Influence of a specific aquatic program on social and gross motor skills in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Three case reports

Swimming pool activities revealed to be efficacious to train psychomotor skills and increase adaptive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a specific multi-systemic aquatic therapy (CI-MAT) on gross motor and social skills in three adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Methods: three adolescents with ASD of which two boys (M1 with a chronological age of 10.3 years and a mental age of 4.7 years; M2 with a chronological age of 14.6 and a mental age inferior to 4 years) and one girl (chronological age of 14.0 and a mental age inferior to 4 years). The study was divided into three phases: baseline, 12-week CI-MAT program and Post-Test. Participants were administered a battery of tests incorporating anthropometric measurements, gross motor development test and a social skills questionnaire before and after a 12-week MAT-CI program. Results: Subjects improved locomotors and object control skills following the CI-MAT program in a different way. Concerning social behaviors, the higher proportion of gains was observed in the sensitivity of other's presence and eye contact, for the contact domain, and in the comply turn for the relationship domain. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the CI-MAT program was effective for the development of gross-motor skills and social behaviors in subjects with ASD. Moreover there is an urge to carry out a whole psychological assessment targeting both motor and adaptive development suitable to provide educational and vocational plans of exercises for people with ASD

Egg parasitoid exploitation of plant volatiles induced by single or concurrent attack of a zoophytophagous predator and an invasive phytophagous pest

Zoophytophagous insect predators can induce physiological responses in plants by activating defence signalling pathways, but whether plants can respond to facultative phytophagy by recruiting natural enemies remains to be investigated. In Y-tube olfactometer bioassays, using a system including a Vicia faba plant, the zoophytophagous predator Podisus maculiventris and the egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi, we first demonstrated that T. podisi females are attracted by broad bean plants damaged by feeding activity of P. maculiventris and on which host egg masses had been laid, while they are not attracted by undamaged plants or plants damaged by feeding activity alone. In a second experiment, we evaluated the impact of the invasive phytophagous pest Halyomorpha halys on this plant volatile-mediated tritrophic communication. Results showed that the invasive herbivorous adults do not induce plants to recruit the native egg parasitoid, but they can disrupt the local infochemical network. In fact, T. podisi females are not attracted by volatiles emitted by plants damaged by H. halys feeding alone or combined with oviposition activity, nor are they attracted by plants concurrently infested by P. maculiventris and H. halys, indicating the specificity in the parasitoid response and the ability of the invasive herbivore in interrupting the semiochemical communication between plants and native egg parasitoids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing that zoophytophagous predator attacks induce indirect plant defences similarly to those defence strategies adopted by plants as a consequence of single or concurrent infestations of herbivorous insects

Studies on Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a review of associated hindgut flagellates and investigations on protist species of the Sicilian subspecies, R. lucifugus \u201cSicily\u201d

The present study was conducted on protist species from R. lucifugus \u201cSicily\u201d subspecies in a field site of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) on June 2015. Since protist species associated with R. lucifugus in Europe are still confused and recent revisions are lacking, this work aims at achieving greater clarity on these symbiosis trough a review of the literature in light of new phylogenetic studies on this termite species. The purpose of this work was also to highlight and quantify protists associated with the Sicilian subspecies, R. l. \u201cSicily\u201d. Results pointed out the real protist community attributable to R. lucifugus from the literature and showed 13 protist species detected in the subspecies R. l. \u201cSicily\u201d. These species were consistent with previous reports except for Spironympha sp., mentioned for the first time from this termite. Total protist population estimates was 26,814.71 \ub1 1,121.92 protists per termite. Dinenympha exilis and D. gracilis were found in greater abundance with relative species abundance of 17%. Monocercomonas termitis, Microjoenia hexamitoides, Trichonympha minor and Pyrsonympha flagellata could be used to distinguish R. lucifugus because these protists are not found in other Reticulitermes species

Indagine su Henosepilachna elaterii (Rossi) (=Epilachna chrysomelina (F.)) e Raphidopalpa foveicollis (Lucas) in meloneti biologici della Sicilia occidentale.

Investigations on Henosepilachna elaterii (Rossi) and Raphidopalpa foveicollis (Lucas) in an organic cultivation of winter melon in western Sicily. A study on H. elaterii and R. Foveicollis, serious pests of winter melon, was conducted in two organic melon fields of the western Sicily. Dynamics of population and infestation levels were investigated. In addition, the possible influence of mulching on R. Foveicollis infestation has been taken into account. Our results showed that H. elaterii occurred only in one field from the beginning of June and it infested 60% of the plants in the mid-July, then the pest population density dropped to about 10%. R. foveicollis occurred in both locations from the beginning of June and reached high levels of population density around the mid-June; then the pest density rapidly decreased in the two following weeks. Adults were found in the traps and the peak catches occurred in mid-June. A greater number of catches was found in the traps placed between the rows and the greater number of individuals has been detected on plants of the not mulched plots. The percentage of plants with damaged leaves ranged from 68.7% to 100% on mulched plots and 93.3% to 100% on not mulched plots. In conclusion, the damages inflicted by R. foveicollis are counterbalanced by the rapid growing rate of the plant occurring during June. Hence, this pest may cause serious injuries only in case of heavy infestation on winter melon seedlings. Similarly, the damage caused by H. elaterii is usually not heavy even if presence of high levels of infestation

Optimisation de la fermentation en milieu semi-solide pour la production d’ablo, pain cuit a la vapeur d’Afrique de l’ouest

Objectif : Evaluer trois équipements pour la fermentation de la pâte destinée à préparer l’ablo (pâte cuite à la vapeur) puis, l’influence de la température, de la durée de fermentation et du taux de levure ajoutée à la pâte.Méthodologie et résultats : La pâte semi-solide a été fermentée durant quatre heures à température ambiante (26-27 °C) dans du bac en verre, glacière et bassine en aluminium (Témoin). En outre, l’effet de la température, de la durée de fermentation et du taux de levure a été évalué à travers un dispositif factoriel complet dont les niveaux bas et hauts des facteurs rangeaient entre 2 et 6 heures, 22 et 30 °C et 1 et 3 g/Kg de farine. La pousse, le pH, l’acidité titrable et la charge en levures/moisissures ont été déterminés. A l’exception de la quantité de mousse produite et de la matière sèche, aucun effet significatif (P>0,05) du matériel de fermentation n’a été mis en évidence sur les paramètres mesurés. Le taux de levure, la température et la durée de fermentation avaient une influence positive significative (P<0,05) sur la quantité de mousse produite.Conclusion et application : Le dispositif en verre, suivi de la glacière, avaient généré la plus grande quantité de mousse, probablement à cause d’une relative herméticité ou de la forme géométrique régulière des deux dispositifs. Au rendement en pâte voisin de 180, la fermentation dans les conditions optimales validées exigeait 30 °C, 3 g de levure par Kg de farine de riz et 4 h de conditionnement ; ce qui donne une pâte fermentée possédant un pH compris entre 4,42 et 4,64, une teneur de matière sèche variant entre 29,99 et 38,79% et la variation de hauteur de la mousse comprise entre 4,85 et 5,62 cm. Il serait intéressant de tester ces conditions optima de fermentation sur autres matières premières (maïs, mélange riz-maïs) intervenant dans la production d’ablo.Mots clés : Ablo, levures, optimisation, fermentation, rizOptimization of semi-solid state fermentation for processing ablo, a wet steamed bread from West AfricaObjective: To test three equipments for the fermentation of rice semi-solid dough to produce ablo (a steamy and foamy bread) and then, to investigate the effect of fermentation temperature and duration and the rate of yeast on some critical parametersMethodology and results: The semi-solid dough was fermented for four hours in glass box, icebox and aluminum bowls (Control) at ambient temperature (26-27 °C). In addition, the effect of fermentation temperature and duration and the rate of yeast were investigated using full factorial design, with values ranging between 2 and 6 hours, 22 and 30 °C and 1 and 3 g/Kg flour. The pH, titrable acidity, the dry matter content and the quantity of moss/foam were determined as well as the yeast and fungi counts. Except for the moss produced and the dry matter content, no significant effect was evidenced on all other parameters measured as far as the equipment is considered. Significant and positive effects of temperature, duration and the rate of yeast (P<0.05) were observed on the quantity of moss producedConclusion and application: The glass box, followed by icebox were the best fermenting equipments of the dough, giving great amount of moss produced, probably due the airtight or the regular form of both equipments. At the dough yield of 180, the optimal values of these factors for upgrading fermentation of the rice dough included 30 °C, 3 g of yeast per Kg of flour and 4 hours of resting. These conditions was validated and lead to the fermented dough with pH ranging between 4.42 and 4.64, dry matter between 29.99 et 38.79% and moss height varying from 4.85 to 5.62 cm. In further work, it will be appreciated to test these optima conditions on maize or the mix rice-maize flour since they are raw materials for ablo productionKeywords: Yeast, optimization, fermentation, Abl

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) efficacy in the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunctions. A systematic review

Background: Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) has been proposed for the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), non-obstructive urinary retention (NOUR), neurogenic bladder, paediatric voiding dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain/painful bladder syndrome (CPP/PBS). Despite a number of publications produced in the last ten years, the role of PTNS in urinary tract dysfunctions remains unclear. A systematic review of the papers on PTNS has been performed with the aim to better clarify potentialities and limits of this technique in the treatment of OAB syndrome and in other above mentioned urological conditions. Methods. A literature search using MEDLINE and ISI web was performed. Search terms used were "tibial nerve" and each of the already mentioned conditions, with no time limits. An evaluation of level of evidence for each paper was performed. Results: PTNS was found to be effective in 37-100% of patients with OAB, in 41-100% of patients with NOUR and in up to 100% of patients with CPP/PBS, children with OAB/dysfunctional voiding and patients with neurogenic pathologies. No major complications have been reported.Randomized controlled trials are available only for OAB (4 studies) and CPP/PBS (2 studies). Level 1 evidence of PTNS efficacy for OAB is available. Promising results, to be confirmed by randomized controlled studies, have been obtained in the remaining indications considered. Conclusions: PTNS is an effective and safe option to treat OAB patients. Further studies are needed to assess the role of PTNS in the remaining indications and to evaluate the long term durability of the treatment. Further research is needed to address several unanswered questions about PTNS

Nectar-inhabiting bacteria: Effects on egg parasitoids of invasive stink bugs

Pests and diseases account for 40% of the food crop losses worldwide [1]. In the era of climate change and global trade, pest occurrence is projected to rise, subsequently increasing the losses in crop production [2]. In this gloomy scenario, it is more than ever crucial to reinforce the resilience of our agroecosystems [3]. Increasing plant diversity in the agricultural landscape leads to a rise in the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of pests [4, 5], such as predators and parasitoids, which are involved in biological control of insect pests. However, the increased occurrence of these natural enemies does not necessarily translate into reductions in pest occurrence [6, 7]. There may be various factors behind this discrepancy. Flowering plants are assumed to improve parasitoid performance by providing food resources, such as nectar, which is a sugar-rich solution on which adult parasitoids rely for their energetic and nutritional needs [8]. However, we still do not understand how floral provisioning contributes to the efficiency of pest suppression by parasitoids. A hidden component may be the colonisation of nectar by microbes, which alter its quality [9]. In this study, the performance of the following three parasitoids was observed: Trissolcus basalis, Ooencyrtus telenomicida and Anastatus bifasciatus. These parasitoids are important in terms of pest control [10] since they attack the eggs of the invasive stink bugs, which have gained a global importance as plant health threats [11, 12]. Nectar was provided ad libitum to female adults that remained in vials. The nectar provided was either fermented by different microbes or non-fermented nectar (control). All microbes were bacteria, which had been previously isolated from the nectar of Fagopyrum esculentum, and belonged to the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The parasitoids performance was assessed in terms of the number of days during which the insects remained alive. Moreover, the attraction of parasitoids to the bacteria- fermented nectar versus non-fermented nectar was studied by using a four-chamber static olfactometer [13]. The olfactometer consisted of an arena for the insect to walk on and, below the arena, it was divided equally into four chambers, in which the nectar solution was kept on a filter paper. The parasitoids attraction was assessed in terms of their residence time on top of the chambers. Overall, this work highlights the importance of considering the role of nectar-inhabiting microbes in shaping the interactions between parasitoids and their food resources. The results will be discussed in terms of biological control

A 20-year study of persistence of lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence in young women treated in childhood

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether urinary incontinence (UI) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) persist over years, patients treated for UI and LUTS in childhood were re-evaluated in adulthood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven women (cases) treated in childhood for daytime UI/LUTS (group A) and nocturnal enuresis (group B) self-completed (average age: 24.89 ± 3.5 years) the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Female with LUTS (ICIQ-FLUTS). ICIQ-FLUTS was self-administered to 111 healthy women (average age: 23 ± 5.1 years) from a nursing school as a control group. Data obtained from ICIQ-FLUTS and quality of life (QoL) score (0-10) were compared (Fisher's exact test) between patients and controls, and between group A (n = 28) and group B (n = 19). RESULTS: Prevalence of LUTS was higher in patients than in controls. The difference between patients and controls was statistically significant (p = 0.0001) for UI (34% vs. 7%) and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying (49% vs. 28%). QoL score was >5 in 59% of patients and 1% of controls (p = 0.0001). No significant differences were found between groups A and B. CONCLUSIONS: UI and LUTS are confirmed in young women who suffered for the same condition in childhood. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess if these symptoms persist or are newly onset