Leishmania manipulation of sand fly feeding behavior results in enhanced transmission.

In nature the prevalence of Leishmania infection in whole sand fly populations can be very low (<0.1%), even in areas of endemicity and high transmission. It has long since been assumed that the protozoan parasite Leishmania can manipulate the feeding behavior of its sand fly vector, thus enhancing transmission efficiency, but neither the way in which it does so nor the mechanisms behind such manipulation have been described. A key feature of parasite development in the sand fly gut is the secretion of a gel-like plug composed of filamentous proteophosphoglycan. Using both experimental and natural parasite-sand fly combinations we show that secretion of this gel is accompanied by differentiation of mammal-infective transmission stages. Further, Leishmania infection specifically causes an increase in vector biting persistence on mice (re-feeding after interruption) and also promotes feeding on multiple hosts. Both of these aspects of vector behavior were found to be finely tuned to the differentiation of parasite transmission stages in the sand fly gut. By experimentally accelerating the development rate of the parasites, we showed that Leishmania can optimize its transmission by inducing increased biting persistence only when infective stages are present. This crucial adaptive manipulation resulted in enhanced infection of experimental hosts. Thus, we demonstrate that behavioral manipulation of the infected vector provides a selective advantage to the parasite by significantly increasing transmission

Bruhat-Tits Buildings and a Characteristic p Unimodular Symbol Algorithm

Let k be the finite field with q elements, let F be the field of Laurent series in the variable 1/t with coefficients in k, and let A be the polynomial ring in the variable t with coefficients in k. Let SLn(F) be the ring of nxn-matrices with entries in F, and determinant 1. Given a polynomial g in A, let Gamma(g) subset SLn(F) be the full congruence subgroup of level g. In this thesis we examine the action of Gamma(g) on the Bruhat-Tits building Xn associated to SLn(F) for n equals 2 and n equals 3. Our first main result gives an explicit formula for the homology of the quotient space Gamma(g)\X2 (Theorem 1.5.1). We also give a complete description of SLn(A)\X3 (Theorem 2.2.5), and explicitly compute the stabiliser groups of the cells therein (Theorem 2.2.3). Using this data we derive information about the topology and simplicial structure of the quotient space Gamma(g)\X3 (Theorem 2.3.7), and explicitly compute the homology groups (Theorem 2.4.4). We also define an appropriate generalisation of unimodular symbols for SL3(F) (Definition 3.3.1), and prove that a continued fraction type algorithm exists (in the sense of [AR79]), thus showing any modular symbol can be written a sum of unimodular symbols (Theorem 3.3.2)

Room-Temperature Processing of Inorganic Perovskite Films to Enable Flexible Solar Cells

Inorganic lead halide perovskite materials have attracted great attention recently due to their potential for greater thermal stability compared to hybrid organic perovskites. However, the high processing temperature to convert from the non-perovskite phase to cubic perovskite phase in many of these systems has limited their application in flexible optoelectronic devices. Here, we report a room temperature processed inorganic PSC based on CsPbI2Br as the light harvesting layer. By combing this composition with key precursor solvents, we show that the inorganic perovskite film can be prepared by the vacuum-assist method under room temperature conditions in air. Unencapsulated devices achieved the power conversion efficiency up to 8.67% when measured under 1-sun irradiation. Exploiting this room temperature process, flexible inorganic PSCs based on an inorganic metal halide perovskite material is demonstrated.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, and supplemental informatio

A History of the International Labor Communications Association

ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: A HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION Matthew C. Bates, Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Dissertation directed by: Professor Linda Steiner Philip Merrill College of Journalism Keywords: labor, unions, press, media, journalism, International Labor Press Association, ILCA, ILPA, AFL-CIO, social movements This dissertation examines post-World War II debates within U.S. unions over the role and character of the labor press. I use archival sources and interviews to construct a history of the International Labor Communications Association (ILCA). The AFL-CIO created the ILCA (originally, the International Labor Press Association) in 1956 to strengthen communications with union members and the public. Representing hundreds of publications, the ILCA remains the only national organization of journalists working on behalf of U.S. unions. The debates over the role and character of union media are put in the context of social movement and organization theory. Like most modern social movements, organized labor exists as both a set of bureaucratic institutions and as diffuse agglomerations of individuals struggling against dominant social actors. Policies and practices that prioritize the needs of union organizations and leaders (i.e. tendencies towards "business unionism") frequently conflict with the needs and impulses of rank-and-file workers ("social movement unionism"). The debates I examine--a campaign in the 1960s to win AFL-CIO support for community-based labor newspapers; divisions among union editors and leaders in the 1980s and 1990s over the use of electronic technologies for national public relations instead of local campaigns; a dispute in the late 1990s over editorial freedom for union journalists--express the underlying tensions between business and social-movement unionism. Movements use internal media to create member identities, define opponents, frame issues, and set goals. Debates over the content of movement media and who those media should mobilize are debates over the nature of the movement itself. U.S. unions are shrinking in size and influence. I conclude that union media will be indispensable in any successful effort to spark a new workers' movement. Given the constraints imposed by union leaders on the labor press, however, I conclude that the chances of igniting a new movement will be greatly enhanced if union journalists collaborate outside the current union structures. Digital media and networks of progressive media activists offer unprecedented opportunities for union journalists to communicate with vast numbers of wage earners rapidly, and at relatively low cost

Opportunities for information sharing: case studies

Personal information provided to government and non-government service providers is highly sensitive. Appropriate collection, management and storage of personal information are critical elements to citizen trust in the public sector. However, misconceptions about the frameworks governing sharing personal information can impact on the coordination of services, case management and policy development. &nbsp; The NSW Department of Premier &amp; Cabinet engaged the Social Policy Research Centre to develop three case studies that identified the challenges to sharing information appropriately, and the opportunities for better personal information sharing between government agencies and non-government organisations. Improved sharing of personal information in these areas can support more effective policy development, leading to improved service delivery performance and coordination. &nbsp; The Social Policy Research Centre identified the legislative and policy framework for each case study, conducted qualitative research on the interpretation of this framework, and developed three case study reports

Mobile CRM Integration Using AMC Technology APIs

The problem our project solves is the feasibility of use of Salesforce, MSCRM and many other CRM technologies outside of the desk environment. When a user is away from their desk, they are unable to easily use these CRM technologies and our project solves that problem through the use of a Mobile Application that communicates with a desired CRM technology and deliver the desired information to an Android Smart-Watch. Regardless of what a company may do, efficiency is important. Through the use of our Mobile Application, companies that use CRM technologies such as Salesforce are able to further enhance their efficiency, especially when away from the desk environment. There are clear advantages to having a more efficient work force, so the impact of our application is clear as well as it aims to improve efficiency. For this project we used an Agile development approach. We viewed the project as three parts that could all be worked on separately and then implemented together after completion of each. This allowed for very rapid development and, as a result, the project was finished quickly. We felt that our project was highly successful and an excellent product worthy of recognition. We’re excited to see what more we can do with it in the following semester and excited to learn what AMC Technology will do with our project after we graduate.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1023/thumbnail.jp

Workers\u27 Compensation Is Not an Employee Benefit Program: \u3cem\u3eHoward Delivery Services, Inc. v. Zurich American Insurance Co. \u3c/em\u3e

The United States Supreme Court held that unpaid workers\u27 compensation premiums owed to a private creditor are not afforded priority status in a bankruptcy proceeding as contributions to an employee benefit plan, largely because employers receive at least an equal benefit from workers\u27 compensation as do employees. Howard Delivery Servs., Inc. v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co., 126 S. Ct. 2105 (2006)

Tuberculosis in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa--a potential time bomb.

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Application of highly portable MinION nanopore sequencing technology for the monitoring of nosocomial tuberculosis infection

Referral hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa concentrate large numbers of tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients, failed by community TB services. We have previously shown, from enhanced screening and through autopsy studies, a significant burden of missed TB infections at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, with many patients dying or being discharged without treatment. With minimal TB isolation facilities and minimal political will to invest in broader screening and isolation, the risk of nosocomial transmission is likely to be extremely high. Studies from other hospitals in low burden settings and in South Africa have shown that next generation sequencing (NGS) is a very powerful tool for rapidly sequencing whole TB genomes and comparing them to confirm or rule out nosocomial transmission. The established platforms for NGS analysis, such as Illumina, are very expensive, immobile, and require regular maintenance, making them a costly inclusion on a research proposal or programmatic intervention grant in Africa. MinION nanopore sequencing has changed the NGS landscape with cheap portable sequencers, rapid simple library preparation (15min), and automated real-time analysis tools. The application of highly portable MinION nanopore sequencing technology for the monitoring of nosocomial TB infection will be discussed. Preliminary data from our pediatric pneumonia study will demonstrate the detection of TB in induced sputum from children admitted to the University Teaching Hospital