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High-temperature CMAS corrosion has become a crucial factor inhibiting the further development of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) because of the increasing service temperature of aero-engines. Herein, a novel mid-entropy rare-earth hafnate (Y0.3Gd0.3Yb0.4)4Hf3O12 (YGYbH) was prepared by ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) technology, and its CMAS corrosion behavior and mechanism were investigated. During corrosion, the Ca2RE8(SiO4)6O2 apatite phase with a lower formation enthalpy and entropy-stabilized effect had a more intense tendency to be generated, which improves the density and stability of the reaction layer, hindering the further penetration of molten CMAS. Moreover, the significant lattice distortion caused by the rare-earth ions with different radii impeded the ionic diffusion, which delayed the CMAS corrosion reaction. In general, YGYbH, with excellent CMAS corrosion resistance, has the potential to serve as a next-generation TBC material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) promotes wakefulness states under general anesthesia. Recent studies have shown that glutamatergic neurons within the PBN play a crucial role in facilitating emergence from anesthesia. Our previous study indicates that vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vglut2) expression neurons of the PBN extend into the extended amygdala (EA). However, the modulation of PBNvglut2‐EA in general anesthesia remains poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the role of PBNvglut2‐EA in alterations of consciousness during sevoflurane anesthesia. Methods: We first validated vglut2‐expressing neuron projections from the PBN to the EA using anterograde tracing. Then, we conducted immunofluorescence staining of c‐Fos to investigate the role of the EA involved in the regulation of consciousness during sevoflurane anesthesia. After, we performed calcium fiber photometry recordings to determine the changes in PBNvglut2‐EA activity. Lastly, we modulated PBNvglut2‐EA activity under sevoflurane anesthesia using optogenetics, and electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded during specific optogenetic modulation. Results: The expression of vglut2 in PBN neurons projected to the EA, and c‐Fos expression in the EA was significantly reduced during sevoflurane anesthesia. Fiber photometry revealed that activity in the PBNvglut2‐EA pathway was suppressed during anesthesia induction but restored upon awakening. Optogenetic activation of the PBNvglut2‐EA delayed the induction of anesthesia. Meanwhile, EEG recordings showed significantly decreased δ oscillations and increased β and γ oscillations compared to the EYFP group. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of the PBNvglut2‐EA resulted in an acceleration of awakening from anesthesia, accompanied by decreased δ oscillations on EEG recordings. Optogenetic inhibition of PBNvglut2‐EA accelerated anesthesia induction. Surprisingly, we found a sex‐specific regulation of PBNvglut2‐EA in this study. The activity of PBNvglut2‐EA was lower in males during the induction of anesthesia and decreased more rapidly during sevoflurane anesthesia compared to females. Photoactivation of the PBNvglut2‐EA reduced the sensitivity of males to sevoflurane, showing more pronounced wakefulness behavior and EEG changes than females. Conclusions: PBNvglut2‐EA is involved in the promotion of wakefulness under sevoflurane anesthesia. Furthermore, PBNvglut2‐EA shows sex differences in the changes of consciousness induced by sevoflurane anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between expanded access to driver's licences among undocumented immigrants and the number of post‐mortem organ donors, using difference‐in‐differences modelling and event study estimation techniques. Results suggest that the adoption of laws that grant driver's licences to undocumented immigrants effectively increased the population of licensed drivers by about 2.7%. These increments eventually led to subsequent increases in the number of Hispanic organ donors by 28%, and the outcome is driven mainly by young adult Hispanic donors. Moreover, DLU laws are further credited with an approximately 17% increase in organ transplants, particularly among Hispanics, although transplant waiting list addition numbers are not significantly affected. As these laws pave the way for more undocumented drivers to register as organ donors, such legislation could help to alleviate organ shortage issues and narrow the 'ethnic waiting period gap' for organ transplants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are promising as semiconducting light-emitting materials due to improved environmental stability and unique optical properties, compared with three-dimensional MHPs. However, toxic Pb and relatively low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) limit the potentials of these 2D lead halides in solid-state lighting. Herein, we report a series of F-doped, 2D zinc halide-layered perovskites based on phenylethylamine (PEA), PEA2ZnFxCl4–x, which exhibits efficient white light and the highest PLQY of 21.02% at x = 0.40, seven times higher than that of non-F doping samples for 2D hybrid white-light-emitting MHPs. Steady-state and temperature-dependent optical measurements verify that the white-emission arose from self-trapped excitons and highlight the significant effects of F-doping and defect passivation on efficient photoluminescence. Especially, F-doped 2D zinc halide perovskites show ultrahigh stability with negligible degradation for 1000 h at 80 °C. This work paves an avenue to designing efficient and stable single-component white-light-emitting diodes in solid-state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of E‐Verify adoption on the total number of farm workers, total acres of operated farmland, and farm wages. This article finds that states with a high E‐Verify enforcement level experiences a decrease in the total number of farm workers and the total acres of operated farmland, suggesting that farms reduced their production scales after E‐Verify. However, this study finds no E‐Verify impact on farm weekly wages. This result could be a result of crop mix shift. States that adopt more stringent immigration policies should prepare the farm sector for a variety of negative shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of Omnibus Immigration Laws on the mental health of the Hispanic populations in the U.S. We use a Difference‐in‐Differences framework and data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the 2000–2016 period that contains information on more than 400 thousand Hispanics residing in the U.S. We find that the most stringent provision, namely, "show me your papers" laws, adversely affects the mental health of Hispanics and contributes to an increase of 12%–16% in the number of unhealthy mental days and an increase of 13%–18% in the probability of having frequent mental distress in the states with "show me your papers" laws. OIL provisions that enforced the use of E‐Verify or limited the use of public benefits to unauthorized immigrants did not have any effect on mental health. The study also examines (1) police stops, (2) physical health, insurance, and employment status, (3) co‐ethnic density, and (4) immigration enforcement awareness as potential mechanisms that could lead to a deterioration in the mental health of Hispanics. The evidence indicates their vulnerability to strict immigration enforcement. The social and public health cost should be carefully evaluated when formulating and implementing immigration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the heterogeneous wage effects of E-Verify adoption on natives and immigrants by industry and skill level using a Difference-in-Differences model. The results suggest that immigrant workers in low-skilled occupations (e.g. manual laborer, low-skill services, and craft workers) in the manual industry experience a decrease in wages after E-Verify adoption, while immigrant workers who are high school graduates and those that have clerical and sales positions in the service and retail trade industries experience a wage increase. We find insignificant changes in the wage level of native workers of all skill levels. E-Verify did not effectively improve the wage level of native workers because the impacts seem to be absorbed by immigrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potatoes have become increasingly popular among consumers due to their health benefits, and, as a result, sweet potato production has been growing rapidly over the last decade in the United States. However, the industry is facing major challenges, including the risk of disease outbreaks and adverse weather events, which could potentially have a significant impact on the market. However, the economic literature on the sweet potato commodity is limited. This study models the U.S. sweet potato market price response to supply changes and derives elasticity estimates. This information is essential for understanding the sweet potato market and for simulating the impacts of potential supply shocks, given the challenges that the industry is facing. We found that prices are highly sensitive to supply. North Carolina, the largest sweet potato producer in the country, dominates the domestic market and exerts significantly larger influences on market prices than other producing states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the 2008 Legal Arizona Workers Act on farm wage, production mix, farm capital use, and agricultural innovation using the synthetic control method. The findings indicate that the law significantly reduced farm worker population in Arizona. Farm wage is not affected by the decreased supply of farm labor because farms in Arizona reduced labor‐intensive crop production. The agricultural sector does not increase the use of farm capital and experiences a decrease in profits. Moreover, this study finds no impact on agricultural patents and research funding in Arizona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour shortages have been a major challenge for U.S. agriculture. Migrant farm workers who constitute a crucial agricultural labour force across the country have experienced a notable decline in recent years. Using the Propensity Score Matching method, this study examines how public health insurance of the Medicaid programme affects the migration of farm workers of different legal statuses. Unlike citizen farm workers, permanent-resident and undocumented farm workers decreased migration across states due to the impact of Medicaid. The findings suggest that a more suitable health insurance design that does not disrupt farm workers' migration patterns during production seasons is needed to increase agricultural labour supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US produce industry faces intensifying competition from imports, particularly those from Mexico, the largest exporter of produce to the United States. Fresh produce imports from Mexico have grown dramatically in recent years. This study examines the impact of increasing fresh tomato imports from Mexico on market price and revenue of US growers. Results show that tomato prices are highly sensitive to supply, suggesting a saturated market. Imports from Mexico have significant negative impacts on the prices of US domestic tomatoes. A scenario of 50% increase in tomato imports from Mexico could result in a $252 million (27%) revenue loss for American growers, thus posing great challenges to the sustainability of the declining US tomato industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their introduction in the 1840s, one of the largest mysteries of modern anesthesia are how general anesthetics create the state of reversible loss of consciousness. Increasing researchers have shown that neural pathways that regulate endogenous sleep–wake systems are also involved in general anesthesia. Recently, the Lateral Habenula (LHb) was considered as a hot spot for both natural sleep–wake and propofol-induced sedation; however, the role of the LHb and related pathways in the isoflurane-induced unconsciousness has yet to be identified. Here, using real-time calcium fiber photometry recordings in vivo , we found that isoflurane reversibly increased the activity of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Then, we selectively ablated LHb glutamatergic neurons in Vglut2-cre mice, which caused a longer induction time and less recovery time along with a decrease in delta-band power in mice under isoflurane anesthesia. Furthermore, using a chemogenetic approach to specifically activate LHb glutamatergic neurons shortened the induction time and prolonged the recovery time in mice under isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in delta-band power. In contrast, chemogenetic inhibition of LHb glutamatergic neurons was very similar to the effects of selective lesions of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Finally, optogenetic activation of LHb glutamatergic neurons or the synaptic terminals of LHb glutamatergic neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) produced a hypnosis-promoting effect in isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in slow wave activity. Our results suggest that LHb glutamatergic neurons and pathway are vital in modulating isoflurane anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, metal‐halide perovskites have attracted increasing attention in optoelectronics, due to their superior optoelectronic properties. However, inherent instabilities of conventional three‐dimensional (3D) perovskites over moisture, heat, and light remain a severe challenge before the realization of commercial application of metal‐halide perovskites. Interestingly, when the dimensions of metal‐halide perovskites are reduced to two dimensions (2D), many of the novel properties will arise, such as enlarged bandgap, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and large exciton binding energy. As a result, 2D metal‐halide perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices display excellent performance, particularly as ambient stable solar cells with excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE), high‐performance light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) with sharp emission peak, and high‐sensitive photodetectors. In this review, we first introduce the synthesis, structure, and physical properties of 2D perovskites. Then, the 2D perovskite‐based solar cells, LEDs, and photodetectors are discussed. Finally, a brief overview of the opportunities and challenges for 2D perovskite optoelectronics is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of the enforcement of SB 1070, a stringent immigration law, on the mental health, health‐risk behaviors, and academic performance of Hispanic adolescent residents in Arizona. Using the difference‐in‐differences method, this study finds that SB 1070 increases their probability of feeling sad and decreases their physical activeness. The impact of SB 1070 on sad feelings and level of physical activity could have serious repercussions while it lasts. In addition, obese male Hispanic adolescents are more likely than their female or non‐obese counterparts to develop mental health problems and engage in health‐risk behaviors attributable to the stringent immigration policy. This study's empirical evidence on adverse mental health repercussions for Hispanic adolescents of state‐level immigration enforcement suggests the need to be careful in formulating and implementing immigration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of China's public health insurance program on the farm employment decisions of the rural population. Using a difference‐in‐differences (DID) model, this study indicates that the public health insurance reform led to reallocation of the rural labor force out of the farm sector by reducing the farm employment and increasing the likelihood of rural residents working in both the farm and nonfarm sectors. This research finds that rural female residents who are of a younger age and in better health were more likely to leave farm employment when covered by public health insurance. Suggestive evidence also finds that such public health insurance reform increased the individual income of the farm population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By investigating the diffusion of information among social networks, and by presenting an analysis of apple growers in terms of the mechanism that underlies insurance decision-making, this paper first examined the relationship between information diffusion in social networks and the volatility that is observed in the crop insurance purchasing rate in China. In accordance with the mean-field theory of social networks, a mathematical model of infectious disease dynamics was employed to construct an insurance purchasing model, and the convergence value of the crop insurance purchasing rate was derived. Second, this paper analyzed research data related to apple insurance, and verified some of the properties related to purchasing rate fluctuations. The results show that the purchasing rate of crop insurance has a unique convergence point. The greater the average degree among the social network, the quicker the crop insurance purchasing rate reached the convergence point, and the lower its volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA) on the farm occupation decisions of family labour in agricultural households. This question is studied at the individual level using the difference-in-differences model with the American Community Survey data from 2000 to 2010. We find that LAWA has significantly increased the probability of farm family labourers choosing agricultural occupations by 3–5.5 per cent and the impact is 11 per cent for non-Hispanic farms. This study suggests that stringent immigration laws could change the patterns of family labour use among US farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for organic products quickly grows in the U.S., the domestic supply of organic commodities has stagnated and failed to meet the increasing needs. To expand the organic supply capacity in the country, it is crucial to identify the key factors that could effectively promote the scale of organic farming in the U.S. Using a multivariate analytic model and state level data from multiple sources and years, this study examines a wide range of determinants that could affect organic agriculture. The results show that research funding would significantly increase organic vegetable production and the number of organic farms. The development of organic farming could be greatly encouraged by the support of research institutions. In addition, the evidence shows that abundant farm workers are essential for the organic farming sector, which is labor-intensive. Finally, a large population base could create a more stable consumer group that would promote the development of organic agriculture. These results suggest the importance of exploring and expanding consumer groups for organic commodities. These findings provide insightful implications that research support, labor availability, and a solid consumer base are crucial to boost the organic sector in the U.S. and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]