processes are investigated. The metal ions, generated by dissolving starting materials of transition metals in the diluted acetic acid were complexed by 1,2-ethanediol to obtain the precursors for the transition metal ferrite ceramics. The phase purity of synthesized nano-compounds was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The microstructural evolution and morphological features of obtained transition metal ferrites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.3.598">http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.3.598</a></p

Original scientific paper Sol-gel preparation and electrical behaviour of Ln:

Abstract: A sol-gel method has been developed to prepare pure yttrium aluminum garnet, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), and rare-earth substituted (Ce-Y3Al5O12, Nd-Y3Al5O12, Ho-Y3Al5O12, and Er-Y3Al5O12) samples. The XRD patterns of the polycrystalline powders sintered at 1000 ºC showed the formation of monophasic garnet materials. The micro-structural features in the polycristalline samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy. A homogeneous distribution of rare-earth dopants in the YAG lattice was achieved in all of the cases. Electrical conductivity measurements were also performed on the compacts of sol-gel derived Ln-YAG samples. In contrast to the expected dielectric behaviour, the conducting properties of the examined specimens indicate metallic behaviour with the resistivity increasing gradually with increasing temperature

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially