Epizootiološko istraživanje slinavke i šapa u Sudanu: stanje nakon dva desetljeća

In order to update information on the situation regarding foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Sudan, a serosurvey and disease survey were conducted. Recently collected data on FMD in the Sudan showed that FMD is a major constraint to animal production in the country. It presents no threat nor does it cause mild disease in sheep and goats. The disease, with obvious clinical signs, has been detected in cattle only, and is caused by serotype O and SAT 2. Seasonal occurrence of the disease in the cold, dry season has been observed and animal movement seems to play a major role in virus dissemination. A total of 1,069 sera were collected from cattle, sheep, goats, and camel, from seven states in the Sudan, for the detection of antibodies to FMDV. Application of liquid phase blocking (LPB) ELISA revealed that antibodies to four serotypes were present in ruminants; namely O, A, SAT 1 and SAT 2. No antibodies to FMDV were detected in camel sera. The results differed from early reports regarding the prevalence of serotype specifi c antibodies in different species; for instance, in cattle, the antibodies to type A (78.13%) surpassed that of type O (69.39%) and the antibodies to type SAT 2 (44%) surpassed that of type SAT 1 (20.2%). This work elucidates the current epidemiology of FMD in some parts of the Sudan.Radi pružanja informacija o sadašnjem stanju slinavke i šapa u Sudanu provedena su serološka istraživanja te je prikazana njezina pojavnost. Svježe prikupljeni podatci o pojavi slinavke i šapa u Sudanu pokazali su da ona predstavlja veliku prepreku životinjskoj proizvodnji u toj zemlji. U ovaca i koza javlja se kao blaga bolest i ne predstavlja veliku prijetnju, dok se u goveda javlja s očitim kliničkim znakovima, a uzrokovana je serotipovima O i SAT 2. Bolest se javlja sezonski u hladnoj i suhoj sezoni, a promet životinjama ima glavnu ulogu u širenju virusa. Ukupno je bilo prikupljeno 1069 uzoraka seruma goveda, ovaca, koza i deva podrijetlom iz sedam država u Sudanu radi pretrage na prisutnost protutijela za virus slinavke i šapa. Blokirajućim imunonenzimnim testom dokazana su protutijela za četiri serotipa virusa: O, A, SAT 1 i SAT 2. Protutijela za virus slinavke i šapa nisu bila dokazana u uzorcima seruma deva. Rezultati se razlikuju od ranijih izvješća s obzirom na prevalenciju specifi čnih protutijela u različitih vrsta. Npr., specifi čna protutijela za serotip A dokazana su u 78,13% goveda, za serotip O u 69,39%, serotip SAT 2 u 44% te serotip SAT 1 u 20,2% goveda. U radu je prikazano sadašnje epizootiološko stanje slinavke i šapa u nekim dijelovima Sudana

Performance of perforated FRP stub beams subject to static transverse actions

This paper presents an experimental programme designed to investigate the failure mode and ultimate capacity of pultruded glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) cellular profiles subject to transverse loading. Presented in this study are the results of the characterisation of twenty six GFRP 152 × 76 × 6.4 mm I stub beams, 300 mm long. The beam specimens were categorised as plain for the control tests and those with circular or rectangular openings, centrally positioned. The specimens were subject to different loading configurations, noted as End Bearing with solid ground (EB), Interior Two Flange (ITF), Interior Bearing with solid base (IB) and End Two Flange (ETF). Results indicate a reduction in load-carrying capacity of the specimens with the opening when compared to the control specimens. The reduction was up to 20% for the specimens with circular openings and up to 25% for specimens with rectangular openings. The study revealed that loading configuration IB and ITF exhibit larger nonlinear behaviour and deformability than loading configurations EB and ETF. Various research has been conducted on its mechanical properties, connections, pultrusion techniques and web crippling behaviour of thin-walled GFRP section. Limited research can be found in the literature on the behaviour of pultruded GFRP beams with large perforation, subject to transverse static loadings.<br/

Scanning ultrafast electron microscopy

Progress has been made in the development of four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy, which enables space-time imaging of structural dynamics in the condensed phase. In ultrafast electron microscopy, the electrons are accelerated, typically to 200 keV, and the microscope operates in the transmission mode. Here, we report the development of scanning ultrafast electron microscopy using a field-emission-source configuration. Scanning of pulses is made in the single-electron mode, for which the pulse contains at most one or a few electrons, thus achieving imaging without the space-charge effect between electrons, and still in ten(s) of seconds. For imaging, the secondary electrons from surface structures are detected, as demonstrated here for material surfaces and biological specimens. By recording backscattered electrons, diffraction patterns from single crystals were also obtained. Scanning pulsed-electron microscopy with the acquired spatiotemporal resolutions, and its efficient heat-dissipation feature, is now poised to provide in situ 4D imaging and with environmental capability

Constraining galaxy cluster temperatures and redshifts with eROSITA survey data

The nature of dark energy is imprinted in the large-scale structure of the Universe and thus in the mass and redshift distribution of galaxy clusters. The upcoming eROSITA mission will exploit this method of probing dark energy by detecting roughly 100,000 clusters of galaxies in X-rays. For a precise cosmological analysis the various galaxy cluster properties need to be measured with high precision and accuracy. To predict these characteristics of eROSITA galaxy clusters and to optimise optical follow-up observations, we estimate the precision and the accuracy with which eROSITA will be able to determine galaxy cluster temperatures and redshifts from X-ray spectra. Additionally, we present the total number of clusters for which these two properties will be available from the eROSITA survey directly. During its four years of all-sky surveys, eROSITA will determine cluster temperatures with relative uncertainties of Delta(T)/T<10% at the 68%-confidence level for clusters up to redshifts of z~0.16 which corresponds to ~1,670 new clusters with precise properties. Redshift information itself will become available with a precision of Delta(z)/(1+z)<10% for clusters up to z~0.45. Additionally, we estimate how the number of clusters with precise properties increases with a deepening of the exposure. Furthermore, the biases in the best-fit temperatures as well as in the estimated uncertainties are quantified and shown to be negligible in the relevant parameter range in general. For the remaining parameter sets, we provide correction functions and factors. The eROSITA survey will increase the number of galaxy clusters with precise temperature measurements by a factor of 5-10. Thus the instrument presents itself as a powerful tool for the determination of tight constraints on the cosmological parameters.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A; 17 pages, 20 figure

Heating and Cooling Dynamics of Carbon Nanotubes Observed by Temperature-Jump Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy

Microscopy imaging indicates that in situ carbon nanotubes (CNTs) irradiation with relatively low dosages of infrared radiation results in significant heating of the tubes to temperatures above 1300 K. Ultrafast temperature-jump experiments reveal that CNTs laser-induced heating and subsequent cooling in solution take tens and hundreds of picoseconds, respectively. Given the reported transient behavior, these observations suggest novel ways for a T-jump methodology, unhindered by the requirement for excitation of water in the study of biological structures. They also provide the rate information needed for optimization of photothermal therapy that invokes infrared irradiation to selectively heat and annihilate cancer cells