Thermal Tolerance of the Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus hampei: Predictions of Climate Change Impact on a Tropical Insect Pest

Coffee is predicted to be severely affected by climate change. We determined the thermal tolerance of the coffee berry borer , Hypothenemus hampei, the most devastating pest of coffee worldwide, and make inferences on the possible effects of climate change using climatic data from Colombia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. For this, the effect of eight temperature regimes (15, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30, 33 and 35°C) on the bionomics of H. hampei was studied. Successful egg to adult development occurred between 20–30°C. Using linear regression and a modified Logan model, the lower and upper thresholds for development were estimated at 14.9 and 32°C, respectively. In Kenya and Colombia, the number of pest generations per year was considerably and positively correlated with the warming tolerance. Analysing 32 years of climatic data from Jimma (Ethiopia) revealed that before 1984 it was too cold for H. hampei to complete even one generation per year, but thereafter, because of rising temperatures in the area, 1–2 generations per year/coffee season could be completed. Calculated data on warming tolerance and thermal safety margins of H. hampei for the three East African locations showed considerably high variability compared to the Colombian site. The model indicates that for every 1°C rise in thermal optimum (Topt.), the maximum intrinsic rate of increase (rmax) will increase by an average of 8.5%. The effects of climate change on the further range of H. hampei distribution and possible adaption strategies are discussed. Abstracts in Spanish and French are provided as supplementary material Abstract S1 and Abstract S2

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Modulation de la conductivité thermique de couches minces polycristallines par défauts structuraux multi-échelle et par déformation

The understanding and control of the thermal conductivity of nano and microscale polycrystalline thin films is of fundamental importance for enhancing the performance and reliability of micro- and optoelectronic devices. However, the accurate description and control of the thermal performance of these bidimensional materials remain a difficult task due to their anisotropic and heterogeneous structure. Indeed, thin films obtained with a large number of deposition techniques and parameters, are composed of small crystallites at the interface with the substrate, which coalesce and evolve towards a columnar structure near the outer surface. These grains along with various crystallographic defects, such as oxygen impurities, increase the scattering processes of the energy carriers inside the materials, which in turn, reduce significantly their thermal conductivity. Experimental thermal characterization, accurate theoretical description and controlled modulation of the thermal properties of these materials are therefore desirable.This work is devoted to the investigation of the thermal conductivity of nanoscale polycrystalline films and explores the possibility to modulate heat transfer across these low dimensional structures. Because of its great interest in new technological applications, and its outstanding thermal and piezoelectric properties,aluminum nitride (AlN) served as a test material in this study. Highlytextured AlN mono- and multilayers were obtained by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on single-crystal silicon substrates. The microstructure and distribution of crystallographic orientations along the cross plane were characterized by transmission electron microscopy to accurately determine the grain structure and size evolution. The impact of local oxidation and structural inhomogeneity along the cross plane on the thermal conductivity was investigatedby thickness-dependent measurements performed by the differential 3Wtechnique. The diffusive scattering caused by oxygen-related defects, localized at the interface between two AlN layers, was studied by thermal measurements on the multilayered configuration. Structural features of the polycrystalline films were correlated with their thermal properties using a theoretical model,which takes into account the distribution of the grain geometry and considers the films as a serial assembly of three layers, composed of parallele piped grains.The experimental values of the thermal conductivity of the mono- and multilayerAlN polycrystalline films are well predicted by the developed model, witha deviation of less than 10%. Physical description of scattering phenomena at the interface, grain boundaries, and oxygen related defects, as a function of the characteristic structural heterogeneity, was achieved by comparing the experimental results to the theoretical predictions. It was found that grain mean sizes that evolve along the cross-plane direction, and structural features at the interface and transition domains, are key elements to understand and tailor thermal properties of nanocrystalline films with inhomogeneous structures. The results demonstrate that the structural inhomogeneity and oxygen-related defects in polycrystalline AlN films can be efficiently used to statically tune their cross-plane thermal conductivity. Finally, dynamic modulation of heat transfer bymeans of externally induced elastic strain on mono- and multilayer AlN films was investigated using a novel experimental approach consisting of a 4-pointsbending system coupled to the 3W method.La compréhension et le contrôle de la conductivité thermique des couches minces polycristallines est fondamentale pour améliorer la performance et la fiabilité des dispositifs micro- et optoélectroniques. Toutefois, une description et un contrôle précis de la performance thermique de ces matériaux bidimensionnels restent une tâche difficile en raison de leur anisotropie et structure hétérogène. En effet, les couches minces obtenues par diverses techniques et avec une large gamme de paramètres de dépôt, sont composées de petites cristallites à l'interface avec le substrat, qui coalescent et évoluent vers une structure colonnaire à proximité de la surface extérieure du film. Ces grains,ainsi que d'autres défauts cristallographiques, tels que les impuretés d'oxygène,augmentent les processus de dispersion diffuse des porteurs d'énergie dans les matériaux, ce qui en conséquence, réduit considérablement leur conductivité thermique. La caractérisation thermique expérimentale, la description théorique et la modulation contrôlée des propriétés thermiques de ces matériauxs ont, par conséquent, indispensables.Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude de la conductivité thermique des couches polycristallines présentant une non-homogénéité structurelle et elle a pour but d'explorer la possibilité de moduler le transfert de chaleur à travers ces structures bidimensionnelles. Le nitrure d'aluminium a été sélectionné pour cette étude du fait de ses propriétés thermiques et piézoélectriques, particulièrement intéressantes pour des nouvelles applications technologiques. Réalisées par pulvérisation cathodique magnétron, des monocouches et multicouches d'AlN hautement texturées sur des substrats de silicium monocristallin ont été obtenues.Leur microstructure et distribution d'orientations cristallographiques le long de la normale à la surface, ont été caractérisées expérimentalement pour déterminer,avec précision, l'évolution de la structure et de la taille des grains.L'impact de l'oxydation locale et l'évolution de la morphologie de grains sur la conductivité thermique transversale a été étudiée par la méthode 3W différentielle.La dispersion diffuse des phonons due aux défauts liés à la présence d'atomes d'oxygène, localisés à l'interface entre deux couches d'AlN, a été étudiée par des mesures thermiques sur la configuration multicouche.Les caractéristiques structurelles des couches polycristallines ont été corrélées avec les propriétés thermiques à partir d'un modèle théorique, qui tient compte de la répartition et de la géométrie des grains, et considère les films comme un ensemble en série de trois zones, composées de grains parallélépipédiques. Les résultats de conductivité thermique obtenus par la mesure des monocouches et multicouches polycristallines d'AlN sont bien prédits par le modèle développé,avec une différence inférieure à 10%. Une description physique détaillée des phénomènes de dispersion diffuse à l'interface avec le substrat, aux joints de grains, et aux défauts liés à l'oxygène, en fonction de l'hétérogénéité structurelle caractéristique, a été réalisée en comparant les résultats expérimentaux aux prédictions théoriques. Enfin, pour explorer la modulation dynamique du transfert de chaleur, l'influence de la déformation du réseau cristallin, causée par des contraintes mécaniques, sur la conductivité thermique des monocouches et multicouches d'AlN, a été étudiée en utilisant une nouvelle approche expérimentale qui couple un système de flexion 4-points avec la méthode 3W

Ion bombardment induced formation of self-organized wafer-scale GaInP nanopillar assemblies

Ion sputtering assisted formation of nanopillars is demonstrated as a wafer-scale, lithography-free fabrication method to obtain high optical quality gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) nanopillars. Compared to binary materials, little has been reported on the formation of self-organized ternary nanostructures. Epitaxial (100) Ga0.51In0.49P layers lattice matched to GaAs were sputtered by nitrogen (N2) ions with relatively low ion beam energies (∼400 eV) to reduce ion bombardment induced damage. The influence of process parameters such as temperature, sputter duration, ion beam energy, and ion beam incidence angle on the pillar formation is investigated. The fabricated GaInP nanopillars have average diameters of ∼75–100 nm, height of ∼220 nm, and average density of ∼2–4 × 108 pillars/cm2. The authors show that the ion beam incidence angle plays an important role in pillar formation and can be used to tune the pillar shape, diameter, and spatial density. Specifically, tapered to near cylindrical pillar profiles together with a reduction in their average diameters are obtained by varying the ion beam incidence angle from 0° to 20°. A tentative model for the GaInP nanopillar formation is proposed based on transmission electron microscopy and chemical mapping analysis. μ-Photoluminescence and μ-Raman measurements indicate a high optical quality of the c-GaInP nanopillars.The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the Linné Center for Advanced Optics and Photonics (ADOPT; Grant No. 349-2007-8664), the Swedish Research Council (VR), and the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimynigheten; Grant Nos. 45199-1 and 42028-1).Peer reviewe

Ion bombardment induced formation of self-organized wafer-scale GaInP nanopillar assemblies

Ion sputtering assisted formation of nanopillars is demonstrated as a wafer-scale, lithography-free fabrication method to obtain high optical quality gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) nanopillars. Compared to binary materials, little has been reported on the formation of self-organized ternary nanostructures. Epitaxial (100) Ga0.51In0.49P layers lattice matched to GaAs were sputtered by nitrogen (N2) ions with relatively low ion beam energies (∼400 eV) to reduce ion bombardment induced damage. The influence of process parameters such as temperature, sputter duration, ion beam energy, and ion beam incidence angle on the pillar formation is investigated. The fabricated GaInP nanopillars have average diameters of ∼75–100 nm, height of ∼220 nm, and average density of ∼2–4 × 108 pillars/cm2. The authors show that the ion beam incidence angle plays an important role in pillar formation and can be used to tune the pillar shape, diameter, and spatial density. Specifically, tapered to near cylindrical pillar profiles together with a reduction in their average diameters are obtained by varying the ion beam incidence angle from 0° to 20°. A tentative model for the GaInP nanopillar formation is proposed based on transmission electron microscopy and chemical mapping analysis. μ-Photoluminescence and μ-Raman measurements indicate a high optical quality of the c-GaInP nanopillars.The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the Linné Center for Advanced Optics and Photonics (ADOPT; Grant No. 349-2007-8664), the Swedish Research Council (VR), and the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimynigheten; Grant Nos. 45199-1 and 42028-1).Peer reviewe

Highly-Scattering Cellulose-Based Films for Radiative Cooling.

Passive radiative cooling (RC) enables the cooling of objects below ambient temperature during daytime without consuming energy, promising to be a game changer in terms of energy savings and CO2 reduction. However, so far most RC surfaces are obtained by energy-intensive nanofabrication processes or make use of unsustainable materials. These limitations are overcome by developing cellulose films with unprecedentedly low absorption of solar irradiance and strong mid-infrared (mid-IR) emittance. In particular, a cellulose-derivative (cellulose acetate) is exploited to produce porous scattering films of two different thicknesses, L ≈ 30 µm (thin) and L ≈ 300 µm (thick), making them adaptable to above and below-ambient cooling applications. The thin and thick films absorb only ≈ 5 % ${\approx}5\%$ of the solar irradiance, which represents a net cooling power gain of at least 17 W m-2 , compared to state-of-the-art cellulose-based radiative-cooling materials. Field tests show that the films can reach up to ≈5 °C below ambient temperature, when solar absorption and conductive/convective losses are minimized. Under dryer conditions (water column = 1 mm), it is estimated that the films can reach average minimum temperatures of ≈7-8 °C below the ambient. The work presents an alternative cellulose-based material for efficient radiative cooling that is simple to fabricate, cost-efficient and avoids the use of polluting materials.This work was supported by the BBSRC David Phillips fellowship [BB/K014617/1] and the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme Marie Curie Individual Fellow- ships (793643-MFCPF), ERC SeSaME ERC2014STG H2020 639088, the PoC 963872, Cellunan, and the Isaac Newton Trust (SNSF3) and the Philip Lever- hulme Prize (PLP-2019-271). The European Unions Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program partly funded this research (Marie Sklodoswa-Curie Actions Grant No. 665919 that sup- ported J.J.F and the project FLEXPOL Grant. No. 721062 that supported G.L.W). Moreover, the research received funds from the Spanish Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities via the Severo Ochoa Pro- gram (Grant No. SEV-2017-0706) that supports ICN2, and the projects PGC2018-101743-B-I00 (SIP) and RTI2018-093921-A-C44 (SMOOTH), as well as by the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. L.S. ac- knowledges the support of the Swiss National Sci- ence Foundation under project 40B1-0 198708. P.D.G gratefully acknowledges the support the Ramon y Ca- jal fellowship (RYC-2015-18124)

Enhanced behaviour of a passive thermoelectric generator with phase change heat exchangers and radiative cooling

Heat exchangers are essential to optimize the efficiency of Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs), and heat pipes without fans have proven to be an advantageous design as it maintains the characteristic robustness of thermoelectricity, low maintenance and lack of moving parts. However, the efficiency of these heat exchangers decreases under natural convection conditions, reducing their heat transfer capacity and thus thermoelectric power production. This work reports on a novel heat exchanger that combines for the first time, phase change and radiative cooling in a thermoelectric generator to improve its efficiency and increase the production of electrical energy, specially under natural convection. For this, two thermoelectric generators with heat-pipes on their cold sides have been tested: one with the radiative coating and the other without it. Their thermal resistances have been determined and the electric power output was compared under different working conditions, namely, natural convection and forced convection indoors and outdoors. The experimental tests show a clear reduction of the heat exchanger thermal resistance thanks to the radiative coating and consequently, an increase of electric production 8.3 % with outdoor wind velocities of 1 m/s, and up to 54.8 % under free convection conditions. The application of the radiative surface treatment is shown to result in a more stable electrical energy production, suppressing the drastic decrease in the generated electric power that occurs in thermoelectric generators when they work under free convection.The authors acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the European Regional Development Fund, under grants PID2021-124014OB-I00 (VIVOTEG), TED2021-129359B-I00 (GEOTEG), PGC2018-101743-B-I00 (SIP) and RTI2018-093921-A-C44 (SMOOTH). The ICN2 authors thank the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. Open access funding provided by Universidad Pública de Navarra.Peer reviewe