On piezophase effects in mechanically loaded atomic scale Josephson junctions

The response of an intrinsic Josephson contact to externally applied stress is considered within the framework of the dislocation-induced atomic scale Josephson effect. The predicted quasi-periodic (Fraunhofer-like)stress-strain and stress-current patterns should manifest themselves for experimentally accessible values of applied stresses in intrinsically defected (e.g.,twinned) crystals.Comment: REVTEX (epsf style), 2 EPS figure

Crop establishment methods for lupin disease management

Contents A. Crop establishment methods for lupin disease management 1. Pleiochaeta root rot 1.1 Depth of sowing 87LG32, 87LG36, 87ME60, 87ME75 1.2 Cultivation and sowing depth 87WH47, 87NO77, 87M54 1.3 Seeding machinery and sowing depth 2. Brown leaf spot/Pleiochaeta root rot Phosphorus nutrition and crop rotation 87ME62, 87LG39 3. Rhizoctonia hypocotyl rot Fungicide seed treatment and sowing depth 87BA25 4. Rhizoctonia root rot 4.1 Cultivation and sowing depth 87NO74 4.2 Fungicide seed treatment 87NO78 B. Fungicide drench trials to determine casual organisms of root/hypocotyl rot 87NO75, 87NO76

Relationship between maternal and child behaviors in pediatric food allergy: an exploratory study

Parents play an important role in developing young children's food choices. They influence children's eating environments through the foods they make available, their own eating behavior, and the quality of their interactions with children in eating contexts

Spore-forming Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in wastewater treatment plants in Western Australia

There is growing evidence that shows Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a pathogen of One Health importance with a complex dissemination pathway involving animals, humans, and the environment. Thus, environmental discharge and agricultural recycling of human and animal waste have been suspected as factors behind the dissemination of Clostridium difficile in the community. Here, the presence of C. difficile in 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Western Australia was investigated. Overall, C. difficile was found in 90.5 % (114/126) of raw sewage influent, 48.1 % (50/104) of treated effluent, 40 % (2/5) of reclaimed irrigation water, 100 % (38/38) of untreated biosolids, 95.2 % (20/21) of anaerobically digested biosolids, and 72.7 % (8/11) of lime-amended biosolids. Over half of the isolates (55.3 % [157/284]) were toxigenic, and 97 C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) were identified, with RT014/020 the most common (14.8 % [42/284]). Thirteen C. difficile isolates with the toxin gene profile A1 B1 CDT1 (positive for genes coding for toxins A and B and the binary C. difficile transferase toxin [CDT]) were found, including the hypervirulent RT078 strain. Resistance to the antimicrobials fidaxomicin, vancomycin, metronidazole, rifaximin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, meropenem, and moxifloxacin was uncommon; however, resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline was relatively frequent at 56.7 % (161/284), 14.4 % (41/284), and 13.7 % (39/284), respectively. This study revealed that toxigenic C. difficile was commonly encountered in WWTPs and being released into the environment. This raises concern about the possible spillover of C. difficile into animal and/or human populations via land receiving the treated waste. In Western Australia, stringent measures are in place to mitigate the health and environmental risk of recycling human waste; however, further studies are needed to elucidate the public health significance of C. difficile surviving the treatment processes at WWTPs. IMPORTANCE: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in health care facilities. Extended hospital stays and recurrences increase the cost of treatment and morbidity and mortality. Community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) cases, with no history of antimicrobial use or exposure to health care settings, are increasing. The isolation of clinically important C. difficile strains from animals, rivers, soil, meat, vegetables, compost, treated wastewater, and biosolids has been reported. The objective of this study was to characterize C. difficile in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Australia. We found that C. difficile can survive the treatment processes of WWTPs, and toxigenic C. difficile was being released into the environment, becoming a potential source/reservoir for CA-CDI

Moving interpretations : using drama-based arts strategies to deepen learning about The diary of a young girl.

Three drama-based arts strategies enhanced middle grades teachers’ and students’ engagement with Anne Frank’s diary and historical circumstances

Evidence for field change in oral cancer based on cytokeratin expression.

It was hypothesised that one may be able to visualise field changes, which are proposed to exist around tumours, as alterations in keratin intermediate filament protein expression. Standard immunohistochemical analysis using a panel of monoclonal anti-keratin antibodies was applied to fresh tissue sections to look for subtle changes in epithelial differentiation not visible in H&E sections. Such changes were observed in clinically normal epithelium from oral cancer patients, involving primarily substantial expression of keratins K8/K7 (using CAM 5.2) in the basal cells of 12 out of 34 biopsies, and also a trend towards a reduction in the complexity of keratin differentiation. Monitoring such changes may prove to be a valuable adjunct to conventional H&E staining if found to have prognostic and diagnostic significance

Clustering of Primordial Black Holes. II. Evolution of Bound Systems

Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) that form from the collapse of density perturbations are more clustered than the underlying density field. In a previous paper, we showed the constraints that this has on the prospects of PBH dark matter. In this paper we examine another consequence of this clustering: the formation of bound systems of PBHs in the early universe. These would hypothetically be the earliest gravitationally collapsed structures, forming when the universe is still radiation dominated. Depending upon the size and occupation of the clusters, PBH merging occurs before they would have otherwise evaporated due to Hawking evaporation.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to PR

Associations between nut consumption and health vary between omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans

Regular nut consumption is associated with reduced risk factors for chronic disease; however, most population-based studies lack consideration of effect modification by dietary pattern. The UK Women’s Cohort Study (UKWCS) provides an ideal opportunity to examine relationships between nut consumption and chronic disease risk factors in a large sample with diverse dietary patterns. Nut and nutrient intake from 34,831 women was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire among self-identified omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. In this cross-sectional analysis, higher nut consumption was associated with lower body weight (difference between highest and lowest consumption categories from adjusted model: 6.1kg; 95%CI: 4.7, 7.6) body mass index (BMI, 2.4 units difference; 95%CI: 1.9, 2.9), and waist circumference (2.6cm difference; 95%CI: 1.4, 3.8) (all P for linear trend < 0.001). Higher nut consumption was also associated with reduced prevalence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure; having a history of heart attack, diabetes and gallstones; and markers of diet quality (all adjusted P for linear trend ≤0.011). Higher nut consumption appeared overall to be associated with greater benefits amongst omnivores compared to vegetarians and vegans. Findings support existing literature around beneficial effects of nut consumption and suggest that benefits may be larger among omnivores. Nut promotion strategies may have the highest population impact by specifically targeting this group