Green function for hyperbolic media

We revisit the problem of the electromagnetic Green function for homogeneous hyperbolic media, where longitudinal and transverse components of the dielectric permittivity tensor have different signs. We analyze the dipole emission patterns for both dipole orientations with respect to the symmetry axis and for different signs of dielectric constants, and show that the emission pattern is highly anisotropic and has a characteristic cross-like shape: the waves are propagating within a certain cone and are evanescent outside this cone. We demonstrate the coexistence of the cone-like pattern due to emission of the extraordinary TM-polarized waves and elliptical pattern due to emission of ordinary TE-polarized waves. We find a singular complex term in the Green function, proportional to the $\delta-$function and governing the photonic density of states and Purcell effect in hyperbolic media.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Effect of Ce/Zr Composition on Structure and Properties of Ce1−xZrxO2 Oxides and Related Ni/Ce1−xZrxO2 Catalysts for CO2 Methanation

Ce1−xZrxO2 oxides (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.5) prepared via the Pechini route were investigated using XRD analysis, N2 physisorption, TEM, and TPR in combination with density functional theory calculations. The Ni/Ce1−xZrxO2 catalysts were characterized via XRD analysis, SEM-EDX, TEM-EDX, and CO chemisorption and tested in carbon dioxide methanation. The obtained Ce1−xZrxO2 materials were single-phase solid solutions. The increase in Zr content intensified crystal structure strains and favored the reducibility of the Ce1−xZrxO2 oxides but strongly affected their microstructure. The catalytic activity of the Ni/Ce1−xZrxO2 catalysts was found to depend on the composition of the Ce1−xZrxO2 supports. The detected negative effect of Zr content on the catalytic activity was attributed to the decrease in the dispersion of the Ni0 nanoparticles and the length of metal–support contacts due to the worsening microstructure of Ce1−xZrxO2 oxides. The improvement of the redox properties of the Ce1−xZrxO2 oxide supports through cation modification can be negated by changes in their microstructure and textural characteristics

Geographic and Temporal Variability of Hepatitis E Virus Circulation in the Russian Federation

The factors influencing hepatitis E virus (HEV) circulation remain largely unexplored. We investigated HEV seroprevalence in humans and the prevalence of infection in farm pigs and rabbits in different regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the genetic diversity and population dynamics of the HEV. The anti-HEV IgG antibody detection rates in the general population increase significantly with age, from 1.5% in children and adolescents under 20 years old to 4.8% in adults aged between 20 and 59 years old to 16.7% in people aged 60 years and older. HEV seroprevalence varies between regions, with the highest rate observed in Belgorod Region (16.4% compared with the national average of 4.6%), which also has the country’s highest pig population. When compared with the archival data, both increases and declines in HEV seroprevalence have been observed within the last 10 years, depending on the study region. Virus shedding has been detected in 19 out of the 21 pig farms surveyed. On one farm, the circulation of the same viral strain for five years was documented. All the human and animal strains belonged to the HEV-3 genotype, with its clade 2 sequences being predominant in pigs. The sequences are from patients, pigs, and sewage from pig farms clustered together, suggesting a zoonotic infection in humans and possible environmental contamination. The HEV-3 population size that was predicted using SkyGrid reconstruction demonstrated exponential growth in the 1970s–1990s, with a subsequent decline followed by a short rise around the year 2010, the pattern being similar to the dynamics of the pig population in the country. The HEV-3 reproduction number (Re) that was predicted using birth–death skyline analysis has fluctuated around 1 over the past 20 years in Russia but is 10 times higher in Belgorod Region. In conclusion, the HEV-3 circulation varies both geographically and temporally, even within a single country. The possible factors contributing to this variability are largely related to the circulation of the virus among farm pigs