Impacts of fungal entomopathogens on survival and immune responses of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens mosquitoes in the context of native Wolbachia infections

Microbial control of mosquitoes via the use of symbiotic or pathogenic microbes, such as Wolbachia and entomopathogenic fungi, are promising alternatives to synthetic insecticides to tackle the rapid increase in insecticide resistance and vector-borne disease outbreaks. This study evaluated the susceptibility and host responses of two important mosquito vectors, Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens, that naturally carry Wolbachia, to infections by entomopathogenic fungi. Our study indicated that while Wolbachia presence did not provide a protective advantage against entomopathogenic fungal infection, it nevertheless influenced the bacterial / fungal load and the expression of select anti-microbial effectors and phenoloxidase cascade genes in mosquitoes. Furthermore, although host responses from Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens were mostly similar, we observed contrasting phenotypes with regards to susceptibility and immune responses to fungal entomopathogenic infection in these two mosquitoes. This study provides new insights into the intricate multipartite interaction between the mosquito host, its native symbiont and pathogenic microbes that might be employed to control mosquito populations

Electronic structure and chemical bonding in Ti2AlC investigated by soft x-ray emission spectroscopy

The electronic structure of the nanolaminated transition metal carbide Ti2AlC has been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. The measured Ti L, C K and Al L emission spectra are compared with calculated spectra using ab initio density-functional theory including dipole matrix elements. The detailed investigation of the electronic structure and chemical bonding provides increased understanding of the physical properties of this type of nanolaminates. Three different types of bond regions are identified; the relatively weak Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization 1 eV below the Fermi level, and the Ti 3d - C 2p and Ti 3d - C 2s hybridizations which are stronger and deeper in energy are observed around 2.5 eV and 10 eV below the Fermi level, respectively. A strongly modified spectral shape of the 3s final states in comparison to pure Al is detected for the buried Al monolayers indirectly reflecting the Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization. The differences between the electronic and crystal structures of Ti2AlC, Ti3AlC2 and TiC are discussed in relation to the number of Al layers per Ti layer in the two former systems and the corresponding change of the unusual materials properties.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; PACS:78.70.En, 71.15.Mb, 71.20.-

Electronic structure and chemical bonding in Ti4SiC3 investigated by soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and first principle theory

The electronic structure in the new transition metal carbide Ti4SiC3 has been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and compared to the well-studied Ti3SiC2 and TiC systems. The measured high-resolution Ti L, C K and Si L x-ray emission spectra are discussed with ab initio calculations based on density-functional theory including core-to-valence dipole matrix elements. The detailed investigations of the Ti-C and Ti-Si chemical bonds provide increased understanding of the physical properties of these nanolaminates. A strongly modified spectral shape is detected for the buried Si monolayers due to Si 3p hybridization with the Ti 3d orbitals. As a result of relaxation of the crystal structure and the charge-transfer from Ti (and Si) to C, the strength of the Ti-C covalent bond is increased. The differences between the electronic and crystal structures of Ti4SiC3 and Ti3SiC2 are discussed in relation to the number of Si layers per Ti layer in the two systems and the corresponding change of materials properties.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

A Call to Action: Person-Centered Care Aligned with Reproductive Justice for Incarcerated Pregnant People with Substance Use Disorder

Although research has proven that jails and prisons are ineffective in preventing or reducing substance use among pregnant people, the USA continues to rely heavily on the criminal legal system as its intervention. Pregnant people with an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience incarceration than pregnant people without an opioid use disorder. In some states, pregnant people are transported from jail to prison through the process of safekeeping in order to receive physical or mental health care that the jail does not provide, despite conviction status. When pregnant and postpartum safekeepers with an opioid use disorder experience incarceration, they face barriers related to continuity of physical and behavioral health care, have limited access to maternal-infant attaching opportunities at delivery, and are at risk for an opioid-related overdose upon release. This commentary describes clinical care challenges that impact the reproductive health needs of pregnant safekeepers with an opioid use disorder and offers solution-focused innovations to reduce harm. Such solutions include uninterrupted optimal dosing of medication and integrated prenatal clinics, specialized substance use disorder treatment, and opportunities to integrate lactation programs and perinatal dyadic-focused services

Electronic structure investigation of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2, and Ti3GeC2 by soft-X-ray emission spectroscopy

The electronic structures of epitaxially grown films of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2 and Ti3GeC2 have been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft X-ray emission spectroscopy. The measured high-resolution Ti L, C K, Al L, Si L and Ge M emission spectra are compared with ab initio density-functional theory including core-to-valence dipole matrix elements. A qualitative agreement between experiment and theory is obtained. A weak covalent Ti-Al bond is manifested by a pronounced shoulder in the Ti L-emission of Ti3AlC2. As Al is replaced with Si or Ge, the shoulder disappears. For the buried Al and Si-layers, strongly hybridized spectral shapes are detected in Ti3AlC2 and Ti3SiC2, respectively. As a result of relaxation of the crystal structure and the increased charge-transfer from Ti to C, the Ti-C bonding is strengthened. The differences between the electronic structures are discussed in relation to the bonding in the nanolaminates and the corresponding change of materials properties.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Comparison of thermal stability in MAX211 and 312 phases

The susceptibility of four MAX phases (Ti2AlC, Cr2AlC, Ti3AlC2, and Ti3SiC2) to high-temperature thermal dissociation in vacuum has been investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction. In high vacuum, these phases decomposed above 1400°C through the sublimation of M and A elements, forming a surface coating of MC. The apparent activation energies for the decomposition of sintered Ti3SiC2, Ti3AlC2, and Ti2AlC were determined to be 179.3, -71.9, and 85.7 kJ mol−1, respectively. The spontaneous release of Ti2AlC and TiC from de-intercalation during decomposition of Ti3AlC2 resulted in a negative activation energy

Measuring the value of air quality: application of the spatial hedonic model

This study applies a hedonic model to assess the economic benefits of air quality improvement following the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment at the county level in the lower 48 United States. An instrumental variable approach that combines geographically weighted regression and spatial autoregression methods (GWR-SEM) is adopted to simultaneously account for spatial heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation. SEM mitigates spatial dependency while GWR addresses spatial heterogeneity by allowing response coefficients to vary across observations. Positive amenity values of improved air quality are found in four major clusters: (1) in East Kentucky and most of Georgia around the Southern Appalachian area; (2) in a few counties in Illinois; (3) on the border of Oklahoma and Kansas, on the border of Kansas and Nebraska, and in east Texas; and (4) in a few counties in Montana. Clusters of significant positive amenity values may exist because of a combination of intense air pollution and consumer awareness of diminishing air quality

Pandemic policies and breastfeeding: A cross-sectional study during the onset of COVID-19 in the United States

The United States is one of the few countries, and the only high-income country, that does not federally mandate protection of postpartum employment through paid postpartum maternity and family leave policies. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., stay-at-home orders were implemented nationally, creating a natural experiment in which to document the effects of de facto paid leave on infant feeding practices in the first postpartum year. The purpose of this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was to describe infant and young child feeding intentions, practices, decision-making, and experiences during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected March 27–May 31, 2020 via online survey among a convenience sample of respondents, ages 18 years and older, who were currently feeding a child 2 years of age or younger, yielding 1,437 eligible responses. Nearly all (97%) respondents indicated an intention to feed their infant exclusively with human milk in the first 6 months. A majority of respondents who were breastfeeding (66%) reported no change in breastfeeding frequency after the implementation of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. However, thirty-one percent indicated that they breastfed more frequently due to stay-at-home orders and delayed plans to wean their infant or young child. Key themes drawn from the qualitative data were: emerging knowledge and perceptions of the relationship between COVID-19 and breastfeeding, perceptions of immune factors in human milk, and the social construction of COVID-19 and infant and young child feeding perceptions and knowledge. There were immediate positive effects of stay-at-home policies on human milk feeding practices, even during a time of considerable uncertainty about the safety of breastfeeding and the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 via human milk, constrained access to health care services and COVID-19 testing, and no effective COVID-19 vaccines. Federally mandated paid postpartum and family leave are essential to achieving more equitable lactation outcomes

Contracting Agile Developments for Mission Critical Systems in the Public Sector

Although Agile is a well established software development paradigm, major concerns arise when it comes to contracting issues between a software consumer and a software producer. How to contractualize the Agile production of software, especially for security & mission critical organizations, which typically outsource software projects, has been a major concern since the beginning of the \u201cAgile Era.\u201d In literature, little has been done, from a foundational point of view regarding the formalization of such contracts. Indeed, when the development is outsourced, the management of the contractual life is non\u2013trivial. This happens because the interests of the two parties are typically not aligned. In these situations, software houses strive for the minimization of the effort, while the customer commonly expects high quality artifacts. This structural asymmetry can hardly be overcome with traditional \u201cWaterfall\u201d contracts. In this work, we propose a foundational approach to the Law & Economics of Agile contracts. Moreover, we explore the key elements of the Italian procurement law and outline a suitable solution to merge some basic legal constraints with Agile requirements. Finally, a case study is presented, describing how Agile contracting has been concretely implemented in the Italian Defense Acquisition Process. This work is intended to be a framework for Agile contracts for the Italian public sector of critical systems, according to the new contractual law (Codice degli Appalti)

The use of fatty acid profile as a potential marker for Brazilian coffee (Coffea arabica L.) for corn adulteration

Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition of the coffee (Coffea arabica L.) varieties Catuai, Catucaí, Bourbom, Mundo Novo, Rubí and Topázio known to produce beverage of intermediate, excellent, excellent, intermediate, intermediate and poor quality, respectively, was determined for the first time. Average area % of the FAMEs of the six varieties was: palmitic (38.2), stearic (8.3), oleic (8.6), linoleic (38.5), linolenic (1.6) and arachidic (3.6) acids, respectively. The method was very quick with complete characterization (>99%) of the samples studied being possible in less than 6 min. While these values may provide insights for evaluating the coffee quality, no significant effect (p < 0.05) of coffee variety was found on area % of the FAMEs. In addition, FAMEs of six corn samples, six commercial coffee brands and one commercial coffee sample intentionally contaminated with three levels of corn were compared. Although the linoleic/stearic ratio was significantly different in coffee and corn FAMEs, this probe could not be used a marker to detect corn adulteration in commercial coffees