Effect of exclusion net timing of deployment and color on Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) infestation in pear and apple orchards

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive pest species native to East Asia that has become the major pest for many crops, causing serious economic damage. The occurrence of this invasive pest leads to an increase in broad-spectrum insecticides applications, often with limited results in H. halys management. Exclusion netting based on insect-proof nets is considered an environmentally friendly tactic that may potentially reduce H. halys infestation and damage. In a first experiment, during two growing seasons we investigated whether the timing of exclusion netting deployment affected season-long H. halys infestation and impact on apple and pear production. A second experiment considered the effect of netting color. Our results confirm that insect-proof nettings are effective in controlling H. halys infestations in fruit orchards, also observing an effect of timing of netting deployment on H. halys adult infestation, especially in apple orchards. Netting deployment could be delayed until the growing fruit phase on pear orchards, while on apple orchards it should be performed at flower fading phase. Brown marmorated stink bug infestation and damage were also influenced by the netting color, with black nets having higher infestation levels and fruit damage than white ones. Within an integrated pest management framework, early net deployment and the use of clear color nettings should be considered to reduce H. halys infestation and its damage in pome fruit crops

Interfacial Properties of Colloidal Silica Dispersions in Contact with Solutions of Fatty Amines in Hexane

Many natural phenomena and technologies are concerned with the interactions between micro- or nano-metre sized particles and surfactant molecules at liquid interfaces. Highly stable emulsions are produced by using surfactants to modify the surfaces of nanoparticles. Particle attachment to bubbles is controlled by surfactant adsorption in flotation technologies. So far, however, few experimental studies have explored the properties of these complex interfacial layers

Monitoring mitochondrial translation in living cells

Mitochondria possess a small genome that codes for core subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system and whose expression is essential for energy production. Information on the regulation and spatial organization of mitochondrial gene expression in the cellular context has been difficult to obtain. Here we devise an imaging approach to analyze mitochondrial translation within the context of single cells, by following the incorporation of clickable non-canonical amino acids. We apply this method to multiple cell types, including specialized cells such as cardiomyocytes and neurons, and monitor with spatial resolution mitochondrial translation in axons and dendrites. We also show that translation imaging allows to monitor mitochondrial protein expression in patient fibroblasts. Approaching mitochondrial translation with click chemistry opens new avenues to understand how mitochondrial biogenesis is integrated into the cellular context and can be used to assess mitochondrial gene expression in mitochondrial diseases

Portomesenteric vein thrombosis in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy: An updated meta-analysis of 101,865 patients

Background: Portomesenteric vein thrombosis (PMVT) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of sleeve gastrectomy (SG). The rising prevalence of SG has led to a surge in the occurrence of PMVT, while the associated risk factors have not been fully elucidated.Objectives: This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors of PMVT in patients undergoing SG.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE databases. Proportion and regression meta-analyses were conducted.Results: A total of 75 studies and 101,865 patients undergoing SG and 355 patients with PMVT were identified. At a mean follow-up of 14.4 (SD: 16.3) months the incidence of PMVT was found to be 0.48% (95%CI: 0.39-0.60%). The majority of the population presented with abdominal pain (91.8%) at an average of 22.4 days postoperatively and PMV was mainly diagnosed with CT scan (96.0%). Hematologic abnormalities predisposing to thrombophilia were identified in 34.9% of the population. Age (p=0.02) and center volume (p &lt;0.0001) were significantly associated with PMVT, while gender, BMI, hematologic abnormality, prior history of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, type of prophylactic anticoagulation, and duration of prophylactic anticoagulation were not associated with the incidence of PMVT in meta-regression analyses. Treatment included therapeutic anticoagulation in 93.4% and the mortality rate was 4/355 (1.1%).Conclusion: PMVT is a rare complication of sleeve gastrectomy with an incidence rate &lt;1% that is associated with center volume and age but is not affected by the duration or type of thromboprophylaxis administered postoperatively.<br/

From: Trash to resource: Recovered-Pd from spent three-way catalysts as a precursor of an effective photo-catalyst for H2 production

The successful production of a nanostructured and highly dispersed Pd-TiO2 photo-catalyst, using [Pd(Me2dazdt)2](I3)2 (Me2dazdt = N,N\u2032-dimethyl-perhydrodiazepine-2,3-dithione) salt, obtained through the selective and safe recovery of palladium from model exhaust three-way catalysts (TWCs), is reported here. The photo-catalyst prepared by the impregnation/photo-reduction of palladium on the support showed improved performance in H2 production from methanol and in glycerol photo-reforming compared to reference photo-catalysts obtained from conventional Pd-salts. The reported results represent a case of successful palladium \u201crecovery and re-employment\u201d and thus constitute an example of green chemistry by providing, in one route, the environmentally friendly recovery of a critical metal and its employment in the renewable energy field

Radical defects modulate the photocatalytic response in 2D-graphitic carbon nitride

Graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) is an important heterogeneous metal-free catalytic material. Thermally induced post-synthetic modifications, such as amorphization and/or reduction, were recently used to enhance the photocatalytic response of these materials for certain classes of organic transformations, with structural defects possibly playing an important role. The knowledge of how these surface modifications modulate the photocatalytic response of gCN is therefore not only interesting from a fundamental point of view, but also necessary for the development and/or tuning of metal-free gCN systems with superior photo-catalytic properties. Herein, employing density functional theory calculations and combining both the periodic and molecular approaches, in conjunction with experimental EPR measurements, we demonstrate that different structural defects on the gCN surface generate distinctive radical defect states localized within the electronic bandgap, with only those correlated with amorphous and reduced gCN structures being photo-active. To this end, we (i) model defective gCN surfaces containing radical defect states; (ii) assess the interactions of these defects with the radical precursors involved in the photo-driven alkylation of electron-rich aromatic compounds (namely perfluoroalkyl iodides); and (iii) describe the photo-chemical processes triggering the initial step of that reaction at the gCN surface. We provide a coherent structure/photo-catalytic property relationship on defective gCN surfaces, elaborating how only specific defect types act as binding sites for the perfluoroalkyl iodide reagent and can favor a photo-induced charge transfer from the gCN surface to the molecule, thus triggering the perfluoroalkylation reaction

CHALLENGE TESTS WITH LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN SALAMI: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Challenge tests are the preferable methodology to study the behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes on ready to eat foods, according to Regulation (EC) 2073/2005. Challenge testing using L. monocytogenes in seasoned salami from different food business operators showed, after seasoning of the product, a count reduction of the inoculated organisms without any further growth of the pathogen; however differences of L. monocytogenes behaviour could be observed according to different production protocols

Active and Stable Embedded Au@CeO2 Catalysts for Preferential Oxidation of CO

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