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Merging of isolated liquid drops is a common phenomenon that may greatly be influenced by adding polymeric contents to the liquid. Here, we bring out an exclusive control on the dynamics of the intermediate liquid bridge, thus, formed via exploiting the interactions of an exciting electric field with a trace amount of polymeric inclusions present in the intermingling drops. Our results unveil a unique competition of the elastic recovery and time-oscillatory forcing during the drop-unification at early times. However, damped oscillations as a specific signature of the polymer concentration feature eventual stabilization of the bridge at later instants of time. We rationalize these experimental findings in light of a simple unified theory that holds its critical implications in droplet manipulation in a wide variety of applications encompassing digital microfluidics, chemical processing, and biomedical analytics.

International audience; Belemnites were a group of Mesozoic coleoids with a global distribution from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. During the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, Gondwana's marine shelves were dominated by Belemnopsis and Hibolithes populations. In contrast to the Austral Basin, where both genera are quite common, their record in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) is rather scarce and poor, probably due to a combination of locally unfavorable environmental conditions and predation pressure. Here we describe a new belemnite association from the Tithonian of the Vaca Muerta Formation from southern Mendoza and northern Neuquén provinces. Belemnite's findings are assignable to the Tithonian Windhauseniceras internispinosum and Corongoceras alternans Andean ammonoid Biozones. The studied rostra are identified as Belemnopsis cf. B. patagoniensis, Belemnopsis cf. B. launceloti, and Hibolithes argentinus? Affinities of the Neuquén Basin belemnite fauna are referred to the Madagascan-Eastern Africa associations (Ethiopian Subprovince, Tethyan Province), adding evidence to an established Trans-Gondwana seaway enabling the connection between those areas from the Tithonian onwards.

The possibilities of the precise control of wetting properties of a series of laser-induced graphene (LIG) films consisting of microscale air pockets on top of nano-scale surface roughness using electrowetting are demonstrated. By application of a marginal DC bias (∼2 V), water can efficiently wet as well as can be pumped through the superhydrophobic LIG substrates. Interestingly, the electrowetting phenomenon is strongly dependent on the applied voltage polarity and it causes an abrupt wetting transition from superhydrophobic (contact angle ∼152°) Cassie state to superhydrophilic (contact angle ∼7°) Wenzel state on the LIG films. By analyzing the voltage polarity dependent electrowetting results with an equivalent electrical circuit model at the solid-liquid interface, and considering the hierarchical dual surface roughness (micro-nano scale), the transition between the “slippy” Cassie state and the “sticky” Wenzel states is explained. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the unique structural characteristics of the custom-designed micropatterned LIGs, with precisely tailored surface energy by simple post-annealing treatment, enable easy preparation of superhydrophobic LIG films. The approach to prepare stable superhydrophobic LIG with voltage polarity dependent wetting mode transition is used here to controllably transport of water through 3D porous LIG surfaces.

Resume Introduction Les manifestations cutanees de la maladie de Crohn sont frequentes, et comprennent notamment les lesions metastatiques a distance du tube digestif, touchant notamment les membres et les grands plis. L’atteinte ombilicale est exceptionnelle. Observation Une femme de 93 ans suivie pour une maladie de Crohn depuis 6 ans, en remission sous infliximab, 5 mg/kg toutes les 8 semaines, consultait pour une omphalite fissuraire et douloureuse. L’histologie retrouvait des granulomes epithelioides sans necrose au sein du derme, permettant de poser le diagnostic de metastase cutanee ombilicale de sa maladie de Crohn. L’evolution etait favorable apres intensification de l’infliximab a toutes les 6 semaines. Conclusion Nous rapportons un cas unique de localisation metastatique ombilicale d’une maladie de Crohn survenue au cours d’un traitement par anti-TNF alpha. Le diagnostic repose sur la biopsie cutanee et l’histologie qui retrouve des granulomes epithelioides sans necrose caseeuse.

Copper sprays are the most important measure for control of citrus canker. Mechanical wounds caused by cultural practices are entry points for the causal bacterium, Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, and exacerbate the disease. It is not known whether additional applications would protect mechanical wounds from infection by X. citri. This study aimed to assess the predisposition of mechanical wounds to infection and the efficacy of a single copper spray applied at different times for protecting wounds against X. citri under greenhouse conditions. Access of wounds to infection was assessed by spray-inoculating a suspension of the bacterium on leaves from 0 to 7 days after wounding. Timing of a copper application was assessed by treating the wounded leaves at different points before or after bacterial inoculation and/or wounding. The incidence of wounds with citrus canker decreased over time after wounding. No lesions developed in wounds inoculated 7 days after injury. Copper sprayed at all timings reduced the incidence of citrus canker at wound sites compared to the non-treated leaves. Copper sprayed before wounding and/or inoculation showed the greatest reduction (>90%) in the incidence of citrus canker. The reduction in canker associated with wounds ranged from 91.8 to 96.1% for copper sprays applied from 24 h before to 0.5 h after wounding and inoculation, and was 67.8% when copper was applied up to 8 h after wounding and inoculation. As X. citri is splash-dispersed, we conclude that wounds need to be protected with copper sprays if rain is forecast within 7 days of a wounding event. In case no rain is expected, there is no need to protect the trees with copper. However, if trees are wounded when the canopy is wet, a copper spray should be applied before or immediately after the wounding event (but not more than 8 h later). A single appropriately timed copper spray allows the protection of wounds against citrus canker even after the tissue is injured.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T19:54:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-03-30 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) According to the most recent regulation, published in 2018, areas or states of Brazil where citrus canker is endemic are no longer obliged to eradicate citrus trees affected by the disease as in the past 60 years. Instead, growers have to adopt a set of control measures, such as copper sprays, windbreaks, and control of the citrus leaf miner to minimize the impact of the disease on fruit quality and yield. Another important change was that all fresh Fruit commercialized out of the state of origin and to other countries have to be sanitized against the canker-causing bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (X. citri). Initially, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was the only product allowed in Brazil by the referred legislation. Recently, this bactericide was prohibited to be used on fresh fruit shipped to the European Union and replaced by eugenol at 2%. Although effective, NaOCl may damage fruit skin, cause corrosion of packing house equipment and react with organic matter, which generates noxious by products. Here, we evaluated an alternative to NaOCl known as PosFruit. GC/MS and H-1 NMR chemical analyses showed that Posfruit contains both cinnamaldehyde isomers, with the trans being present in larger quantities. We showed that PosFruit was as effective as NaOCl to eliminate X. citri from citrus fruit artificially contaminated with the bacterium. In a pilot sanitization line, treatment with 2% PosFruit reduced the X. citri population on contaminated fruit by 4 log(10) CFU/mL. Furthermore, we detect neither the natural resistance of X. citri to PosFruit nor the persistence of the bacterium following progressive exposure to the product, which indicates that the product has multi-target action. PosFruit is a plant fortifier, residue-free, and efficient alternative to NaOCl for post-harvest decontamination of citrus fruit against X. citri. Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bioquim & Microbiol, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Fundo Def Citricultura Fundecitrus, Dept Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento, BR-14807040 Araraquara, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, CEIS, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bioquim & Microbiol, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, CEIS, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2017/09233-9

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:15:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-08-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) After a new regulation on the control of citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri) came into force in Brazil in 2017, the post-harvest sanitization of citrus fruit became mandatory to prevent dissemination of the causal pathogen and enable the commercial trade of citrus to other states and countries. Although several sanitizers are available worldwide for decontamination of fresh produce, only sodium hypochlorite is legally required by the country for decontamination of citrus fruit traded with other states and countries against X. citri in the packing house. Thus, the objectives of this study were to assess the efficiency of chlorine dioxide, peracetic acid, and calcium oxychloride as alternative sanitizers and exposure times of 1 and 2 min for the post-harvest decontamination of citrus fruit against X. citri. Sodium hypochlorite, the legally required standard, was used as control. The sanitizers were evaluated regarding the capacity to eliminate live X. citri in solution immediately or 1 h after exposure to the products and the efficiency in disinfesting artificially and naturally contaminated lime fruit. An additional assessment was carried out to determine the infective potential of X. citri suspensions at different concentrations in order to evaluate the risk of disease dissemination by the remaining bacterial population on the fruit following treatment. All the assessed sanitizers were able to completely eliminate X. citri in suspension immediately after treatment. In artificially and naturally contaminated fruit, the sanitizers promoted a significant reduction of 2.4–2.8 and 1.1 to 1.5 log10 cfu/mL, respectively, in the population of live bacteria when compared to the untreated control. In these experiments, the amount of X. citri that remained on the fruit ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 and 0.1 to 0.3 log10 cfu/mL, respectively, regardless of the exposure time. The labeled concentrations and treatment periods assessed effectively decontaminated fruit with X. citri and demonstrated little or no risk of pathogen spread from treated fruit. Fundo de Defesa da Citricultura (Fundecitrus) Coordenadoria de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado de São Paulo (CDA) Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Associação Brasileira de Citros de Mesa (ABCM) Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) CNPq: #031619 CNPq: #309261/2016-3

SUMMARYIn low-seismicity areas such as Europe, seismic records do not cover the whole range of variable configurations required for seismic hazard analysis. Usually, a set of empirical models established in such context (the Mediterranean Basin, northeast U.S.A., Japan, etc.) is considered through a logic-tree-based selection process. This approach is mainly based on the scientist’s expertise and ignores the uncertainty in model selection. One important and potential consequence of neglecting model uncertainty is that we assign more precision to our inference than what is warranted by the data, and this leads to overly confident decisions and precision. In this paper, we investigate the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) approach, using nine ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) issued from several databases. The BMA method has become an important tool to deal with model uncertainty, especially in empirical settings with large number of potential models and relatively limited number of observations. Two numerical techniques, based on the Markov chain Monte Carlo method and the maximum likelihood estimation approach, for implementing BMA are presented and applied together with around 1000 records issued from the RESORCE-2013 database. In the example considered, it is shown that BMA provides both a hierarchy of GMPEs and an improved out-of-sample predictive performance.

Abstract. The present research examines the influence of personality on ideologies about diversity in society. In two studies ( N = 668), we test whether Openness to Experience predicts beliefs in multiculturalism and colorblindness, and whether these relationships are mediated by perspective-taking tendencies. In Study 1, Openness positively predicted multiculturalism but negatively predicted colorblindness through ethnic perspective taking – findings that were independent of empathy, age, gender, and race/ethnicity. In Study 2, we attempted to replicate and extend our findings by using different measures of multiculturalism and colorblindness and a more general, interpersonal operationalization of perspective taking. Results indicate Openness positively predicted both multiculturalism and colorblindness through interpersonal perspective taking (also independent of age, gender, and race/ethnicity), suggesting the pattern of findings varied as a function of perspective-taking type. Implications for the complexity of the Openness dimension and future research directions are discussed.

As a coherent diffraction imaging technique, ptychography provides high-spatial resolution beyond Rayleigh’s criterion of the focusing optics, but it is also sensitively affected by the decoherence coming from the spatial and temporal variations in the experiment. Here we show that high-speed ptychographic data acquisition with short exposure can effectively reduce the impact from experimental variations. To reach a cumulative dose required for a given resolution, we further demonstrate that a continuous multi-pass scan via high-speed ptychography can achieve high-resolution imaging. This low-dose scan strategy is shown to be more dose-efficient, and has potential for radiation-sensitive sample studies and time-resolved imaging.

Cutaneous manifestations of Crohn's disease are frequent and include metastatic lesions. These are separated from the digestive tract and affect particularly the limbs and major folds. Umbilical involvement is exceptional.A 93-year-old woman followed for 6 years for Crohn's disease, in remission on infliximab, 5mg/kg every 8 weeks, consulted for a fissured and painful omphalitis. Histology revealed epithelioid granulomas without necrosis in the dermis, leading to the diagnosis of umbilical cutaneous metastasis of Crohn's disease. Infliximab intensification every 6 weeks led to a positive outcome.We report a unique case of umbilical metastatic localization of Crohn's disease occurring during treatment with anti-TNF alpha. The diagnosis was based on skin biopsy and histology which found epithelioid granulomas without caseous necrosis.