Genotypic analysis of a localised hotspot of Pestivirus A (BVDV-1) infections in Northern Ireland.

Background: Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is caused by Pestivirus A and Pestivirus B. Northern Ireland (NI) embarked on a compulsory BVD eradication scheme in 2016, which continues to this day, so an understanding of the composition of the pestivirus genotypes in the cattle population of NI is required.

Methods: This molecular epidemiology study employed 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) genetic sequencing to examine the pestivirus genotypes circulating in samples taken from a hotspot of BVD outbreaks in the Enniskillen area in 2019.

Polarization Topology at the Nominally Charged Domain Walls in Uniaxial Ferroelectrics.

Ferroelectric domain walls provide a fertile environment for novel materials physics. If a polarization discontinuity arises, it can drive a redistribution of electronic carriers and changes in band structure, which often result in emergent 2D conductivity. If such a discontinuity is not tolerated, then its amelioration usually involves the formation of complex topological patterns, such as flux-closure domains, dipolar vortices, skyrmions, merons, or Hopfions.

Ultrahigh Carrier Mobilities in Ferroelectric Domain Wall Corbino Cones at Room Temperature.

Recently, electrically conducting heterointerfaces between dissimilar band insulators (such as lanthanum aluminate and strontium titanate) have attracted considerable research interest. Charge transport and fundamental aspects of conduction have been thoroughly explored. Perhaps surprisingly, similar studies on conceptually much simpler conducting homointerfaces, such as domain walls, are not nearly so well developed.

Pestivirus apparent prevalence in sheep and goats in Northern Ireland: A serological survey.

Background: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and border disease virus (BDV) can cause significant health problems in ruminants and economic impacts for farmers. The aim of this study was to evaluate pestivirus exposure in Northern Ireland sheep and goat flocks, and to compare findings with a previous study from the region.

Methods: Up to 20 animals were sampled from 188 sheep and 9 goat flocks (n = 3,418 animals; 3,372 sheep and 46 goats) for pestivirus antibodies.

Ferroelectric Domain Wall Memristor.

A domain wall-enabled memristor is created, in thin film lithium niobate capacitors, which shows up to twelve orders of magnitude variation in resistance. Such dramatic changes are caused by the injection of strongly inclined conducting ferroelectric domain walls, which provide conduits for current flow between electrodes. Varying the magnitude of the applied electric-field pulse, used to induce switching, alters the extent to which polarization reversal occurs; this systematically changes the density of the injected conducting domain walls in the ferroelectric layer and hence the resistivity of the capacitor structure as a whole.

Electrical Tunability of Domain Wall Conductivity in LiNbO Thin Films.

Domain wall nanoelectronics is a rapidly evolving field, which explores the diverse electronic properties of the ferroelectric domain walls for application in low-dimensional electronic systems. One of the most prominent features of the ferroelectric domain walls is their electrical conductivity. Here, using a combination of scanning probe and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the mechanism of the tunable conducting behavior of the domain walls in the sub-micrometer thick films of the technologically important ferroelectric LiNbO is explored.

Modulating the Baseline Impedance: An Adjunctive Technique for Maximizing Radiofrequency Lesion Dimensions in Deep and Intramural Ventricular Substrate: An Adjunctive Technique for Maximizing Radiofrequency Lesion Dimensions in Deep and Intramural Ventricular Substrate.

Background Radiofrequency ablation of intramural ventricular substrate is often limited by insufficient tissue penetration despite high energy settings. As lesion dimensions have a direct and negative relationship to impedance, reducing the baseline impedance may increase the ablation effect on deep ventricular tissue. Methods This study included 16 patients with ventricular tachycardia or frequent ventricular premature complexes refractory to ablation with irrigated catheters.

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) co-infection with bovine tuberculosis in cattle: A prospective herd-level assessment of herd bTB risk in dairy enterprises.

Co-infection of tuberculosis (TB) and helminths is recognized as a significant problem in regions where such pathogens are endemic and chronic cases exist. Co-infection can modulate the immune system leading to interference with diagnostic tests, increased pathological impacts and pathogen persistence. However, research has found that such interactions between pathogens can be context and species specific.

Large Carrier Mobilities in ErMnO Conducting Domain Walls Revealed by Quantitative Hall-Effect Measurements.

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) has been used to directly and quantitatively measure Hall voltages, developed at conducting tail-to-tail domain walls in ErMnO single crystals, when current is driven in the presence of an approximately perpendicular magnetic field. Measurements across a number of walls, taken using two different atomic force microscope platforms, consistently suggest that the active p-type carriers have unusually large room temperature mobilities of the order of hundreds of square centimeters per volt second. Associated carrier densities were estimated to be of the order of 10 cm.

First examination of the Lough Neagh European eel (Anguilla anguilla) population for eel virus European, eel virus European X and Anguillid Herpesvirus-1 infection by employing novel molecular techniques.

Lough Neagh is home to the largest wild-caught European eel (Anguilla anguilla) commercial fishery in the EU, producing 14% of the EU catch and worth £3.2 million to the local economy. Viral infections have been suggested to play a contributory role in the decline of the worldwide eel stock, but previous studies of the Lough Neagh European eel population had not observed either acute or chronic viral signs.

Seasonal variation of Fasciola hepatica antibodies in dairy herds in Northern Ireland measured by bulk tank milk ELISA.

Bovine fasciolosis, caused by the infection of the trematode parasite Fasciola hepatica, remains a problem in dairy herds causing significant production losses. In this study, bulk milk tank samples were utilised to generate a comprehensive survey of the variation in liver fluke exposure over the four seasons of 2016 in Northern Ireland (NI). Samples were tested using an antibody ELISA test; within-herd prevalence levels were categorised relative to sample-to-positive ratio (S/P%).

DC electrical stimulation of the pretectal thalamus and its effects on the feeding behavior of the toad (Bufo bufo).

The feeding motivation of the common European common toad (Bufo bufo) can be quantified by the feeding sequence of arousal-orientation-approach-fixate-snap. Previous work has found that the optic tectum is an important structure responsible for the mediation of feeding behaviors, and combined electrical and visual stimulation of the optic tectum was found to increase the animals feeding behaviors. However, the pretectal thalamus has an inhibitory influence upon the optic tectum and its lesion results in disinhibited feeding behaviors.

Behavioural responses to electrical and visual stimulation of the toad tectum.

Slow potential shifts in brain structures have been recorded and correlated with motivational state in several species. Previous studies have also found that application of an electrical current to the surface of brain tissue generates such slow potential shifts. The present study was conducted to examine if imposed dc shifts to the brain influenced motivation in the toad (Bufo bufo).

Central venous occlusion is not an obstacle to device upgrade with the assistance of laser extraction.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of laser-assisted lead extraction for upgrade of existing pacemakers and defibrillators in patients with central venous obstruction.

Background: Implantable cardiac defibrillators and biventricular pacing have become the accepted therapeutic measures for patients with congestive heart failure. Many patients who are candidates for device therapy, however, already have existing right ventricular leads and the presence of central venous obstruction.