Mortality of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Two Soils with Different Physical and Chemical Properties

Wild and domesticated animals can harbor a pathogenic Escherichia coli strain designated as O157:H7. Potential health problems could occur if strain O157:H7 is a more robust survivor in defecated waste than commonly used indicator bacteria. A laboratory study was conducted to assess E. coli O157:H7 survival relative to a nonpathogenie E. coli strain in two soils with different physical and chemical characteristics. Bacteria in the inoculated soils were enumerated on a weekly basis for 8 wk using a most probable number (MPN) technique. First-order decay models were used to describe bacteria mortality in the soils. Decay series were described slightly better by a two-stage function than by a single-stage function. Strain O157:H7 exhibited similar mortality patterns to the nonpathogenic E. coli in the same soil environment. Both E. coli strains had greater mortality rates in Pope silt loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Fluventic Dystrudept) than Zanesville silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Fragiudalf). Differences in available soil water probably were the overriding factor in E. coli survival. Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival could be modeled in the same way as nonpathogenic E. coli and appears to have a slightly higher mortality rate

\u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e Pathogen O157:H7 Does Not Survive Longer In Soil Than A Nonpathogenic Fecal Coliform

Survival rates for individual types of fecal organisms are quite different. Although some pathogens may persist as long as 5 years in soil, most fecal pathogens from human and animal waste usually die very quickly. Two to three months is sufficient in most cases to reduce pathogens to negligible numbers once they have been excreted or land-applied in animal wastes. It is expensive and time- consuming to test for individual pathogens. Consequently, nonpathogenic fecal indicator bacteria, which are easily and inexpensively detected, are often used to study pathogen survival in soil and water. Current methods for rapidly detecting fecal indicator bacteria use the capacity of fecal coliforms (e.g. Escherichia coli) to metabolize a fluorescent indicator compound, 4-methylumbelliferyl ß-D-glucuronide (MUG) as evidence for fecal contamination

Mortality of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Two Soils with Different Physical and Chemical Properties

Wild and domesticated animals can harbor a pathogenic Escherichia coli strain designated as O157:H7. Potential health problems could occur if strain O157:H7 is a more robust survivor in defecated waste than commonly used indicator bacteria. A laboratory study was conducted to assess E. coli O157:H7 survival relative to a nonpathogenie E. coli strain in two soils with different physical and chemical characteristics. Bacteria in the inoculated soils were enumerated on a weekly basis for 8 wk using a most probable number (MPN) technique. First-order decay models were used to describe bacteria mortality in the soils. Decay series were described slightly better by a two-stage function than by a single-stage function. Strain O157:H7 exhibited similar mortality patterns to the nonpathogenic E. coli in the same soil environment. Both E. coli strains had greater mortality rates in Pope silt loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Fluventic Dystrudept) than Zanesville silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Fragiudalf). Differences in available soil water probably were the overriding factor in E. coli survival. Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival could be modeled in the same way as nonpathogenic E. coli and appears to have a slightly higher mortality rate

Uniformly Accelerated Mirrors. Part 1: Mean Fluxes

The Davies-Fulling model describes the scattering of a massless field by a moving mirror in 1+1 dimensions. When the mirror travels under uniform acceleration, one encounters severe problems which are due to the infinite blue shift effects associated with the horizons. On one hand, the Bogoliubov coefficients are ill-defined and the total energy emitted diverges. On the other hand, the instantaneous mean flux vanishes. To obtained well-defined expressions we introduce an alternative model based on an action principle. The usefulness of this model is to allow to switch on and off the interaction at asymptotically large times. By an appropriate choice of the switching function, we obtain analytical expressions for the scattering amplitudes and the fluxes emitted by the mirror. When the coupling is constant, we recover the vanishing flux. However it is now followed by transients which inevitably become singular when the switching off is performed at late time. Our analysis reveals that the scattering amplitudes (and the Bogoliubov coefficients) should be seen as distributions and not as mere functions. Moreover, our regularized amplitudes can be put in a one to one correspondence with the transition amplitudes of an accelerated detector, thereby unifying the physics of uniformly accelerated systems. In a forthcoming article, we shall use our scattering amplitudes to analyze the quantum correlations amongst emitted particles which are also ill-defined in the Davies-Fulling model in the presence of horizons.Comment: 23 pages, 7 postscript figure

Orientation and symmetries of Alexandrov spaces with applications in positive curvature

We develop two new tools for use in Alexandrov geometry: a theory of ramified orientable double covers and a particularly useful version of the Slice Theorem for actions of compact Lie groups. These tools are applied to the classification of compact, positively curved Alexandrov spaces with maximal symmetry rank.Comment: 34 pages. Simplified proofs throughout and a new proof of the Slice Theorem, correcting omissions in the previous versio

Nonnegatively curved homogeneous metrics obtained by scaling fibers of submersions

We consider invariant Riemannian metrics on compact homogeneous spaces G/H where an intermediate subgroup K between G and H exists, so that the homogeneous space G/H is the total space of a Riemannian submersion. We study the question as to whether enlarging the fibers of the submersion by a constant scaling factor retains the nonnegative curvature in the case that the deformation starts at a normal homogeneous metric. We classify triples of groups (H,K,G) where nonnegative curvature is maintained for small deformations, using a criterion proved by Schwachh\"ofer and Tapp. We obtain a complete classification in case the subgroup H has full rank and an almost complete classification in the case of regular subgroups.Comment: 23 pages; minor revisions, to appear in Geometriae Dedicat

Decay of accelerated particles

We study how the decay properties of particles are changed by acceleration. It is shown that under the influence of acceleration (1) the lifetime of particles is modified and (2) new processes (like the decay of the proton) become possible. This is illustrated by considering scalar models for the decay of muons, pions, and protons. We discuss the close conceptual relation between these processes and the Unruh effect.Comment: Latex2e, 12 pages, 6 Postscript figures included with epsfig, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Radiation from a uniformly accelerating harmonic oscillator

We consider a radiation from a uniformly accelerating harmonic oscillator whose minimal coupling to the scalar field changes suddenly. The exact time evolutions of the quantum operators are given in terms of a classical solution of a forced harmonic oscillator. After the jumping of the coupling constant there occurs a fast absorption of energy into the oscillator, and then a slow emission follows. Here the absorbed energy is independent of the acceleration and proportional to the log of a high momentum cutoff of the field. The emitted energy depends on the acceleration and also proportional to the log of the cutoff. Especially, if the coupling is comparable to the natural frequency of the detector ($e^2/(4m) \sim \omega_0$) enormous energies are radiated away from the oscillator.Comment: 26 pages, 1 eps figure, RevTeX, minor correction in grammar, add a discussio

The Energy-Momentum Tensor in Fulling-Rindler Vacuum

The energy density in Fulling-Rindler vacuum, which is known to be negative "everywhere" is shown to be positive and singular on the horizons in such a fashion as to guarantee the positivity of the total energy. The mechanism of compensation is displayed in detail.Comment: 9 pages, ULB-TH-15/9