Observation of mixed anisotropy in the critical susceptibility of an ultrathin magnetic film

Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of Fe/W(110) films with thickness in the range of 1.6 to 2.4 ML Fe, show that in addition to the large response along the easy axis associated with the Curie transition, there is a much smaller, paramagnetic hard axis response that is not consistent with the 2D anisotropic Heisenberg model used to describe homogeneous in-plane ferromagnets with uniaxial anisotropy. The shape, amplitude, and peak temperature of the hard axis susceptibility, as well as its dependence upon layer completion close to 2.0 ML, indicate that inhomogeneities in the films create a system of mixed anisotropy. A likely candidate for inhomogeneities that are magnetically relevant in the critical region are the closed lines of step edges associated with the incomplete layers. According to the Harris criterion, the existence of magnetically relevant inhomogeneities may alter the critical properties of the films from those of a 2D Ising model. Experiments in the recent literature are discussed in this context.Comment: 9 two-column pages, 6 figures. This replacement has a new title and abstract, and one additional figur

Frontiers in the expansion of bioproducts

[no abstract available

Teacher Classroom Management Practices in an Inclusive Virtual Setting

The main purpose of this study is to explore the special education teacher’s classroom management strategies engagement in an inclusive virtual setting among the selected teachers in Region VII and one City in Region VIII during remote learning. Five respondents from two regions of Visayas were chosen using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. The researchers of this study used Descriptive Qualitative research design following Colaizzi’s method in thematic analysis. An online interview questionnaire was distributed to the respondents through Google forms and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that teacher classroom management strategies undeniably played a vital role to maximize students’ engagement in an inclusive virtual classroom. On this basis, it is recommended that teacher classroom management practices should also investigate the variables that limit students\u27 willingness to participate, as well as the importance of the entire class population in students’ engagement. And since our study solely identifies best practices and strategies to maximize student engagement, further study is needed to emphasize assessing teachers’ ICT skills, the parental factors, and appropriate assessment methods to give a greater understanding of the nature of why student engagement is declining in this new mode of learning

Counteractive effects of antenatal glucocorticoid treatment on D1 receptor modulation of spatial working memory.

RATIONALE: Antenatal exposure to the glucocorticoid dexamethasone dramatically increases the number of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in rat offspring. However, the consequences of this expansion in midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons for behavioural processes in adulthood are poorly understood, including working memory that depends on DA transmission in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). OBJECTIVES: We therefore investigated the influence of antenatal glucocorticoid treatment (AGT) on the modulation of spatial working memory by a D1 receptor agonist and on D1 receptor binding and DA content in the PFC and striatum. METHODS: Pregnant rats received AGT on gestational days 16-19 by adding dexamethasone to their drinking water. Male offspring reared to adulthood were trained on a delayed alternation spatial working memory task and administered the partial D1 agonist SKF38393 (0.3-3 mg/kg) by systemic injection. In separate groups of control and AGT animals, D1 receptor binding and DA content were measured post-mortem in the PFC and striatum. RESULTS: SKF38393 impaired spatial working memory performance in control rats but had no effect in AGT rats. D1 binding was significantly reduced in the anterior cingulate cortex, prelimbic cortex, dorsal striatum and ventral pallidum of AGT rats compared with control animals. However, AGT had no significant effect on brain monoamine levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that D1 receptors in corticostriatal circuitry down-regulate in response to AGT. This compensatory effect in D1 receptors may result from increased DA-ergic tone in AGT rats and underlie the resilience of these animals to the disruptive effects of D1 receptor activation on spatial working memory.The authors’ research is funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 086871/Z/08/Z), the MRC (G0701500), a joint award from the MRC (G1000183) and Wellcome Trust (093875/Z/10/ Z) in support of the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Cambridge University, and an MRC strategic award to the Imperial College-Cambridge University-Manchester University (ICCAM) addiction cluster (G1000018).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4405-8

Effect of cardiac surgery on maternal and perinatal outcome in rheumatic heart disease with pregnancy: a comparative study

Background: Rheumatic heart disease remains the commonest heart disease in India with mitral stenosis being the most common lesion and is associated with significant maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to compare maternal and perinatal outcome in women with rheumatic heart valvular disease who had no surgery or had percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) or had valvular replacement surgery.Methods: It was a retrospective study in 113 women with rheumatic heart disease with various valvular lesion admitted in the hospital in previous 10 years. There were 58 (51.35%) patients without cardiac surgery (Group 1), 24 (21.23%) with PTMC (Group 2) and 31 (27.43%) with valve replacement surgery (Group 3). Maternal and perinatal outcome were compared in three groups.Results: The baseline characteristics were similar in the three group. In cardiac complications New York Heart Association (NYHA) deterioration was significantly higher (24.1%) in non-operated group (Group 1) as compared to Group 2 (12.3%) and Group 3 (16.1%). There was no difference in Group 2 and Group 3. Need of cardiac medication (digoxin) was also highest (67.2%) in Group 1 as compared to Group 2 (24.6%) (p = 0.002) and Group 3 (38.7%) (p = 0.001) but no difference in Group 2 and Group 3. Anticoagulant were given to significantly higher number (54.8% of cases in Group 3 (valve replacement) as compared to Group 1 (3.4%) and Group 2 (12.5%). There was no significant difference in obstetric events and mode of delivery in the three groups. Similarly, there was no difference in fetal outcome in the three groups as regard to mean birth weight, APGAR score, fetal growth restriction, fetal or neonatal death or congenital anomalies in the three groups.Conclusions: Cardiac surgery before or during pregnancy did not significantly improve maternal or perinatal outcome. Only cardiac events and need of medication was reduced with surgery. Hence surgery should be performed judiciously in selected cases

Evaluation and histological examination of a Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis small animal infection model

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC), caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, is associated with production losses in cattle worldwide. This study aimed to develop a reliable BGC guinea pig model to facilitate future studies of pathogenicity, abortion mechanisms and vaccine efficacy. Seven groups of five pregnant guinea pigs (1 control per group) were inoculated with one of three strains via intraperitoneal (IP) or intra-vaginal routes. Samples were examined using culture, PCR and histology. Abortions ranged from 0% to 100% and re-isolation of causative bacteria from sampled sites varied with strain, dose of bacteria and time to abortion. Histology indicated metritis and placentitis, suggesting that the bacteria induce inflammation, placental detachment and subsequent abortion. Variation of virulence between strains was observed and determined by culture and abortion rates. IP administration of C fetus subsp. venerealis to pregnant guinea pigs is a promising small animal model for the investigation of BGC abortion. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Model-Independent Semileptonic Form Factors Using Dispersion Relations

We present a method for parametrizing heavy meson semileptonic form factors using dispersion relations, and from it produce a two-parameter description of the B -> B elastic form factor. We use heavy quark symmetry to relate this function to B -> D* l nu form factors, and extract |V_cb|=0.0355^{+0.0029}_{-0.0025} from experimental data with a least squares fit. Our method eliminates model-dependent uncertainties inherent in choosing a parametrization for the extrapolation of the differential decay rate to threshold.Comment: uses lanlmac(harvmac) and epsf, 12 pages, 1 eps figure included (Talk by BG at the 6-th International Symposium on Heavy Flavour Physics, Pisa, Italy, 6--10 June, 1995

Evaluation and histological examination of a Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis small animal infection model

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC), caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, is associated with production losses in cattle worldwide. This study aimed to develop a reliable BGC guinea pig model to facilitate future studies of pathogenicity, abortion mechanisms and vaccine efficacy. Seven groups of five pregnant guinea pigs (1 control per group) were inoculated with one of three strains via intra-peritoneal (IP) or intra-vaginal routes. Samples were examined using culture, PCR and histology. Abortions ranged from 0% to 100% and re-isolation of causative bacteria from sampled sites varied with strain, dose of bacteria and time to abortion. Histology indicated metritis and placentitis, suggesting that the bacteria induce inflammation, placental detachment and subsequent abortion. Variation of virulence between strains was observed and determined by culture and abortion rates. IP administration of C. fetus subsp. venerealis to pregnant guinea pigs is a promising small animal model for the investigation of BGC abortion

Laser diode structures with a saturable absorber for high-energy picosecond optical pulse generation by combined gain-and Q-switching

The performance of gain-switched Fabry-Perot asymmetric-waveguide semiconductor lasers with a large equivalent spot size and an intracavity saturable absorber was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The laser with a short (∼20 μm) absorber emitted high-energy afterpulse-free optical pulses in a broad range of injection current pulse amplitudes; optical pulses with a peak power of about 35 W and a duration of about 80 ps at half maximum were achieved with a current pulse with an amplitude of just 8 A and a duration of 1.5 ns. Good quality pulsations were observed in a broad range of elevated temperatures. The introduction of a substantially longer absorber section leads to strong spectral broadening of the output without a significant improvement to pulse energy and peak power

Frontiers in the Expansion of Bioproducts

[no abstract available