Impact of absolute values and changes in meteorological and air quality conditions on community-acquired pneumonia in Germany.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major global health concern as it is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and economic burden to the health care systems. In Germany, more than 15,000 people die every year from CAP. Climate change is altering weather patterns, and it may influence the probability and severity of CAP.

Reduction of Nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica in Broth and on Raw Chicken Breast by a Broad-spectrum Bacteriophage Cocktail.

Globally, nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) causes approximately 150 million foodborne illnesses annually; many of which are linked to poultry products. Thus, improving food safety interventions in the poultry sector can reduce foodborne illness associated with prevalent NTS serotypes. Bacteriophages (phages) have shown promise as food-safe alternatives to current antimicrobial practices.

Heightened variability observed in resistance and virulence genes across salmonella Kentucky isolates from poultry environments in British Columbia, Canada.

Many niche-dependent barriers along the poultry production continuum favour the survival of certain Salmonella serovars over others. Historically, the presence of particular serovars has been determined by niche-specific genes which encode resistance to selective pressures such as host defenses and industrial antimicrobial practices. Over the past decade, Canada has witnessed unexplained shifts in the Salmonella landscape in the poultry sector.

Imaging of custom-made single scatterers with the confocal laser scanning microscope.

In this work, we investigate image formation in the confocal laser scanning microscope for different single scatterers, both theoretically and experimentally. For spherical scatterers, an effective and fast algorithm was implemented to calculate the confocal image for different diameters and wavelengths. Measurements on a polystyrene sphere (PS) with a diameter of 20 µm confirmed the expected effects, for example, the appearance of a central signal similar to the point spread function of the optical system.

Prophage Diversity Across and Verotoxin-Producing in Agricultural Niches of British Columbia, Canada.

Prophages have long been regarded as an important contributor to the evolution of and Verotoxin-producing (VTEC), members of the that cause millions of cases of foodborne illness in North America. In . Typhimurium, prophages provide many of the genes required for invasion; similarly, in VTEC, the Verotoxin-encoding genes are located in cryptic prophages.

Anharmonic Lattice Dynamics in Sodium Ion Conductors.

We employ terahertz-range temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and first-principles lattice dynamical calculations to show that the undoped sodium ion conductors NaPS and isostructural NaPSe both exhibit anharmonic lattice dynamics. The anharmonic effects in the compounds involve coupled host lattice-Na ion dynamics that drive the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition in both cases, but with a qualitative difference in the anharmonic character of the transition. NaPSe shows an almost purely displacive character with the soft modes disappearing in the cubic phase as the change in symmetry shifts these modes to the Raman-inactive Brillouin zone boundary.

First Nationwide Monitoring Program for the Detection of Potentially Invasive Mosquito Species in Austria.

In Austria, only fragmented information on the occurrence of alien and potentially invasive mosquito species exists. The aim of this study is a nationwide overview on the situation of those mosquitoes in Austria. Using a nationwide uniform protocol for the first time, mosquito eggs were sampled with ovitraps at 45 locations in Austria at weekly intervals from May to October 2020.

Diverging Expressions of Anharmonicity in Halide Perovskites.

Lead-based halide perovskite crystals are shown to have strongly anharmonic structural dynamics. This behavior is important because it may be the origin of their exceptional photovoltaic properties. The double perovskite, Cs AgBiBr , has been recently studied as a lead-free alternative for optoelectronic applications.

Are Regional Differences in Psychological Characteristics and Their Correlates Robust? Applying Spatial-Analysis Techniques to Examine Regional Variation in Personality.

There is growing evidence that psychological characteristics are spatially clustered across geographic regions and that regionally aggregated psychological characteristics are related to important outcomes. However, much of the evidence comes from research that relied on methods that are theoretically ill-suited for working with spatial data. The validity and generalizability of this work are thus unclear.

Tuning the work function of nickel oxide using triethoxysilane functionalized monolayers.

The work function of nickel oxide (NiOx) electrodes was tuned by the covalent attachment of commercially available as well as specially synthesized triethoxysilane functionalized molecules with a range of dipole moments. The presence of the silane molecular layers on the NiOx surface was verified using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. While these tests indicated the surface coverage was incomplete, Kelvin probe measurements showed that the coverage was sufficient to change the work function of the NiOx across a range of ∼900 meV.

A Series of Discrete Dichloride Dihydrates: Characterisation and Symmetry Effects.

A series of three discrete dichloride dihydrates [Cl (H O) ] have been isolated with different triaminocyclopropenium (TAC) cations and with different crystallographic symmetries. The cluster exhibits D symmetry with the tris(dimethylamino)cyclopropenium cation [C (NMe ) ] , C symmetry with the fluorinated cation [C (N(CH CF ) )(NBu ) ] (containing two 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl substituents) and C symmetry with the more fluorinated [C (N(CH CF ) ) (NBu )] cation. The effect of symmetry on the infrared spectra of the dichloride ion-pair clusters, as well as deuterated analogues, has been investigated.

A Dynamic Method for Broad-Spectrum Bacteriophage Cocktail Formulation Against Poultry-Associated .

Poultry products are the largest food category linked to salmonellosis in Canada. Bacteriophages (phages) have been proposed as a novel antimicrobial in the poultry industry due to their documented ubiquity, efficacy, and safety benefits. A library of 78 lytic phages was rapidly screened against 50 prominent poultry-associated isolates procured from British Columbia, Canada.

Two-dimensional simulation of optical coherence tomography images.

An algorithm for the simulation of two-dimensional spectral domain optical coherence tomography images based on Maxwell's equations is presented. A recently developed and modified time-harmonic numerical solution of Maxwell's equations is used to obtain scattered far fields for many wave numbers contained in the calculated spectrum. The interferometer setup with its lenses is included rigorously with Fresnel integrals and the Debye-Wolf integral.

Comparative Analysis of Plasmids and Expression Levels of Plasmid-Encoded Genes during Growth under Salt and Acid Stress Conditions.

strains are known to harbour plasmids that confer resistance to sanitizers, heavy metals, and antibiotics; however, very little research has been conducted into how plasmids may influence ' ability to tolerate food-related stresses. To investigate this, a library ( = 93) of plasmid sequences were compared. Plasmid sequences were divided into two groups (G1 and G2) based on a phylogeny.

Homogenized halides and alkali cation segregation in alloyed organic-inorganic perovskites.

The role of the alkali metal cations in halide perovskite solar cells is not well understood. Using synchrotron-based nano-x-ray fluorescence and complementary measurements, we found that the halide distribution becomes homogenized upon addition of cesium iodide, either alone or with rubidium iodide, for substoichiometric, stoichiometric, and overstoichiometric preparations, where the lead halide is varied with respect to organic halide precursors. Halide homogenization coincides with long-lived charge carrier decays, spatially homogeneous carrier dynamics (as visualized by ultrafast microscopy), and improved photovoltaic device performance.

Solution of the inhomogeneous Maxwell's equations using a Born series.

An algorithm for the numerical solution of the inhomogeneous Maxwell's equations is presented. The algorithm solves the inhomogeneous vector wave equation of the electric field by writing the solution as a convergent Born series. Compared to two dimensional finite difference time domain calculations, solutions showing the same accuracy can be calculated more than three orders of magnitude faster.

Type-inversion as a working mechanism of high voltage MAPbBr(Cl)-based halide perovskite solar cells.

Using several metals with different work functions as solar cell back contact we identify majority carrier type inversion in methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3, without intentional doping) as the basis for the formation of a p-n junction. MAPbBr films deposited on TiO are slightly n-type, whereas in a full device they are strongly p-type. The charge transfer between the metal electrode and the halide perovskite (HaP) film is shown to determine the dominant charge carrier type of the HaP and, thus, also of the final cells.

Mobility-Lifetime Products in MAPbI Films.

Photovoltaic solar cells operate under steady-state conditions that are established during the charge carrier excitation and recombination. However, to date no model of the steady-state recombination scenario in halide perovskites has been proposed. In this Letter we present such a model that is based on a single type of recombination center, which is deduced from our measurements of the illumination intensity dependence of the photoconductivity and the ambipolar diffusion length in those materials.

Optical coherence tomography images simulated with an analytical solution of Maxwell's equations for cylinder scattering.

An algorithm for the simulation of image formation in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) for an infinitely long cylinder is presented. The analytical solution of Maxwell’s equations for light scattering by a single cylinder is employed for the case of perpendicular incidence to calculate OCT images. The A-scans and the time-resolved scattered intensities are compared to geometrical optics results calculated with a ray tracing approach.

Light-Induced Increase of Electron Diffusion Length in a p-n Junction Type CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cell.

High band gap, high open-circuit voltage solar cells with methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3) perovskite absorbers are of interest for spectral splitting and photoelectrochemical applications, because of their good performance and ease of processing. The physical origin of high performance in these and similar perovskite-based devices remains only partially understood. Using cross-sectional electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) measurements, we find an increase in carrier diffusion length in MAPbBr3(Cl)-based solar cells upon low intensity (a few percent of 1 sun intensity) blue laser illumination.

Upconversion-agent induced improvement of g-C3N4 photocatalyst under visible light.

Herein, we report the use of upconversion agents to modify graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) by direct thermal condensation of a mixture of ErCl3·6H2O and the supramolecular precursor cyanuric acid-melamine. We show the enhancement of g-C3N4 photoactivity after Er(3+) doping by monitoring the photodegradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible light. The contribution of the upconversion agent is demonstrated by measurements using only a red laser.

Liquid-based growth of polymeric carbon nitride layers and their use in a mesostructured polymer solar cell with V(oc) exceeding 1 V.

Herein we report a general liquid-mediated pathway for the growth of continuous polymeric carbon nitride (C3N4) thin films. The deposition method consists of the use of supramolecular complexes that transform to the liquid state before direct thermal condensation into C3N4 solid films. The resulting films exhibit continuous porous C3N4 networks on various substrates.

Examining the determinants of drug launch delay in pre-TRIPS India.

The dynamics of drug launch has been an under-researched area, especially in the context of developing countries, which have diverse disease profiles and weaker forms of regulation compared to developed countries. A limited set of studies, undertaken in recent years, on the diffusion of new drugs in developing countries indeed conjectures the importance of these factors in shaping drug launch dynamics. Taking a survival analysis approach, we investigate the delay of new drug launch in India for drugs launched in the German market during 1990-2004, when, due to weak intellectual property rights (IPR), not only the innovators but also domestic firms could launch new drug molecules in the country.

Highly efficient single-layer polymer ambipolar light-emitting field-effect transistors.

Single-layer polymer light-emitting field-effect transistors (LEFETs) that yield EQEs of >8% and luminance efficiencies >28 cd A(-1) are demonstrated. These values are the highest reported for LEFETs and amongst the highest values for fluorescent OLEDs. Due to the electrostatics of the ambipolar LEFET channel, LEFETs provide an inherent advantage over OLEDs in terms of minimizing exciton-polaron quenching.