23 research outputs found
Itinerant-Electron Magnet of the Pyrochlore Lattice: Indium-Doped YMn2Zn20
We report on a ternary intermetallic compound, "YMn2Zn20", comprising a
pyrochlore lattice made of Mn atoms. A series of In-doped single crystals
undergo no magnetic long-range order down to 0.4 K, in spite of the fact that
the Mn atom carries a local magnetic moment at high temperatures, showing
Curie-Weiss magnetism. However, In-rich crystals exhibit spin-glass transitions
at approximately 10 K due to a disorder arising from the substitution, while,
with decreasing In content, the spin-glass transition temperature is reduced to
1 K. Then, heat capacity divided by temperature approaches a large value of 280
mJ K-2 mol-1, suggesting a significantly large mass enhancement for conduction
electrons. This heavy-fermion-like behavior is not induced by the Kondo effect
as in ordinary f-electron compounds, but by an alternative mechanism related to
the geometrical frustration on the pyrochlore lattice, as in (Y,Sc)Mn2 and
LiV2O4, which may allow spin entropy to survive down to low temperatures and to
couple with conduction electrons.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., in pres
Mass-Enhanced Fermi Liquid Ground State in NaCoO
Magnetic, transport, and specific heat measurements have been performed on
layered metallic oxide NaCoO as a function of temperature .
Below a characteristic temperature =3040 K, electrical resistivity
shows a metallic conductivity with a behavior and magnetic susceptibility
deviates from the Curie-Weiss behavior showing a broad peak at 14 K. The
electronic specific heat coefficient is 60 mJ/molK at 2 K.
No evidence for magnetic ordering is found. These behaviors suggest the
formation of mass-enhanced Fermi liquid ground state analogous to that in
-electron heavy fermion compound LiVO.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. B 69 (2004
Intravaginal injection of Lactobacillus johnsonii may modulates oviductal microbiota and mucosal barrier function of laying hens
ABSTRACT: The avian oviduct connects to the gastrointestinal tract through cloaca, where it is exposed to pathogenic bacteria from intestinal contents. Therefore, improvement of mucosal barrier function in the oviduct is important for safe poultry production. Lactic acid bacteria are known to contribute to strengthening the mucosal barrier function in the intestinal tract, and a similar effect is expected in the oviduct mucosa of chickens. This study aimed to clarify the effects of vaginal administration of lactic acid bacteria on the mucosal barrier function of the oviduct. White Leghorn laying hens (500-days old) were intravaginally administered 1 mL of Lactobacillus johnsonii suspension (1 × 105 and 1 × 108 cfu/mL: low concentration of Lactobacillus (LL) and high concentration of Lactobacillus (HL) groups, respectively) or without bacteria (control: C group) for 7 d (n = 6). The oviductal magnum, uterus, and vagina were collected for histological observations and mucosal barrier function-related gene expression analysis. Amplicon sequence analysis of oviductal mucus bacteria was also performed. Eggs were collected during the experimental period and their weight was measured. Vaginally administering L. johnsonii for 7 d caused 1) an increase in α-diversity of vaginal mucosa microbiota with an increase in the abundance ratio of beneficial bacteria and a decrease in pathogenic bacteria, 2) enhanced claudin (CLA) 1 and 3 gene expression in the magnum and vaginal mucosa, and 3) a decrease in avian β-defensin (AvBD) 10, 11, and 12 gene expression in the magnum, uterus, and vaginal mucosa. These results suggest that transvaginal administration of L. johnsonii contributes to protection against infection in the oviduct by improving the microflora of the oviductal mucosa and strengthening the mechanical barrier function of the tight junctions. In contrast, transvaginal administration of lactic acid bacteria does not enhance the production of AvBD10, 11, and 12 in the oviduct