Low energy ion scattering

Low energy ion scattering (LEIS) is the study of the composition and structure of a surface by the detection of low energy ions with energies ranging from 100 eV to 10 keV elastically scattered off the surface. The extreme sensitivity to the outermost atomic layer makes it as a unique tool for surface analysis. In this paper, concepts of shadowing, blocking, and also polar and azimuthal scans have been described. Surface order and surface atom spacings are revealed by using these concepts and measuring the intensity of backscattered projectiles as a function of the incident and azimuthal angles

National and subnational mortality effects of metabolic risk factors and smoking in Iran: a comparative risk assessment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mortality from cardiovascular and other chronic diseases has increased in Iran. Our aim was to estimate the effects of smoking and high systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), and high body mass index (BMI) on mortality and life expectancy, nationally and subnationally, using representative data and comparable methods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used data from the Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Survey to estimate means and standard deviations for the metabolic risk factors, nationally and by region. Lung cancer mortality was used to measure cumulative exposure to smoking. We used data from the death registration system to estimate age-, sex-, and disease-specific numbers of deaths in 2005, adjusted for incompleteness using demographic methods. We used systematic reviews and meta-analyses of epidemiologic studies to obtain the effect of risk factors on disease-specific mortality. We estimated deaths and life expectancy loss attributable to risk factors using the comparative risk assessment framework.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 2005, high SBP was responsible for 41,000 (95% uncertainty interval: 38,000, 44,000) deaths in men and 39,000 (36,000, 42,000) deaths in women in Iran. High FPG, BMI, and TC were responsible for about one-third to one-half of deaths attributable to SBP in men and/or women. Smoking was responsible for 9,000 deaths among men and 2,000 among women. If SBP were reduced to optimal levels, life expectancy at birth would increase by 3.2 years (2.6, 3.9) and 4.1 years (3.2, 4.9) in men and women, respectively; the life expectancy gains ranged from 1.1 to 1.8 years for TC, BMI, and FPG. SBP was also responsible for the largest number of deaths in every region, with age-standardized attributable mortality ranging from 257 to 333 deaths per 100,000 adults in different regions.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Management of blood pressure through diet, lifestyle, and pharmacological interventions should be a priority in Iran. Interventions for other metabolic risk factors and smoking can also improve population health.</p

Monogenic Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder Associated with Common Variable Immunodeficiency and Autoimmunity

Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most frequent primary immunodeficiency disorder mainly characterized by recurrent bacterial infections besides other immunological defects including loss of or dysfunction of B cells and decreased immunoglobulin levels. In this study, our aim is to evaluate clinical, immunological, and molecular data of patients with a primary clinical diagnosis of CVID and autoimmune phenotype with a confirmed genetic diagnosis. Methods: Among 297 patients with CVID, who were registered in the Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Registry at Children's Medical Center Hospital in Iran, 83 patients have been genetically examined and 27 patients with autoimmunity and confirmed genetic mutations were selected for analysis. Whole-exome sequencing and confirmatory Sanger sequencing methods were used for the study population. A questionnaire was retrospectively filled for all patients to evaluate demographic, laboratory, clinical, and genetic data. Results: In the 27 studied patients, 11 different genetic defects were identified, and the most common mutated gene was LRBA, reported in 17 (63.0) patients. Two patients (7.7) showed autoimmune complications as the first presentation of immunodeficiency. Eleven patients (40.7) developed one type of autoimmunity, and 16 patients (59.3) progressed to poly-autoimmunity. Most of the patients with mono-autoimmunity (n = 9, 90.0) primarily developed infectious complications, while in patients with poly-autoimmunity, the most common first presentation was enteropathy (n = 6, 37.6). In 13 patients (61.9), the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders preceded the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency. The most frequent autoimmune manifestations were hematologic (40.7), gastrointestinal (48.1), rheumatologic (25.9), and dermatologic (22.2) disorders. Patients with poly-autoimmunity had lower regulatory T cells than patients with mono-autoimmunity. Conclusion: In our cohort, the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders preceded the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency in most patients. This association highlights the fact that patients referring with autoimmune manifestations should be evaluated for humoral immunity. © 2020 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved

A modeling recipe to optimize the nanostructure excitonic Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)

A numerical modeling recipe has been established to perform a parametric simulation on the transport properties of charged species in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The main outputs of the simulation are the charged species densities and current voltage curve which determine the performance parameters of DSSC. But a realistic estimation of the performance parameters strongly depends on the number of physical parameters involved. To do so, we have attempted to engage the most recent theories in the present work. The results of the simulation allow the optimization of DSSC performance as a function of photoanode thickness. The highest power conversion efficiency belongs to the device with photoanode thickness of 20 mu m. The model also highlights the importance of substrate/electrolyte interface in recombination of carriers. This model can be considered to be a tool to give a comprehensive view of DSSC operation in order to reduce the experimental workload aimed at optimizing DSSC performance

Ferromagnetic resonance and magnetic anisotropy in biocompatible [email protected] core-shell nanofibers

[email protected] (YIG@NKN) core-shell nanofibers were synthesized by the coaxial electrospinning technique. For comparison, samples of YIG and NKN nanofibers were prepared. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and 3D laser-scanning confocal microscopy (TDLM) of YIG@NKN nanofibers revealed long uniform size distributed fibers with the average diameter of 100–150 nm. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) examination shows the existence of the distinct peaks of orthorhombic NKN and cubic YIG. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) of individual YIG@NKN nanofiber demonstrates a magnetic core that is extended in one half of the diameter of the fiber. These nanofibers show obvious Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) with resonance near 2 KOe similar to YIG fibers but in such a way that it starts to increase linearly with applying magnetic field from zero up to near resonance field. Also they show a soft magnetic behavior with saturation magnetization of 10 emu/gr. Furthermore, we propose a model to explain line shape of randomly oriented fibers and extract all the magnetic anisotropy parameters from FMR data. The results rely the shape anisotropy as dominant effect, however the dipolar field among fibers should be considered. The highest degree of asymmetry observed in the case of core-shell fibers in hard direction that it can be originated from magneto electric effects. By taking into account the observed FMR, the ability of adequate control of microwave absorption by applying magnetic field and biocompatibility, the synthesized core-shell nanofibers are the most promising candidate for clinical application such as microwave cancer thermotherapy and adjustable microwave absorbers.</p