Search

Ge‐rich Ge–Sb–Te alloy is a good candidate for future automotive applications due to its high crystallization temperature, which allows good data retention at elevated temperatures. Crystallization in this material is governed by elemental segregation which is key to thermal stability and device performance. In this work, elemental (Ge, Sb, Te) segregation is studied in situ during thermal annealing of Ge‐rich Ge–Sb–Te thin films using X‐ray fluorescence microscopy at ID16B beamline of ESRF with a beam size of 50 nm. Spatially resolved maps of Ge, Te, and Sb fluorescence yield are monitored and statistically analyzed as a function of temperature/time. In all investigated samples Sb appears to segregate much less than Te and Ge, indicating a lower mobility of this element. In situ, fluorescence mapping of samples doped with different amounts of carbon by ion implantation shows that carbon delays Ge and Te segregation to higher temperatures. Comparison with crystallization kinetics monitored by X‐ray diffraction shows a good correlation between the occurrence of spatially resolved chemical inhomogeneities and the appearance of crystallized phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that livestock production effluents such as wastewater, airborne dust and manure increase the density of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and genes in the environment. The public health risk posed by this proposed outcome has been difficult to quantify using traditional microbiological approaches. We utilized shotgun metagenomics to provide a first description of the resistome of North American dairy and beef production effluents, and identify factors that significantly impact this resistome. We identified 34 mechanisms of antimicrobial drug resistance within 34 soil, manure and wastewater samples from feedlot, ranch and dairy operations. The majority of resistance-associated sequences found in all samples belonged to tetracycline resistance mechanisms. We found that the ranch samples contained significantly fewer resistance mechanisms than dairy and feedlot samples, and that the resistome of dairy operations differed significantly from that of feedlots. The resistome in soil, manure and wastewater differed, suggesting that management of these effluents should be tailored appropriately. By providing a baseline of the cattle production waste resistome, this study represents a solid foundation for future efforts to characterize and quantify the public health risk posed by livestock effluents.

Foodborne illnesses associated with pathogenic bacteria are a global public health and economic challenge. The diversity of microorganisms (pathogenic and nonpathogenic) that exists within the food and meat industries complicates efforts to understand pathogen ecology. Further, little is known about the interaction of pathogens within the microbiome throughout the meat production chain. Here, a metagenomic approach and shotgun sequencing technology were used as tools to detect pathogenic bacteria in environmental samples collected from the same groups of cattle at different longitudinal processing steps of the beef production chain: cattle entry to feedlot, exit from feedlot, cattle transport trucks, abattoir holding pens, and the end of the fabrication system. The log read counts classified as pathogens per million reads for Salmonella enterica,Listeria monocytogenes,Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium spp. (C. botulinum and C. perfringens), and Campylobacter spp. (C. jejuni,C. coli, and C. fetus) decreased over subsequential processing steps. Furthermore, the normalized read counts for S. enterica,E. coli, and C. botulinumwere greater in the final product than at the feedlots, indicating that the proportion of these bacteria increased (the effect on absolute numbers was unknown) within the remaining microbiome. From an ecological perspective, data indicated that shotgun metagenomics can be used to evaluate not only the microbiome but also shifts in pathogen populations during beef production. Nonetheless, there were several challenges in this analysis approach, one of the main ones being the identification of the specific pathogen from which the sequence reads originated, which makes this approach impractical for use in pathogen identification for regulatory and confirmation purposes.

Antimicrobial resistant determinants (ARDs) can be transmitted from livestock systems through meat products or environmental effluents. The public health risk posed by these two routes is not well understood, particularly in non-pathogenic bacteria. We collected pooled samples from 8 groups of 1741 commercial cattle as they moved through the process of beef production from feedlot entry through slaughter. We recorded antimicrobial drug exposures and interrogated the resistome at points in production when management procedures could potentially influence ARD abundance and/or transmission. Over 300 unique ARDs were identified. Resistome diversity decreased while cattle were in the feedlot, indicating selective pressure. ARDs were not identified in beef products, suggesting that slaughter interventions may reduce the risk of transmission of ARDs to beef consumers. This report highlights the utility and limitations of metagenomics for assessing public health risks regarding antimicrobial resistance, and demonstrates that environmental pathways may represent a greater risk than the food supply.

A growing body of research has focused on the utility of adaptive intervention models for promoting long-term weight loss maintenance; however, evaluation of these interventions often requires customized smartphone applications. Building such an app from scratch can be resource-intensive. To support a novel clinical trial of an adaptive intervention for weight loss maintenance, we developed a companion app, MyTrack+, to pair with a main commercial app, FatSecret (FS), leveraging a user-centered design process for rapid prototyping and reducing software engineering efforts. MyTrack+ seamlessly integrates data from FS and the BodyTrace smart scale, enabling participants to log and self-monitor their health data, while also incorporating customized questionnaires and timestamps to enhance data collection for the trial. We iteratively refined the app by first developing initial mockups and incorporating feedback from a usability study with 17 university students. We further improved the app based on an in-the-wild pilot study with 33 participants in the target population, emphasizing acceptance, simplicity, customization options, and dual app usage. Our work highlights the potential of using an iterative human-centered design process to build a companion app that complements a commercial app for rapid prototyping, reducing costs, and enabling efficient research progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For individuals who are eligible but unlikely to join comprehensive weight loss programs, a low burden self‐weighing intervention may be a more acceptable approach to weight management. Methods: This was a single‐arm feasibility trial of a 12‐month self‐weighing intervention. Participants were healthcare patients with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 with a weight‐related comorbidity or a BMI >30 kg/m2 who reported lack of interest in joining a comprehensive weight loss program, or did not enroll in a comprehensive program after being provided program information. In the self‐weighing intervention, participants were asked to weigh themselves daily on a cellular connected scale and were sent text messages every other week with tailored weight change feedback, including messages encouraging use of comprehensive programs if weight gain occurred. Results: Of 86 eligible patients, 39 enrolled (45.3%) in the self‐weighing intervention. Self‐weighing occurred on average 4.6 days/week (SD = 1.4). At 12 months, 12 participants (30.8%) lost ≥3% baseline weight, 11 (28.2%) experienced weight stability (±3% baseline), 6 (15.4%) gained ≥3% of baseline weight, and 10 (25.6%) did not have available weight data to evaluate. Three participants reported joining a weight loss program during the intervention (7.7%). Participants reported high intervention satisfaction in quantitative ratings (4.1 of 5), and qualitative interviews identified areas of satisfaction (e.g., timing and content of text messages) and areas for improvement (e.g., increasing personalization of text messages). Conclusion: A low‐burden self‐weighing intervention can reach adults with overweight/obesity who would be unlikely to engage in comprehensive weight loss programs; the efficacy of this intervention for preventing weight gain should be further evaluated in a randomized trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promecops leucothyrea Fahraeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is reported for the first time in Chiapas. Adults feed on soybean plants from VC stage (unrolled unifoliolate leaves) to R2 (full flowering). Although P. leucothyrea is currently found only in a few soybean fields in Chiapas, to our knowledge, it could spread to other parts of Mexico. Other plants that were found as hosts for P. leucothyrea were: Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) W. Clayton, Sorghum halepense (L.) Persoon (Poaceae), Ipomoea trifida (Kunth) G. Don (Convolvulaceae), Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae), Hamelia rovirosae Wernham. (Rubiaceae), Malvastrum coromandelianum (L.) Garcke (Malvaceae). Se reporta por primera vez a Promecops leucothyrea Fahraeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), en Chiapas. Los adultos se alimentan en plantas de soya en la etapa VC (hojas unifoliadas desenrolladas) hasta R2 (plena floración). Aunque P. leucothyrea, se encuentra en este momento solo en ciertas localidades con cultivos de soya en Chiapas, a nuestro conocimiento, probablemente pueda esparcirse a otras partes de México. Otras plantas hospederas de P. leucothyrea que se encontraron en Chiapas son Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) W. Clayton, Sorghum halepense (L.) Persoon (Poaceae), Ipomoea trifida (Kunth) G. Don (Convolvulaceae), Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae), Hamelia rovirosae Wernham. (Rubiaceae), Malvastrum coromandelianum (L.) Garcke (Malvaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]