The foodborne transmission of Hepatitis E virus to humans

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordData Availability: All data are obtained from publicly available information.Globally, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes over 20 million cases worldwide. HEV is an emerging and endemic pathogen within economically developed countries, chiefly resulting from infections with genotype 3 (G3) HEV. G3 HEV is known to be a zoonotic pathogen, with a broad host range. The primary source of HEV within more economically developed countries is considered to be pigs, and consumption of pork products is a significant risk factor and known transmission route for the virus to humans. However, other foods have also been implicated in the transmission of HEV to humans. This review consolidates the information available regarding transmission of HEV and looks to identify gaps where further research is required to better understand how HEV is transmitted to humans through food.CefasSeedcornUniversity of ExeterWellcome TrustRoyal Societ

Do principal surfaces of stress and strain always exist?

Variations of stress and strain are commonly expressed by patterns of stress or strain trajectories: three mutually orthogonal families of continuous lines, parallel to maximum, intermediate and minimum stress or strain axes. It might be assumed that there are equivalent continuous principal surfaces of stress or strain, for any state of continuously varying stress or strain. We demonstrate that this will not generally be the case for three-dimensionally varying states of stress or strain. Whether or not principal surfaces of stress or strain exist is governed by the abnormality of the vector field of principal trajectories. We consider the Z vector fields for examples of many types of three-dimensional heterogeneous deformation, and show that most of these do not lead to definable principal XY strain surfaces. An alternative geometric test is presented, termed the continuity loop, for simply demonstrating the existence (or not) of principal surfaces, using geometrical and orientational information. It is important to the understanding of geological structures to know which kinds of heterogeneous deformation give rise to principal surfaces of stress or strain. We conclude with examples of structures which might be indicative of the absence of continuous principal surfaces of stress (segmented faults, echelon veins and dykes), a discussion of the implication for strain fabrics and foliations, and a warning that foliation trace trajectories on maps or sections may not necessarily indicate the existence of real foliation surfaces in three dimensions

Solid geology of the Schiehallion district Memoir for 1:50 000 geological sheet 55W (Scotland)

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m01/28950 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

The Dalradian rocks of the northern Grampian Highlands of Scotland

The northern Grampian Highlands are dominated by the outcrop of the Grampian Group, together with infolds and structural outliers of Appin Group strata and inliers of pre-Dalradian ‘basement’, consisting of Badenoch Group metasedimentary rocks. The south-eastern limit of this mountainous region corresponds with the regionally continuous Grampian Group-Appin Group boundary, which in the south is marked by a high-strain zone corresponding to the Boundary Slide of some authors. The more arbitrary southern boundary runs north-west from Blair Atholl along the A9 road and then westwards to Fort William. The Neoproterozoic-age Grampian Group siliciclastic succession accumulated during several transgressive and regressive cycles in multiphase ensialic rift basins. The Badenoch Group constitutes the crystalline floor to those basins and had experienced amphibolite-facies metamorphism, migmatization, gneissification and deformation between c. 840 and 800 Ma, prior to deposition of the Dalradian strata. In contrast, evidence for only 470–450 Ma Caledonian orogenic events is found at higher structural levels in the Grampian and Appin group successions. Locating and understanding the nature of the contact between the basement gneisses and the Dalradian cover sequence has long been a major challenge of Highland geology. Recent research has argued that not only is a rift-basin architecture evident from the patterns of Neoproterozoic stratigraphy, but also that it played a significant role in influencing the geometry of the superimposed Caledonian deformation, with the basin infill buttressed against its margins or intrabasinal ‘highs’. The GCR sites in this region preserve important evidence of cover-basement relationships, patterns of punctuated deposition, and onlapping sequences. The effects of both pre-Caledonian and Caledonian deformation and metamorphic events are also well represented. Despite the deformation and metamorphism, spectacular sedimentary structures are visible at several of the GCR sites and there is evidence of the earliest recorded glacigenic sediments in the Neoproterozoic rocks of the British Isles