Toxoplasmosis caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii occurs worldwide. Infections range from asymptomatic to life-threatening. T. gondii infection is acquired either via bradyzoites in meat or via oocysts in the environment, but the relative importance of these path ways and the different sources remains unclear. In this study, possible risk factors for toxoplasmosis in the Netherlands were investigated. A case–control study was conducted including persons with recent infection and individuals with a negative test result for IgM and IgG for T. gondii between July 2016 and April 2021. A total of 48 cases and 50 controls completed the questionnaire. Food history and environmental exposure were compared using logistic regression. Consumption of different meats was found to be associated with recent infection. In the multivariable model, adjusted for age, gender, and pregnancy, consumption of large game meat (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 8.2, 95% confidence interval 1.6–41.9) and sometimes (aOR 4.1, 1.1–15.3) or never (aOR 15.9, 2.2–115.5) washing hands before food preparation remained. These results emphasize the value of the advice to be careful with the consumption of raw and undercooked meat. Good hand hygiene could also be promoted in the prevention of T. gondii infection.

Determination of antibodies against ToRCH antigens at the beginning of pregnancy allows assessment of both the maternal immune status and the risks to an adverse pregnancy outcome. Age-standardised seroprevalences were determined in sera from 1009 women of childbearing age residing in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Turkey or China using a multiparametric immunoblot containing antigen substrates for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2), Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia trachomatis, parvovirus B19, Treponema pallidum and varicella zoster virus (VZV). Seroprevalences for antibodies against HSV-1 were >90% in samples from Brazil and Turkey, whereas the other four countries showed lower mean age-adjusted seroprevalences (range: 62.5–87.9%). Samples from Brazilian women showed elevated seroprevalences of antibodies against HSV-2 (40.1%), C. trachomatis (46.8%) and B. pertussis (56.6%) compared to the other five countries. Seroprevalences of anti-T. gondii antibodies (0.5%) and anti-parvovirus B19 antibodies (7.5%) were low in samples from Chinese women, compared to the other five countries. Samples from German women revealed a low age-standardised seroprevalence of anti-CMV antibodies (28.8%) compared to the other five countries. These global differences in immune status of women in childbearing age advocate country-specific prophylaxis strategies to avoid infection with ToRCH pathogens.

Stress and its associations with psychopathic traits have been widely studied. However, recent research suggests the distinction between psychological and physiological symptoms of subclinical stress experience. Possible differences regarding these two dimensions of stress and their relations to psychopathy factors have not been investigated yet. Hence, this is the first study on psychological and physiological subclinical stress levels of forensic patients with psychopathic personality traits. We expected to find distinct associations between stress dimensions and psychopathy factors. Therefore, we examined 164 forensic patients with a substance use disorder regarding their psychopathy scores and current stress levels, using the Psychopathy Personality Inventory (PPI) and the Subclinical Stress Questionnaire (SSQ). Our results indicate that only the experience of psychological stress and not physiological stress is predicted by psychopathy. More precisely, the psychopathy factor “Impulsive Antisociality” is a positive predictor of subclinical psychological stress symptoms, while the factor “Fearless Dominance” is a negative predictor. Thereby, gender has an influence as females are more likely to experience psychological and physiological stress. In conclusion, these results imply that forensic patients scoring high on the psychopathy factor “Impulsive Antisociality” experience high levels of psychological distress. This is in line with previous findings describing Impulsive Antisociality as a generally maladaptive trait manifesting in low adaptability and insufficient coping strategies.

With the emergence of modern techniques of environmental analysis and widespread availability of accessible tools and quantitative data, the question of environmental determinism is once again on the agenda. This paper is theoretical in character, attempting, for the benefit of drawing up research designs, to understand and evaluate the character of environmental determinism. We reach three main conclusions: (1) in a typical pattern of research design, studies seek to detect simultaneous shifts in the environmental and archaeological records, variously positing the former to have influenced, triggered or caused the latter; (2) the question of determinism involves uncertainty about the justification for the above research design in particular in what comes to biologism and the concept of environmental thresholds on the one hand and the externality of the drivers of transformation in human groups and societies on the other; (3) adapting the concepts of the social production of vulnerability and the social basis of hazards from anthropology may help to clarify the available research design choices at hand.

We would like to begin by thanking the journal and the commentators for their time and attention.

Study of the composition from diverse sources of the Universe helps to us to understand their evolution. Molecular spectroscopy provides detailed information of the observed objects. We present a small study of the starburst NGC 253 with ALMA at 1mm. We detect the prebiotic molecules NH2CHO, and CNCHO. We obtain the integrated intensity maps and abundances of HNCO, CH3OH, H3O+ and CH3C2H. We propose the use of Artificial Intelligence for big data to find prebiotic molecules in galaxies.

The pressure–strain-rate correlation and pressure fluctuations in convective and near neutral atmospheric surface layers are investigated. Their scaling properties, spectral characteristics, the contributions from the different source terms in the pressure Poisson equation and the effects of the wall are investigated using high-resolution (up to $2048^{3}$) large-eddy simulation fields and through spectral predictions. The pressure–strain-rate correlation was found to have the mixed-layer and surface-layer scaling in the strongly convective and near neutral atmospheric surface layers, respectively. Its apparent surface-layer scaling in the moderately convective surface layer is due to the slow variations of the mixed-layer contribution, and is an inherent problem for single-point statistics in a multi-scale surface layer. In the strongly convective surface layer the pressure spectrum has an approximate $k^{-5/3}$ scaling range for small wavenumbers ($kz\ll 1$) due to the turbulent–turbulent contribution, and does not follow the surface-layer scaling, where $k$ and $z$ are the horizontal wavenumber and the distance from the surface respectively. The pressure–strain-rate cospectrum components have a $k^{-1}$ scaling range, consistent with our prediction using the surface layer parameters. It is dominated by the buoyancy contribution. Thus the anisotropy in the surface layer is due to the energy redistribution caused by the density fluctuations of the large eddies, rather than the turbulent–turbulent (inertial) effects. In the near neutral surface layer, the turbulent–turbulent and rapid contributions are primarily responsible for redistribution of energy from the streamwise velocity component to the vertical and spanwise components, respectively. The pressure–strain-rate cospectra peak near $kz\sim 1$, and have some similarities to those in the strongly convective surface layer for $kz\ll 1$. For the moderately convective surface layer, the pressure–strain-rate cospectra change signs at scales of the order of the Obukhov length, thereby imposing it as a horizontal length scale in the surface layer. This result provides strong support to the multipoint Monin–Obukhov similarity recently proposed by Tong & Nguyen (J. Atmos. Sci., vol. 72, 2015, pp. 4337–4348). We further decompose the pressure into the free-space (infinite domain), the wall reflection and the harmonic contributions. In the strongly convective surface layer, the free-space contribution to the pressure–strain-rate correlation is dominated by the buoyancy part, and is the main cause of the surface-layer anisotropy. The wall reflection enhances the anisotropy for most of the surface layer, suggesting that the pressure source has a large coherence length. In the near neutral surface layer, the wall reflection is small, suggesting a much smaller source coherence length. The present study also clarifies the understanding of the role of the turbulent–turbulent pressure, and has implications for understanding the dynamics and structure as well as modelling the atmospheric surface layer.

An excellent laboratory for studying large scale magnetic fields is the grand design face-on spiral galaxy M51. Due to wavelength-dependent Faraday depolarization, linearly polarized synchrotron emission at different radio frequencies gives a picture of the galaxy at different depths: Observations at L-band (1 – 2 GHz) probe the halo region while at C- and X-band (4 – 8 GHz) the linearly polarized emission probe the disk region of M51. We present new observations of M51 using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at S-band (2 – 4 GHz), where previously no polarization observations existed, to shed new light on the transition region between the disk and the halo. We discuss a model of the depolarization of synchrotron radiation in a multilayer magneto-ionic medium and compare the model predictions to the multi-frequency polarization data of M51 between 1 – 8 GHz. The new S-band data are essential to distinguish between different models. Our study shows that the initial model parameters, i.e. the total regular and turbulent magnetic field strengths in the disk and halo of M51, need to be adjusted to successfully fit the models to the data.

Sex differences in the incidence of infections may indicate different risk factors and behaviour but have not been analysed across pathogens. Based on 3.96 million records of 33 pathogens in Germany, notified from 2001 to 2013, we applied Poisson regression to generate age-standardised incidence rate ratios and assessed their distribution across age and sex. The following trends became apparent: (a) pathogens with male incidence preponderance at infant and child age (meningococcal disease (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.19, 95% CI 1.03–1.38, age = 0–4); influenza (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.06–1.13, age = 0–4)), (b) pathogens with sex-switch in incidence preponderance at puberty (e.g. norovirus (IRR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19 in age = 5–14, IRR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.99, age ⩾ 60), (c) pathogens with general male incidence preponderance (bacterial/parasitic infections with campylobacter, Yersinia and Giardia), (d) pathogens with male incidence preponderance at juvenile and adult age (sexually transmitted or vector-borne infections (combined-IRR = 2.53, 95% CI 2.36–2.71, age = 15–59), (e) pathogens with male preponderance at older age (tick-borne encephalitis - IRR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.21–6.24, listeriosis - IRR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.38–3.06, age ⩾ 60). Risk factor concepts only partly serve to interpret similarities of grouped infections, i.e. transmission-related explanations and sex-specific exposures not consistently explain the pattern of food-borne infections (b). Sex-specific differences in infectious disease incidence are well acknowledged regarding the sexually transmitted diseases. This has led to designing gender-specific prevention strategies. Our data suggest that for infections with other transmission routes, gender-specific approaches can also be of benefit and importance.

Control of common lambsquarters with glyphosate in Michigan soybean fields has been inconsistent. Stem-boring insects and evidence of insect tunneling were found inside the stems of common lambsquarters plants not controlled with glyphosate. In 2004 and 2005, field surveys and studies were conducted to identify and evaluate the prevalence of stem-boring insects in common lambsquarters in Michigan and Indiana soybean fields to determine whether tunneling by insects occurred before or following POST glyphosate applications and to evaluate the effect of glyphosate rate, application timing, and insect tunneling on the control of common lambsquarters with glyphosate. Two insect species, the beet petiole borer (Cosmobaris americana) from the Curculionidae family and an unidentified leafminer fly larvae from the Agromyzidae family were found inside common lambsquarters stems. Leafminer larvae were present in Michigan soybean fields in mid- to late-June, when most POST glyphosate applications are made in Michigan and Indiana; however, beet petiole borer larvae were not found in common lambsquarters stems until mid-July and would only be present in common lambsquarters plants if glyphosate applications occurred at that time. Results from three field experiments in East Lansing, MI, demonstrated the variability in common lambsquarters control. Control ranged from 79 to 98%, 75 to 99%, and 49 to 97% from glyphosate applied at 0.84 kgae/ha to 10-, 25-, and 46-cm common lambsquarters, respectively. In general, applying glyphosate to common lambsquarters plants 10 cm or less, or increasing the glyphosate rate beyond 0.84 kgae/ha, improved common lambsquarters control. Insect tunneling by leafminer and beet petiole borer larvae did not contribute to reduced common lambsquarters control with glyphosate applied to 10- and 25-cm common lambsquarters.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of three nitrogen fertilizer application timings on corn and giant ragweed dry weight, corn and giant ragweed nitrogen accumulation, and corn grain yield. By the V8 growth stage, corn plants in treatments which included nitrogen at planting accumulated up to 27% more dry weight and 26% more leaf area than corn in sidedress-only treatments that had not yet received any fertilizer nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer application timing did not influence early-season giant ragweed dry weight, but did influence N accumulation. Giant ragweed at 0.5 plants/m2 accumulated up to 16 kg N/ha in 40-cm-tall plants by the V8 corn growth stage and up to 104 kg N/ha when allowed to remain in corn until the end of the growing season. At this density of giant ragweed, corn yields were not reduced if removed by the V8 corn growth stage. However, season-long interference reduced corn yields by up to 19% regardless of nitrogen application timing. Early-season giant ragweed growth was less responsive to nitrogen application timing than corn, suggesting that nitrogen management programs should not be altered significantly to influence giant ragweed competitiveness in corn. However, giant ragweed should be removed in a timely manner to minimize nitrogen accumulation in nitrogen-limiting corn production situations.

Field surveys were conducted to evaluate the prevalence of stalk-boring insects in giant ragweed in Indiana and Michigan soybean fields. Greenhouse studies were also conducted to determine whether stalk-boring insects had a negative impact on control of giant ragweed with glyphosate. In the June 2005 field surveys, 18 to 30% of all giant ragweed plants sampled contained stalk-boring insects or insect tunnels. Languriidae, Noctuidae, Pyralidae, and Tortricidae families were found most often at the time glyphosate was being applied to soybean fields to control giant ragweed. Cerambycidae and Curculionidae families were typically found later in the season after herbicide applications were completed. In the August field surveys in Indiana, 28 to 62% of the giant ragweed plants that showed evidence of stalk-boring insects were not controlled by POST herbicide applications suggesting that control was compromised by the presence of stalk-boring insects. In greenhouse studies, glyphosate efficacy on 15-cm-tall giant ragweed was enhanced by the presence of stalk-boring insects; however, glyphosate efficacy on 45-cm plants was reduced by the presence of stalk-boring insects. Overall, this research suggests that there is a possibility that stalk-boring insects could reduce glyphosate efficacy on giant ragweed.

We infer the absolute time dependence of kinematic gas temperature along a proposed orbit of molecular clouds in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Galactic Center (GC). Ammonia gas temperature maps are one of the results of the “Survey of Water and Ammonia in the Galactic Center” (SWAG, PI: J. Ott); the dynamical model of molecular clouds in the CMZ was taken from Kruijssen et al. (2015). We find that gas temperatures increase as a function of time in both regimes before and after the cloud passes pericenter on its orbit in the GC potential. This is consistent with the recent proposal that pericenter passage triggers gravitational collapse. Other investigated quantities (line width, column density, opacity) show no strong sign of time dependence but are likely dominated by cloud-to-cloud variations.

We present NH3 and H64α+H63α VLA observations of the Radio Arc region, including the M0.20 – 0.033 and G0.10 – 0.08 molecular clouds. These observations suggest the two velocity components of M0.20 – 0.033 are physically connected in the south. Additional ATCA observations suggest this connection is due to an expanding shell in the molecular gas, with the centroid located near the Quintuplet cluster. The G0.10 – 0.08 molecular cloud has little radio continuum, strong molecular emission, and abundant CH3OH masers, similar to a nearby molecular cloud with no star formation: M0.25+0.01. These features detected in G0.10 – 0.08 suggest dense molecular gas with no signs of current star formation.