Design and development of Ga-substituted Z-type hexaferrites for microwave absorber applications: mössbauer, static and dynamic properties

Gallium substituted Z-type Sr3GaxCo2-xFe24O41 (x = 0.0–2.0 in steps of 0.4) hexaferrites were synthesised by the sol-gel auto-combustion process, and sintered at 1150 °C. The structural, morphology, magnetic, Mössbauer, dielectric and microwave absorption properties were examined. XRD results of x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 samples show the formation of a single Z-type hexagonal phase. The samples x = 1.6 and 2.0 show the formation of Z and M phases. Hysteresis loops analysis suggest that samples x < 1.6 possess a soft magnetic nature, while the samples x = 1.6 and 2.0 show a hard ferrite characteristics. All samples possess multi-domain microstructures. The composition x = 0.4 [maximum MS = 97.94 Am2kg−1] was fitted with seven sextets (Fe3+) and a paramagnetic doublet-A (Fe3+), while beyond x ≥ 0.8 two more doublets (Fe2+) were observed along with seven sextets in Mössbauer spectra. The maximum values of Fe2+ ions (1.26%) and relative area of paramagnetic doublets (1.91%) were observed for x = 1.6 composition, which is also responsible for the lowest value of MS (69.99 Am2kg−1) for this composition. The average hyperfine magnetic field was found to decrease, whereas average quadrupole splitting was found to increase, with Ga-substitution. The substitution of Ga ions enhanced permeability, dielectric constant, magnetic loss and dielectric loss, in a non-linear fashion. The reflection loss was maximum at lower frequencies for samples x = 0.0 and 0.8, and decreases with frequency. Sample x = 0.8 has maximum reflection loss of −12.44 dB at 8 GHz, a measured thickness of 3 mm, and a bandwidth of −10 dB at 1.18 GHz. The observed absorption has been discussed with the help of the input impedance matching mechanism and quarter wavelength mechanism. The observed coercivity in different samples also influenced microwave absorption which demonstrated potenial in microwave absorber applications.publishe

Studies of structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of X-type Barium Zinc hexaferrite Ba2Zn2Fe28O46 powder prepared by combustion treatment method using ginger root extract as a green reducing agent

Various quantities of ginger (Zingiber officinale) root extract were used to prepare X-type Barium–Zinc hexaferrite with the chemical composition Ba2Zn2Fe28O46. The powders were prepared using a combustion treatment method, being pre-heated at 550 °C for 4 h with the ginger as a fuel, followed by final heating to 900 °C for 5 h and natural cooling to room temperature to obtain Ba2Zn2Fe28O46 hexagonal ferrite powder. The phase composition of heated powder samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), indicating the formation of a mixture of X-type and hematite (α-Fe2O3). Up to 82.6%, X-ferrite was formed at 900 °C with 52.5 g of ginger root extract. Dielectric analysis of the prepared samples shows the frequency-dependent phenomena. All samples were hard magnets, with coercivity values (HC) between 262.2 and 318.3 kA m−1, and squareness ratios > 0.5. The sample prepared with 52.5 g ginger root extract possesses the highest value of saturation magnetisation (MS = 33.87 Am2 kg−1) in comparison with the other prepared samples. Therefore, ginger was shown to be a useful natural plant extract as a reducing fuel for the low-temperature synthesis of X-ferrites. The sample prepared with 35 g ginger root extract shows a broad loss tangent resonance peak between 10 kHz and 100 kHz, while other samples show loss tangent resonance peaks between 300 kHz and 2 MHz frequency range.publishe

Evaluation of digital elevation model in hilly region of Uttarakhand: A case study of experimental farm Hawalbagh

Not AvailableDigital Elevation Model (DEM) is used to display terrestrial information on map. Moreover, DEMs are often used in geographic information systems (GIS), and serve as a basis for generation of relief map. The present study was conducted to evaluate the google earth (GE) derived DEM with three established open source DEMs such as, shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM) DEM, advanced space borne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) DEM and advanced land observing satellite phased array type l−band synthetic aperture radar (ALOS PALSAR) DEM. The study area of present research is experimental farm, Hawalbagh of the ICAR− Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora, India which lies in middle Himalayas using online tool (GPS visualizer). The accuracy statistics were evaluated using 100 points in the study area having varying topography with three DEMs such as, SRTM DEM, ASTER DEM and ALOS PALSAR DEM. The result showed that google earth data was positively correlated with all established 2 DEM with r value of 0.88 for SRTM, 0.92 for ALOS PALSAR Dem and 0.83 for ASTER DEM. The result showed that the accuracies for the google earth derived DEM is suitable for hydrological and other water resources modelling.Not Availabl

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Paleoenvironmental Conditions during the Paleocene&ndash;Eocene Transition Imprinted within the Glauconitic Giral Member of the Barmer Basin, India

The roughly 6 m thick limestone&ndash;green shale alternation within the lignite-bearing Giral Member of the Barmer Basin corresponds to a marine flooding event immediately after the Paleocene&ndash;Eocene transition. A detailed characterization of the glauconite using Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), M&ouml;ssbauer and Field Emission Gun-Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM) reveals its origin in the backdrop of prevailing warm climatic conditions. The glauconite pellets vary from fine silt-sized to coarse sand-sized pellets, often reaching ~60% of the rock by volume. Mineralogical investigation reveals a &lsquo;nascent&rsquo; to &lsquo;slightly evolved&rsquo; character of the marginal marine-originated glauconite showing considerable interstratification. The chemical composition of the glauconite is unusual with a high Al2O3 (&gt;10 wt%) and moderately high Fe2O3(total) contents (&gt;15 wt%). While the K2O content of these glauconites is low, the interlayer sites are atypically rich in Na2O, frequently occupying ~33% of the total interlayer sites. The M&ouml;ssbauer spectrum indicates 10% of the total iron is in ferrous form. High tetrahedral Al3+ of these glauconites suggests a high-alumina substrate that transformed to glauconite by octahedral Al-for-Fe substitution followed by the addition of K into the interlayer structure. The unusually high Na2O suggests the possibility of a soda-rich pore water formed by the dissolution of alkaline volcanic minerals. The Giral glauconite formation could have been a part of the major contributors in the Fe-sequestration cycle in the Early Eocene shelves. Warm climate during the Early Eocene time favored the glauconitization because of the enhanced supply of Fe, Al, and Si and proliferation of an oxygen-depleted depositional environment

Paleoenvironmental Conditions during the Paleocene–Eocene Transition Imprinted within the Glauconitic Giral Member of the Barmer Basin, India

The roughly 6 m thick limestone–green shale alternation within the lignite-bearing Giral Member of the Barmer Basin corresponds to a marine flooding event immediately after the Paleocene–Eocene transition. A detailed characterization of the glauconite using Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer and Field Emission Gun-Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM) reveals its origin in the backdrop of prevailing warm climatic conditions. The glauconite pellets vary from fine silt-sized to coarse sand-sized pellets, often reaching ~60% of the rock by volume. Mineralogical investigation reveals a ‘nascent’ to ‘slightly evolved’ character of the marginal marine-originated glauconite showing considerable interstratification. The chemical composition of the glauconite is unusual with a high Al2O3 (>10 wt%) and moderately high Fe2O3(total) contents (>15 wt%). While the K2O content of these glauconites is low, the interlayer sites are atypically rich in Na2O, frequently occupying ~33% of the total interlayer sites. The Mössbauer spectrum indicates 10% of the total iron is in ferrous form. High tetrahedral Al3+ of these glauconites suggests a high-alumina substrate that transformed to glauconite by octahedral Al-for-Fe substitution followed by the addition of K into the interlayer structure. The unusually high Na2O suggests the possibility of a soda-rich pore water formed by the dissolution of alkaline volcanic minerals. The Giral glauconite formation could have been a part of the major contributors in the Fe-sequestration cycle in the Early Eocene shelves. Warm climate during the Early Eocene time favored the glauconitization because of the enhanced supply of Fe, Al, and Si and proliferation of an oxygen-depleted depositional environment

Influence of Au addition on magnetic properties of iron oxide in a silica–phosphate glass matrix

International audienc

Anisotropy and domain state dependent enhancement of single domain ferrimagnetism in cobalt substituted Ni–Zn ferrites

Nanocrystalline Co substituted Ni–Zn ferrites with the general formula CoxNi0.6-xZn0.4Fe2O4 (x = 0.0 to 0.6) were prepared by a precursor combustion method. Average crystallite size, as estimated by using a Scherrer method and the particle size obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, was found to be in the range of 10–30 nm. EDX and XRD analysis confirms the presence of Co, Ni, Zn, Fe and oxygen and the desired phases in the prepared nanoparticles. Selective area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis confirms the crystalline nature of the prepared nanoparticles. It is observed that Co substitution has a pronounced effect on the magnetic properties such as MR, MS and HC and also on the Curie temperature (TC), which is found to decrease from 420&#176;C for non-substituted Ni–Zn ferrites to 325&#176;C for the highest substitution of x = 0.6. These effects are assigned to the higher magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Co than Ni and to the size dependent existence of single domain–superparamagnetic particles distribution. Comparatively, the dominant existence of single domain particles with Co substitution over superparamagnetic particles in non-substituted nickel zinc ferrites is extensively investigated in this article