Consent to Settle? A New Twist in the Tri-Partite Relationship

This article discusses the tri-partite relationship in litigation between insurers, the insured, and retained counsel. This article further discusses the complications for plaintiffs who wish to settle a case with defense counsel retained by the insurance carrier, and the ethical considerations that may arise under the Model Rules of Professional conduct when settlement is at the direction of the insurance carrier

Noise reduction in 3D noncollinear parametric amplifier

We analytically find an approximate Bloch-Messiah reduction of a noncollinear parametric amplifier pumped with a focused monochromatic beam. We consider type I phase matching. The results are obtained using a perturbative expansion and scaled to a high gain regime. They allow a straightforward maximization of the signal gain and minimization of the parametric fluorescence noise. We find the fundamental mode of the amplifier, which is an elliptic Gaussian defining the optimal seed beam shape. We conclude that the output of the amplifier should be stripped of higher order modes, which are approximately Hermite-Gaussian beams. Alternatively, the pump waist can be adjusted such that the amount of noise produced in the higher order modes is minimized.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted to Applied Physics

An algorithm for the Italian atomic time scale

During the past twenty years, the time scale at the IEN has been realized by a commercial cesium clock, selected from an ensemble of five, whose rate has been continuously steered towards UTC to maintain a long term agreement within 3 x 10(exp -13). A time scale algorithm, suitable for a small clock ensemble and capable of improving the medium and long term stability of the IEN time scale, has been recently designed taking care of reducing the effects of the seasonal variations and the sudden frequency anomalies of the single cesium clocks. The new time scale, TA(IEN), is obtained as a weighted average of the clock ensemble computed once a day from the time comparisons between the local reference UTC(IEN) and the single clocks. It is foreseen to include in the computation also ten cesium clocks maintained in other Italian laboratories to further improve its reliability and its long term stability. To implement this algorithm, a personal computer program in Quick Basic has been prepared and it has been tested at the IEN time and frequency laboratory. Results obtained using this algorithm on the real clocks data relative to a period of about two years are presented

First detection of the adventive egg parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Trissolcus mitsukurii (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in France

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is a polyphagous species and a serious pest worldwide. Classical biological control (CBC), i.e., the introduction of a natural enemy from the native area of the pest, is considered as the preferential solution for BMSB regulation. Adventive populations of exotic egg parasitoids of BSMB, Trissolcus japonicus and T. mitsukurii, have been reported worldwide. With the aim to characterize the French diversity of egg parasitoids associated to various stink bugs including BMSB, field surveys were conducted between 2018 and 2020. Surprisingly, morphological and molecular analyses unambiguously revealed 12 specimens of T. mitsukurii, an Asian egg parasitoid of BSMB. Although its permanent establishment has to be confirmed, this first record in France could actually facilitate CBC initiatives, T. mitsukurii being considered with T. japonicus as the two most promising biological control agents against BMSB. ABSTRACT: We report the first detection of Trissolcus mitsukurii in France. More than 1860 sentinel egg masses of Halyomorpha halys (BMSB) were exposed in the field during the 2018–2020 period, and 12 specimens of T. mitsukurii emerged from one egg mass. Their taxonomic identification was confirmed both by morphological and molecular analysis. Trissolcus mitsukurii, similar to T. japonicus, is an egg parasitoid of BMSB in its area of origin in Asia, and both species are considered to be candidates for a classical biological control strategy against BMSB. Trissolcus mitsukurii was previously recorded in Italy where it is well established and widespread, and this may be the source of the French population. Possible permanent establishment and dispersion of T. mitsukurii in France should be monitored with emphasis on its potential effect on BMSB populations

Effect of daily consumption of Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 on cholesterol reduction in hypercholesterolemic subjects

The effect of daily consumption of a yogurt containing Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects was evaluated by performing a prospective, randomized, double-blind, cross-over placebo Controlled clinical study. Participants consumed daily a yogurt containing L. reuteri CRL 1098 or a placebo for four weeks, separated by a wash-out period. Total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoprotein levels were assessed at the beginning and at the end of each period. We found a statistically significant reduction of total (-7.86 g/dl) and LDL (-7.02 g/dl) cholesterol in absolute changes (before-after) as well as a decreasing trend in the group receiving the yogurt containing L. reuteri with respect to the placebo group, without detecting changes in HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Our results suggest that low amounts of yogurt (125 g/day) and low doses of the CRL 1098 strain (106 CFU) are sufficient to reduce total and LDL-cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects.Fil: Malpeli, Agustina. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Taranto, Maria Pia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Cravero, Ricardo C.. Sancor Cooperativas Unidas Limitada.; ArgentinaFil: Tavella, Marina. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fasano, Maria Victoria. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Vicentin, Dimas. Sancor Cooperativas Unidas Limitada.; ArgentinaFil: Ferrari, Guillermina. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Magrini, Graciano. Sancor Cooperativas Unidas Limitada.; ArgentinaFil: Hebert, Elvira Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Font, Graciela Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Varea, Ana María. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Tavella, Julio Marcelo. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: González, Horacio F.. Ministerio de Salud. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas “Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri”. Hospital de Niños de La Plata; Argentin

Evaluación de una herramienta tecnológica de fácil acceso (aplicación telefónica) dirigida a madres en periodo de lactancia, para estimular la lactancia materna exclusiva los primeros seis meses de vida

Objetivo: Evaluar una herramienta tecnológica de fácil acceso (aplicación telefónica) para madres en período de lactancia para proteger, fomentar y apoyar la lactancia materna exclusiva hasta los seis meses de vida.Facultad de Informátic

A morphological, biological and molecular approach reveals four cryptic species of Trissolcus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), egg parasitoids of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera)

Accurate identification of parasitoids is crucial for biological control of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomrpha halys (Stål). A recent work by Talamas et al. (2017) revised the Palearctic fauna of Trissolcus Ashmead, egg-parasitoids of stink bugs, and treated numerous species as junior synonyms of T. semistriatus (Nees von Esenbeck). In the present paper, we provide a detailed taxonomic history and treatment of T. semistriatus and the species treated as its synonyms by Talamas et al. (2017) based on examination of primary types, molecular analyses and mating experiments. Trissolcus semistriatus, T. belenus (Walker), T. colemani (Crawford), and T. manteroi (Kieffer) are here recognized as valid and a key to species is provided. The identification tools provided here will facilitate the use of Trissolcus wasps as biological control agents and as the subject of ecological studies