Spontaneous fluctuations in a magnetic Fe/Gd skyrmion lattice

Magnetic skyrmions are topological spin textures that exhibit classical or quantum quasiparticle behavior. A substantial amount of research has occurred in this field, both because of their unique electromagnetic properties and potential application for future nonvolatile memory storage applications, as well as fundamental questions on their topology and unique magnetic phases. Here, we investigate the fluctuation properties of a magnetic Fe/Gd skyrmion lattice, using short-pulsed x rays. We first measure spontaneous fluctuations of the skyrmion lattice phase and find an inherent, collective mode showing an underdamped oscillation with a relaxation of a couple of nanoseconds. Further observations track the response towards the continuous phase transition and a critical-like slowing down of fluctuations is observed well before the critical point. These results suggest that the skyrmion lattice phase never fully freezes into a static crystal. This constant state of fluctuation indicates that the physics of topological magnetic phases may have more in common with high-temperature superconductors with disorder

Occupational Noise, Smoking, and a High Body Mass Index are Risk Factors for Age-related Hearing Impairment and Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Protective: A European Population-based Multicenter Study

A multicenter study was set up to elucidate the environmental and medical risk factors contributing to age-related hearing impairment (ARHI). Nine subsamples, collected by nine audiological centers across Europe, added up to a total of 4,083 subjects between 53 and 67 years. Audiometric data (pure-tone average [PTA]) were collected and the participants filled out a questionnaire on environmental risk factors and medical history. People with a history of disease that could affect hearing were excluded. PTAs were adjusted for age and sex and tested for association with exposure to risk factors. Noise exposure was associated with a significant loss of hearing at high sound frequencies (>1 kHz). Smoking significantly increased high-frequency hearing loss, and the effect was dose-dependent. The effect of smoking remained significant when accounting for cardiovascular disease events. Taller people had better hearing on average with a more pronounced effect at low sound frequencies (<2 kHz). A high body mass index (BMI) correlated with hearing loss across the frequency range tested. Moderate alcohol consumption was inversely correlated with hearing loss. Significant associations were found in the high as well as in the low frequencies. The results suggest that a healthy lifestyle can protect against age-related hearing impairment

Social Pedagogy: Developing and Maintaining Multi-Disciplinary Relationships in Residential Child Care

The task of building and maintaining effective multi-disciplinary relationships is a constant challenge for the residential child care sector in Scotland. The absence of effective multi-disciplinary collaboration has been cited regularly as a contributing factor to instances of poor and problematic practice. Social pedagogy has much to offer in terms of enabling the residential child care sector to address some of these issues and assist with the task of establishing effective multi-disciplinary relationships. This article will explore how this can be achieved in practice, drawing on research based on multi-disciplinary social pedagogy training delivered in Scotland. The evidence demonstrates that social pedagogy can begin to break down the very real barriers that often prevent residential child care practitioners from developing and maintaining multi-disciplinary relationships. It can assist with the task of developing a shared language and understanding; the creation of a clear focus on the developmental needs of children and young people; and a more nuanced approach to dealing with issues of risk. The messages from this article will hold relevance for the professions of residential child care, health and education and be applicable to practitioners throughout Europe and beyond

X ray absorption spectroscopy using a self seeded soft X ray free electron laser

X ray free electron lasers XFELs enable unprecedented new ways to study the electronic structure and dynamics of transition metal systems. L edge absorption spectroscopy is a powerful technique for such studies and the feasibility of this method at XFELs for solutions and solids has been demonstrated. However, the required x ray bandwidth is an order of magnitude narrower than that of self amplified spontaneous emission SASE , and additional monochromatization is needed. Here we compare L edge x ray absorption spectroscopy XAS of a prototypical transition metal system based on monochromatizing the SASE radiation of the linac coherent light source LCLS with a new technique based on self seeding of LCLS. We demonstrate how L edge XAS can be performed using the self seeding scheme without the need of an additional beam line monochromator. We show how the spectral shape and pulse energy depend on the undulator setup and how this affects the x ray spectroscopy measurement

Evaluation of time domain electromagnetic fields radiated by constant velocity moving particles traveling along an arbitrarily shaped cross-section waveguide using frequency domain Green's functions

A technique for the accurate computation of the time domain electromagnetic fields radiated by a charged distribution traveling along an arbitrarily shaped waveguide region is presented. Based on the transformation (by means of the standard Fourier analysis) of the time-varying current density of the analyzed problem to the frequency domain, the resulting equivalent current is further convolved with the dyadic electric and magnetic Green's functions. Moreover, we show that only the evaluation of the transverse magnetic modes of the structure is required for the calculation of fields radiated by particles traveling in the axial direction. Finally, frequency domain electric and magnetic fields are transformed back to the time domain, just obtaining the total fields radiated by the charged distribution. Furthermore, we present a method for the computation of the wakefields of arbitrary cross-section uniform waveguides from the resulting field expressions. Several examples of charged particles moving in the axial direction of such waveguides are included.The authors would like to thank ESA/ESTEC for having cofunded this research activity through the Network Partnering Initiative program and through the project "Multipactor Analysis in Planar Transmission Lines" (contract 20841/08/NL/GLC). We also are grateful to the Spanish government and the local Council of Murcia for their support through the projects CICYT Ref. TEC2010-21520-C04-04 and SENECA Ref. 08833/PI/08, respectively.Jimenez Nogales, M.; Marini, S.; Gimeno Martinez, B.; Alvarez Melcon, A.; Quesada Pereira, FD.; Boria Esbert, VE.; Soto Pacheco, P.... (2012). Evaluation of time domain electromagnetic fields radiated by constant velocity moving particles traveling along an arbitrarily shaped cross-section waveguide using frequency domain Green's functions. Radio Science. 47(5):1-14. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012RS005008S114475Alvarez-Melcon, A., & Mosig, J. R. (2000). Two techniques for the efficient numerical calculation of the Green’s functions for planar shielded circuits and antennas. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 48(9), 1492-1504. doi:10.1109/22.869000Bane, K. L. F., Wilson, P. B., & Weiland, T. (1985). Wake fields and wake field acceleration. AIP Conference Proceedings. doi:10.1063/1.35182Bozzi, M., Perregrini, L., Alvarez Melcon, A., Guglielmi, M., & Conciauro, G. (2001). MoM/BI-RME analysis of boxed MMICs with arbitrarily shaped metallizations. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 49(12), 2227-2234. doi:10.1109/22.971604Burov, A., & Danilov, V. (1999). Suppression of Transverse Bunch Instabilities by Asymmetries in the Chamber Geometry. Physical Review Letters, 82(11), 2286-2289. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.82.2286Cogollos, S., Marini, S., Boria, V. E., Soto, P., Vidal, A., Esteban, H., … Gimeno, B. (2003). Efficient modal analysis of arbitrarily shaped waveguides composed of linear, circular, and elliptical arcs using the BI-RME method. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 51(12), 2378-2390. doi:10.1109/tmtt.2003.819776Conciauro, G., Bressan, M., & Zuffada, C. (1984). Waveguide Modes Via an Integral Equation Leading to a Linear Matrix Eigenvalue Problem. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 32(11), 1495-1504. doi:10.1109/tmtt.1984.1132880Deshpande , M. D. 1997 Analysis of discontinuities in a rectangular waveguide using dyadic Green's function approach in conjuntion with Method of Moments Langley Res. Cent., NASA Hampton, Va.Felsen, L. B., & Marcuvitz, N. (1994). Radiation and Scattering of Waves. doi:10.1109/9780470546307Figueroa, H., Gai, W., Konecny, R., Norem, J., Ruggiero, A., Schoessow, P., & Simpson, J. (1988). Direct Measurement of Beam-Induced Fields in Accelerating Structures. 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Proceedings of the 2003 Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37440). doi:10.1109/pac.2003.1289954Jing, C., Liu, W., Xiao, L., Gai, W., Schoessow, P., & Wong, T. (2003). Dipole-mode wakefields in dielectric-loaded rectangular waveguide accelerating structures. Physical Review E, 68(1). doi:10.1103/physreve.68.016502Kim, S. H., Chen, K. W., & Yang, J. S. (1990). Modal analysis of wake fields and its application to elliptical pill‐box cavity with finite aperture. Journal of Applied Physics, 68(10), 4942-4951. doi:10.1063/1.347079Lutman, A., Vescovo, R., & Craievich, P. (2008). Electromagnetic field and short-range wake function in a beam pipe of elliptical cross section. Physical Review Special Topics - Accelerators and Beams, 11(7). doi:10.1103/physrevstab.11.074401Ng, K.-Y. (1990). Wake fields in a dielectric-lined waveguide. Physical Review D, 42(5), 1819-1828. doi:10.1103/physrevd.42.1819Palumbo, L., Vaccaro, V. G., & Wustefeld, G. (1984). 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Variação do potencial da água da folha com o desenvolvimento da planta de batatinha (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. 'Bintje')

A manutenção de um balanço hídrico favorável à planta é uma condição reconhecidamente necessária para assegurar a seqüência das reações metabólicas que se desenvolvem nas células vegetais. Os deficits de água¹ nas plantas poderiam ser quantitativamente avaliados a partir de determinações do teor ou do estado de energia da água dos tecidos. Neste trabalho, o potencial osmótico das hastes e folhas, o potencial da água da folha e as relações entre este e o teor relativo de água da folha foram determinados em plantas de batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) adequadamente supridas com água do solo, em condições de campo. Os resultados revelaram que os potenciais determinados variaram durante o ciclo fenológico. Assim, o potencial da água da folha foi sendo reduzido com o desenvolvimento das plantas. Após o completo desenvolvimento vegetativo, não foi possível identificar qualquer tendência definida, crescente ou decrescente. Esta variação modificou as relações entre o potencial e o teor relativo de água da folha, de tal maneira, que o potencial associado a um determinado teor relativo de água, foi sendo reduzido a medida que as plantas se desenvolveram. A par destes resultados, pode-se concluir que o potencial da água da folha não parece ser um indicador seguro da existência de déficits fisiológicos de água na planta. O conhecimento do teor relativo de água, associado ao potencial, poderia contribuir decisivamente para fornecer uma avaliação mais precisa da condição da água nos tecidos vegetais.The maintainance of a favorable plant water budget is a condition generally regarded to assure the sequence of cell metabolism. Plant water deficits should be quantitatively evaluated through the determination of tissue water content or tissue water content or tissue water potential. In this work the osmotic potential of stems and leaves, the leaf water potential, and the relative water content-water potential relationships were determined in adequately irrigated patatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) growing in the field. The results showed that potentials changed during the growing season. Leaf water potential decreseased with aging of the plants and after the complete vegetative growth it was not possible to observe any definite trend, either increasing or decreasing. This change affected relative water content-water potential relationships, so that the relationships shifted to progressively lower water potential for a given relative water content. The data indicated that leaf water potential does not seem a reliable indicator of physiological water deficits. The knowledge of relative water content associated with leaf water potential measurement would provide a more precise condition of water in the plant tissues

An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review

Sustainable strategies for managing weeds are critical to meeting agriculture's potential to feed the world's population while conserving the ecosystems and biodiversity on which we depend. The dominant paradigm of weed management in developed countries is currently founded on the two principal tools of herbicides and tillage to remove weeds. However, evidence of negative environmental impacts from both tools is growing, and herbicide resistance is increasingly prevalent. These challenges emerge from a lack of attention to how weeds interact with and are regulated by the agroecosystem as a whole. Novel technological tools proposed for weed control, such as new herbicides, gene editing, and seed destructors, do not address these systemic challenges and thus are unlikely to provide truly sustainable solutions. Combining multiple tools and techniques in an Integrated Weed Management strategy is a step forward, but many integrated strategies still remain overly reliant on too few tools. In contrast, advances in weed ecology are revealing a wealth of options to manage weedsat the agroecosystem levelthat, rather than aiming to eradicate weeds, act to regulate populations to limit their negative impacts while conserving diversity. Here, we review the current state of knowledge in weed ecology and identify how this can be translated into practical weed management. The major points are the following: (1) the diversity and type of crops, management actions and limiting resources can be manipulated to limit weed competitiveness while promoting weed diversity; (2) in contrast to technological tools, ecological approaches to weed management tend to be synergistic with other agroecosystem functions; and (3) there are many existing practices compatible with this approach that could be integrated into current systems, alongside new options to explore. Overall, this review demonstrates that integrating systems-level ecological thinking into agronomic decision-making offers the best route to achieving sustainable weed management