12 research outputs found
Nanosized superparamagnetic precipitates in cobalt-doped ZnO
The existence of semiconductors exhibiting long-range ferromagnetic ordering
at room temperature still is controversial. One particularly important issue is
the presence of secondary magnetic phases such as clusters, segregations,
etc... These are often tedious to detect, leading to contradictory
interpretations. We show that in our cobalt doped ZnO films grown
homoepitaxially on single crystalline ZnO substrates the magnetism
unambiguously stems from metallic cobalt nano-inclusions. The magnetic behavior
was investigated by SQUID magnetometry, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and
AC susceptibility measurements. The results were correlated to a detailed
microstructural analysis based on high resolution x-ray diffraction,
transmission electron microscopy, and electron-spectroscopic imaging. No
evidence for carrier mediated ferromagnetic exchange between diluted cobalt
moments was found. In contrast, the combined data provide clear evidence that
the observed room temperature ferromagnetic-like behavior originates from
nanometer sized superparamagnetic metallic cobalt precipitates.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures; details about background subtraction added to
section III. (XMCD
Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.
BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362
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Ion irradiation effects on a martensitic stainless steel designed for reduced long-life radioactivity
Alloys with reduced long-life radioactivity (low activation alloys) are being developed to increase the acceptability of fusion power. The phase stability and swelling resistance of a 12Cr-6.5Mn-1W-0.3V-0.1C martensitic steel were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy following 3.8 MeV Fe{sup ++} ion irradiation with and without He coimplantation. Ion irradiations were performed at 450{degree}C, 550{degree}C, and 650{degree}C to approximately 10, 20, and 40 dpa. At 550{degree}C, approximately 20 appm He/dpa was coimplanted with the 3.8 MeV Fe{sup ++} ions. The specimens were examined at a depth approximately halfway between the surface and the mean ion range in order to minimize the influence of the surface and of injected ions. At all temperatures, M{sub 23}C{sub 6}, also present in the unirradiated structure, was the only precipitate present. A nonuniform distribution of loops also formed at all temperatures. After the 450{degree}C and 650{degree}C irradiations, no voids were present. At 550{degree}C, the helium did not appear to have much effect. Very few faceted voids formed. At 20 and 40 dpa some bubbles were found but their density was very low. At 650{degree}C, a structure similar to a heavily over-tempered steel was produced by the irradiation. At 550{degree}C recovery was seen to a lesser extent. Little to no recovery was seen at 450{degree}C
Valency configuration of transition metal impurities in ZnO
We use the self-interaction corrected local spin-density approximation to
investigate the ground state valency configuration of transition metal (TM =
Mn, Co) impurities in n- and p-type ZnO. We find that in pure Zn1-xTMxO, the
localized TM2+ configuration is energetically favored over the itinerant
d-electron configuration of the local spin density (LSD) picture. Our
calculations indicate furthermore that the (+/0) donor level is situated in the
ZnO gap. Consequently, for n-type conditions, with the Fermi energy eF close to
the conduction band minimum, TM remains in the 2+ charge state, while for
p-type conditions, with eF close to the valence band maximum, the 3+ charge
state is energetically preferred. In the latter scenario, modeled here by
co-doping with N, the additional delocalized d-electron charge transfers into
the entire states at the top of the valence band, and hole carriers will only
exist, if the N concentration exceeds the TM impurity concentration