951 research outputs found
Magnetotransport in a bi-crystal film of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3
Transport properties of an epitaxial film of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3 (LSMO),
deposited epitaxially on a LaAlO_3 bi-crystal substrate having a misorientation
angle of 9.2 deg., have been studied.
The film was patterned into a meander containing 100 grain boundaries. The
resistivity of the sample exhibits two components; one originating from the
grain boundary regions, and one from the LSMO elements in the meander; the
latter contribution is similar to the resistivity of a reference epitaxial LSMO
film. The low (<0.5 T) and high (up to 6 T) field magnetoresistance was also
studied. The meander show a large low field magnetoresistance, increasing with
decreasing temperature, and a constant high field slope of the
magnetoconductance, results that are well explained by a two-step spin
polarized tunneling model.Comment: ICM2000 contribution - 6 pages, 3 figure
A âcriminal personasâ approach to countering criminal creativity
This paper describes a pilot study of a âcriminal personasâ approach to countering criminal creativity. The value of the personas approach has been assessed by comparing the identification of criminal opportunity, through âtraditionalâ brainstorming and then through âcriminal personasâ brainstorming The method involved brainstorm sessions with Computer Forensics Practitioners and with Product Designers, where they were required to generate criminal scenarios, select the most serious criminal opportunities, and propose means of countering them. The findings indicated that there was merit in further research in the development and application of the âcriminal personasâ approach. The generation of criminal opportunity ideas and proposal of counter criminal solutions were both greater when the brainstorm approach involved the group responding through their given criminal personas
Non-Fermi Liquid behavior in CeIrIn near a metamagnetic transition
We present specific heat and resistivity study of CeIrIn5 in magnetic fields
up to 17 T and temperature down to 50 mK. Both quantities were measured with
the magnetic field parallel to the c-axis (H || [001]) and within the a-b plane
(H \perp [001]). Non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior develops above 12 T for H ||
[001]. The Fermi liquid state is much more robust for H \perp [001] and is
suppressed only moderately at the highest applied field. Based on the observed
trends and the proximity to a metamagnetic phase transition, which exists at
fields above 25 T for H || [001], we suggest that the observed NFL behavior in
CeIrIn5 is a consequence of a metamagnetic quantum critical point.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Letter
Giant Magnetoelectric Effect in a Multiferroic Material with a High Ferroelectric Transition Temperature
We present a unique example of giant magnetoelectric effect in a conventional
multiferroic HoMnO3, where polarization is very large (~56 mC/m2) and the
ferroelectric transition temperature is higher than the magnetic ordering
temperature by an order. We attribute the uniqueness of the giant
magnetoelectric effect to the ferroelectricity induced entirely by the
off-center displacement of rare earth ions with large magnetic moments. This
finding suggests a new avenue to design multiferroics with large polarization
and higher ferroelectric transition temperature as well as large
magnetoelectric effects
Perceived stress and diet quality in women of reproductive age: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Poor diet quality is associated with obesity-related morbidity and mortality. Psychological stress can increase unhealthy dietary choices, but evidence pertinent to women of reproductive age remains unclear. This paper systematically reviewed the literature to determine the association between psychological stress and diet quality in women of reproductive age. Methods: Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Sciencedirect were searched. Data extraction was determined by the PEO. Inclusion criteria consisted of: English language, stress (exposure) measured in combination with diet quality (outcome), healthy women of reproductive age (18â49 years old (population)). Observational studies, due to the nature of the PEO, were included. Quality assessment used the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies from the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Meta-analysis was conducted using random-effect model to estimate the Fisherâs z transformed correlation between stress and diet quality with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: From 139,552 hits, 471 papers were screened; 24 studies met the inclusion criteria and were conducted in different countries: 8 studies on diet quality and 16 on food intake and frequency of consumption. Studies of diet quality consisted of six cross-sectional and two longitudinal designs with a total of 3982 participants. Diet quality was measured with diverse indices; Alternate Healthy Eating Index (n = 2), Healthy Eating Index (n = 2), Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet Index (n = 2), Dietary Quality Index- Pregnancy (n = 2), and Dietary Guideline Adherence Index (n = 1). Most studies used Cohenâs perceived stress scale and no study measured biological stress response. After sensitivity analysis, only 5 studies (3471 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed a significant negative association between stress and diet quality with substantial heterogeneity between studies (r = â 0.35, 95% CI [â 0.56; â 0.15], p value < 0.001, Cochran Q test P < 0.0001, I2 = 93%). The 16 studies of food intake and frequency of consumption were very heterogeneous in the outcome measure and were not included in the meta-analysis. These studies showed that stress was significantly associated with unhealthy dietary patterns (high in fat, sweets, salt, and fast food and low in fruits, vegetables, fish, and unsaturated fats). Conclusion: Future studies that explore diet quality/patterns should include both diet indices and factor analysis and measure biological markers of stress and dietary patterns simultaneously
Midwives' competence : is it affected by working in a rural location?
Introduction: Rising health care costs and the need to consolidate expertise in tertiary services have led to the centralisation of services. In the UK, the result has been that many rural maternity units have become midwife-led. A key consideration is that midwives have the skills to competently and confidently provide maternity services in rural areas, which may be geographically isolated and where the midwife may only see a small number of pregnant women each year. Our objective was to compare the views of midwives in rural and urban settings, regarding their competence and confidence with respect to âcompetenciesâ identified as being those which all professionals should have in order to provide effective and safe care for low-risk women. Method: This was a comparative questionnaire survey involving a stratified sample of remote and rural maternity units and an ad hoc comparison group of three urban maternity units in Scotland. Questionnaires were sent to 82 midwives working in remote and rural areas and 107 midwives working in urban hospitals with midwife-led units. Results: The response rate from midwives in rural settings was considerably higher (85%) than from midwives in the urban areas (60%). Although the proportion of midwives who reported that they were competent was broadly similar in the two groups, there were some significant differences regarding specific competencies. Midwives in the rural group were more likely to report competence for breech delivery (p = 0.001), while more urban midwives reported competence in skills such as intravenous fluid replacement (p <0.001) and initial and discharge examination of the newborn (p <0.001). Both groups reported facing barriers to continuing professional development; however, more of the rural group had attended an educational event within the last month (p <0.001). Lack of time was a greater barrier for urban midwives (p = 0.02), whereas distance to training was greater for rural midwives (p = 0.009). Lack of motivation or interest was significantly higher in urban units (p = 0.006). Conclusion: It is often assumed that midwives in rural areas where there are fewer deliveries, will be less competent and confident in their practice. Our exploratory study suggests that the issue of competence is far more complex and deserves further attention.NHS Education Scotlan
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