Beauveria bassiana strain ATCC 74040 (Naturalis®), a valuable tool for the control of the cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi)

Naturalis® is a bioinsecticide based on living conidiospores of the naturally occuring Beauveria bassiana strain ATCC 74040. The entomopathogenic fungus acts primarily by contact: once attached to the insect’s cuticle, the conidiospores germinate producing penetration hyphae, which enter and proliferate inside the insect’s body. The fungus invades and feeds on its host, causing its death due to dehydration and/or depletion of nutrients. Several years of laboratory, semi-field and field studies showed that also Tephritid flies (Ceratitis capitata, Rhagoletis cerasi, Bactrocera oleae) are susceptible to infection by B. bassiana strain ATCC 74040. The results of efficacy trials conducted in 2004-05 are reported. Naturalis was tested both alone and in an integrated pest management strategy. The product showed high efficacy in controlling R. cerasi, comparable to or higher than that of the chemical reference treatment. The B. bassiana-based product Naturalis can thus be considered an efficient tool for the control of the cherry fruit fly

Eliciting Implicit Awareness in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Task-Based Functional MRI Study

Background: Recent models of anosognosia in dementia have suggested the existence of an implicit component of self-awareness about one’s cognitive impairment that may remain preserved and continue to regulate behavioral, affective, and cognitive responses even in people who do not show an explicit awareness of their difficulties. Behavioral studies have used different strategies to demonstrate implicit awareness in patients with anosognosia, but no neuroimaging studies have yet investigated its neural bases. Methods: Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the execution of a color-naming task in which they were presented with neutral, negative, and dementia-related words (Dementia-Related Emotional Stroop). Results: Twenty-one patients were recruited: 12 were classified as aware and 9 as unaware according to anosognosia scales (based on clinical judgment and patient-caregiver discrepancy). Behavioral results showed that aware patients took the longest time to process dementia-related words, although differences between word types were not significant, limiting interpretation of behavioral results. Imaging results showed that patients with preserved explicit awareness had a small positive differential activation of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) for the dementia-related words condition compared to the negative words, suggesting attribution of emotional valence to both conditions. PCC differential activation was instead negative in unaware patients, i.e., lower for dementia-related words relative to negative-words. In addition, the more negative the differential activation, the lower was the Stroop effect measuring implicit awareness. Conclusion: Posterior cingulate cortex preserved response to dementia-related stimuli may be a marker of preserved implicit self-awareness

Design of absolute equation of state measurements in optically thick materials by laser-driven shock waves

Abstract Some aspects of the design of a target for the absolute measurement of Equation-of-State data at pressure of tens of Mbar, in optically thick materials are discussed. In the proposed experiment, a shock wave is generated in a laser-irradiated sample, and the shock velocity and the material velocity behind the shock are simultaneously measured by the optical and X-ray diagnostics. Accurate measurements require the generation of a steady, planar shock, and the detection of the motion of a shocked fluid interface by transverse radiography. One- and two-dimensional numerical fluid simulations have been performed to optimize beam and target design, in order to fulfil such requirements

Decaying shock studies of phase transitions in MgOSiO2 systems: implications for the Super-Earths interiors

We report an experimental study of the phase diagrams of periclase (MgO), enstatite (MgSiO3) and forsterite (Mg2SiO4) at high pressures. We investigated with laser driven decaying shocks the pressure/temperature curves of MgO, MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 between 0.2-1.2 TPa, 0.12-0.5 TPa and 0.2-0.85 TPa respectively. A melting signature has been observed in MgO at 0.47 TPa and 9860 K, while no phase changes were observed neither in MgSiO3 nor in Mg2SiO4. An increasing of reflectivity of MgO, MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 liquids have been detected at 0.55 TPa -12 760 K, 0.15 TPa - 7540 K, 0.2 TPa - 5800 K, respectively. In contrast to SiO2, melting and metallization of these compounds do not coincide implying the presence of poor electrically conducting liquids close to the melting lines. This has important implications for the generation of dynamos in Super-earths mantles

Simulation of preheating effects in shock wave experiments

We have analyzed the shock wave propagation experiments performed at LULI and presented at ECLIM'94. The targets were aluminium foils with thickness from 5 to 25 μm. Simulations were performed with the SARA-1D multigroup radiation code. We have shown a small level of preheating caused by the absorption of X-rays with energies close to the K-edge of aluminum. Several sets of opacities were used in order to study this effect, including experimental values for cold aluminum. Simulations show a small level of visible emission induced by X-ray preheating before the arrival of the shock

Shock impedance matching experiments in foam-solid targets and implications for "foam buffered ICF"

We studied the influence of foams on laser produced shocks. Experiments were performed at LULI using a Nd laser converted to second harmonic, and at MPQ (Max Planck Institut für Quantenoptik) using the iodine Asterix laser converted to third harmonic. In both cases, sub-ns lasers with pulse energies of several tens of joules were focused on large focal spots (hundreds of microns) to reduce 2D effects. The laser beams were optically smoothed with phase zone plates (PZP) and directly focused on layered targets made of a foam layer on the laser side and a stepped Al layer on the other side. A visible streak camera was used to detect shock breakthrough at the base and at the step of the Al target, allowing shock velocity to be determined. Using the well known SESAME Al equation of state, we determined shock pressure. A stronger pressure increase was measured when foam was present, compared to what was obtained by focusing the laser beam directly on the Al target. This was due to the impedance mismatch effect at the Al-foam interface

Determination of the color temperature in laser-produced shocks

Experimental results on the determination of the color temperature in shock waves produced with lasers are presented. The method is based on imaging the target rear side in two different spectral windows and on using phased zone plates to produce high-quality shocks. The shock velocity is also measured, allowing, with the use of the equation of state, the real shock temperature to be deduced and compared with the measured color temperature

PROBLEMS OF MEASUREMENT OF DENSE PLASMA HEATING IN LASER SHOCK-WAVE COMPRESSION

Experimental results of heating measurements of matter carried out in a study of laser-driven shock waves in aluminum (Batani et al. 1997) are discussed. The measured temporal evolution of the "color" temperature of the rear surface of the target is compared with that computed by a numerical code. It has been established that the target preheating can substantially affect optical signal features recorded from the rear side of the target, and consequently influence upon the accuracy of temperature and pressure measurements of the material behind the shock wave front

Formation of the X-ray line emission spectrum of excimer laser-produced plasmas

Time- and space-integrated emission spectra measurements have been performed in plasma produced by 308 nm wavelength XeCl laser radiation (IL = (4–10)·1012 W/cm2, τ = 10 ns) and by 248 nm wavelength KrF laser pulse train radiation (IL = 5·1015 W/cm2, τ = 7 ps, 16 pulses in train) on CF2 plane target. Theoretical modelling of Lyman series and He-like ion resonance series of fluorine and its fit of experimental data show considerable differences in the absorption of laser radiation in the two plasmas