Shape of the carcass is considered important commercially and is usually assessed using a subjective score for conformation. Carcasses of higher conformation are perceived to have higher lean to bone (L:B) ratios and give joints of better shape at a weight, characterised as shorter and having a greater thickness of muscle. Some of these benefits have been shown, but so has a positive association between conformation and fatness. Purchas et al. (1991) proposed that muscularity indices could be used as an alternative to the conformation score. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships between muscularity, shape of joints and composition within breeds and the relationships between different muscularity indices. Knowledge of the latter relationships is important to determine how many indices are required to adequately describe carcass muscularity.

Coherent epitaxial Fe3O4 layers in the range of 0 to 400 Å have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on single crystal MgO(100) substrates. The magnetic properties were studied by local magneto-optical Kerr effect experiments on a wedge shaped Fe3O4 layer, by ferromagnetic resonance and SQUID. The results show that the magnetic behavior of the Fe3O4 thin films resembles bulk Fe3O4 in the investigated thickness range.

Two types of switching memory devices have been made by integrating a ferroelectric layer in a device. A Schottky diode consisting of a ferroelectric semiconductor and a high work function metal was found to show a bistable I-V behaviour. Experimentally an On/Off current ratio of two orders of magnitude was found in a structure consisting of a semiconducting PbTiO3 layer with a gold top contact, grown on a La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 bottom contact layer. The ferroelectric polarization parallel or antiparallel to the internal field of the diode gives rise to a change in the Schottky barrier height and depletion width. This will, depending on the polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer, enhance or diminish the tunnel probability of charge carriers through the Schottky barrier and thereby increase or decrease the current through the device. In the Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistor an insulating ferroelectric gate oxide was brought in close contact to a gated n-type Sb-doped SnO2 semiconducting channel layer. A maximum On/Off Source-Drain current (IsD) ratio at zero gate voltage of 5.7 was found. Gate pulse measurements showed retention of IsD after polarisation reversal of the ferroelectric gate oxide in both polarization directions. After more than 104 switching cycles the device shows a gradual decrease in ISD both in the On and Off state.