Hymenopterous parasites associated with Phyllonorycter blancardella [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae] in Nova Scotia and Quebec

Une étude a été effectuée dans des vergers commerciaux et non-traités du Québec et de la Nouvelle-Écosse pour déterminer l’abondance et la diversité des parasites de la mineuse marbrée, Phyllonorycter blancardella [Lepidoptera : Gracillariidae]. Au Québec, 29 espèces de parasites ont été retrouvées et elles appartenaient à 7 familles, soit Aphelinidae, Braconidae, Chalcidae, Eulophidae, Ichneumonidae, Pteromalidae et Scelionidae. Les espèces les plus fréquentes étaient : Pholetesor ornigis (67 %), Sympiesis marylandensis (11 %), S. serviceicornis (7 %), Pnigalio maculipes (1,5 %), Tetrasticus spp. (1,2 %). Toutes les autres espèces représentaient moins de 1 % des espèces trouvées. Pholetesor pedias, une espèce braconide relâchée à Frelighsburg, Québec en 1983 n’a pas été détectée en 1984 et 1985. En Nouvelle-Écosse, 19 espèces ont été trouvées et elles appartenaient à 5 familles, soit Braconidae, Chalcidae, Eulophidae, Ichneumonidae et Pteromalidae. Les espèces les plus fréquentes étaient : Pholetesor ornigis (52 %), Pnigalio maculipes (14 %), Sympiesis serviceicornis (12 %), S. marylandensis (9,5 %), Sympiesis spp. (5 %), Horismenus fraternus (1,8 %), Paraleurocerus sp. (1,3 %), Stictopisthus flaviceps (1,1 %); toutes les autres espèces représentaient moins de 1 % des espèces trouvées. Sept et cinq espèces d’hyperparasites ont été retrouvées en Nouvelle-Écosse et au Québec, respectivement. Sticopisthus bilineatus, S. flaviceps, Euderis sp., Pnigalio epilobii, P. pallipes and Paraleurocerus bicoloripes constituent des nouvelles mentions comme parasites de la mineuse marbrée pour l’Amérique du Nord.Mined leaves were collected in commercial and unsprayed (no insecticides) apple orchards of Quebec and Nova Scotia to determine the relative abundance and diversity of parasites of the spotted tentiform leafminer, Phyllonorycter blancardella [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]. In Quebec, 29 species of leafminer parasites were recovered, belonging to 7 families: Aphelinidae, Braconidae, Chalcidae, Eulophidae, Ichneumonidae, Pteromalidae and Scelionidae. The most prevalent species were Pholetesor ornigis (67%), Sympiesis marylandensis (11%), S. serviceicornis (7%), Pnigalio maculipes (1.5%), Tetrasticus spp. (1.2%), while all other species accounted for < 1.0%. Pholetesor pedias, a braconid released in 1983 at Frelighsburg, Quebec, was not found in the 1984 and 1985 surveys. In Nova Scotia, 19 parasite species were recovered, belonging to 5 families : Braconidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Ichneumonidae and Pteromalidae. The most prevalent species were: Pholetesor ornigis (52%), Pnigalio maculipes (14%), Sympiesis serviceicornis (12%), S. marylandensis (9.5%), Sympiesis spp. (5%), Horismenus fraternus (1.8%), Paraleurocerus sp. (1.3%), Stictopisthus flaviceps (1.1%), while all other species accounted for < 1%. Seven and five species of hyperparasites were recovered in Nova Scotia and Quebec, respectively. New records for North America for the spotted tentiform leafminer as a host are : Sticopisthus bilineatus, S. flaviceps, Euderis sp., Pnigalio epilobii, P. pallipes and Paraleurocerus bicoloripes

Defining the Critical Hurdles in Cancer Immunotherapy

ABSTRACT: Scientific discoveries that provide strong evidence of antitumor effects in preclinical models often encounter significant delays before being tested in patients with cancer. While some of these delays have a scientific basis, others do not. We need to do better. Innovative strategies need to move into early stage clinical trials as quickly as it is safe, and if successful, these therapies should efficiently obtain regulatory approval and widespread clinical application. In late 2009 and 2010 the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), convened an "Immunotherapy Summit" with representatives from immunotherapy organizations representing Europe, Japan, China and North America to discuss collaborations to improve development and delivery of cancer immunotherapy. One of the concepts raised by SITC and defined as critical by all parties was the need to identify hurdles that impede effective translation of cancer immunotherapy. With consensus on these hurdles, international working groups could be developed to make recommendations vetted by the participating organizations. These recommendations could then be considered by regulatory bodies, governmental and private funding agencies, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions to facilitate changes necessary to accelerate clinical translation of novel immune-based cancer therapies. The critical hurdles identified by representatives of the collaborating organizations, now organized as the World Immunotherapy Council, are presented and discussed in this report. Some of the identified hurdles impede all investigators, others hinder investigators only in certain regions or institutions or are more relevant to specific types of immunotherapy or first-in-humans studies. Each of these hurdles can significantly delay clinical translation of promising advances in immunotherapy yet be overcome to improve outcomes of patients with cancer

Clinical characteristics of women captured by extending the definition of severe postpartum haemorrhage with 'refractoriness to treatment': a cohort study

Background: The absence of a uniform and clinically relevant definition of severe postpartum haemorrhage hampers comparative studies and optimization of clinical management. The concept of persistent postpartum haemorrhage, based on refractoriness to initial first-line treatment, was proposed as an alternative to common definitions that are either based on estimations of blood loss or transfused units of packed red blood cells (RBC). We compared characteristics and outcomes of women with severe postpartum haemorrhage captured by these three types of definitions. Methods: In this large retrospective cohort study in 61 hospitals in the Netherlands we included 1391 consecutive women with postpartum haemorrhage who received either ≥4 units of RBC or a multicomponent transfusion. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of women with severe postpartum haemorrhage defined as persistent postpartum haemorrhage were compared to definitions based on estimated blood loss or transfused units of RBC within 24 h following birth. Adverse maternal outcome was a composite of maternal mortality, hysterectomy, arterial embolisation and intensive care unit admission. Results: One thousand two hundred sixty out of 1391 women (90.6%) with postpartum haemorrhage fulfilled the definition of persistent postpartum haemorrhage. The majority, 820/1260 (65.1%), fulfilled this definition within 1 h following birth, compared to 819/1391 (58.7%) applying the definition of ≥1 L blood loss and 37/845 (4.4%) applying the definition of ≥4 units of RBC. The definition persistent postpartum haemorrhage captured 430/471 adverse maternal outcomes (91.3%), compared to 471/471 (100%) for ≥1 L blood loss and 383/471 (81.3%) for ≥4 units of RBC. Persistent postpartum haemorrhage did not capture all adverse outcomes because of missing data on timing of initial, first-line treatment. Conclusion: The definition persistent postpartum haemo

A survey of antennal responses by five species of coniferophagous bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to bark volatiles of six species of angiosperm trees

Using Porapak Q traps, we collected the bark volatiles of six angiosperm trees native to British Columbia: black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray (Salicaceae), trembling aspen, P. tremuloides Michx. (Salicaceae), paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh. (Betulaceae), bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum Pursh (Aceraceae), red alder, Alnus rubra Bong. (Betulaceae), and Sitka alder, A. viridis ssp. sinuata (Regel) Á. Löve & D. Löve (Betulaceae). Utilising coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection analysis, the captured volatiles were assayed for antennal responses in five species of coniferophagous bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), sympatric with most or all of the angiosperm trees: the Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, the mountain pine beetle, D. ponderosae Hopkins, the spruce beetle, D. rufipennis (Kirby), the western balsam bark beetle, Dryocoetes confusus Swaine, and the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say). The identities of 25 antennally-active compounds were determined by coupled gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopic analysis, and co-chromatographic comparisons with authentic chemicals. The compounds identified were: hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, heptanal, α-pinene, frontalin, benzaldehyde, β-pinene, 2-hydroxycyclohexanone, 3-carene, limonene, β-phellandrene, benzyl alcohol, (E)-ocimene, salicylaldehyde, conophthorin, guaiacol, nonanal, methyl salicylate, 4-allylanisole, decanal, thymol methyl ether, (E)-nerolidol, and dendrolasin. A number of these compounds are known semiochemicals that are active in the behaviour of other organisms, including bark beetles, suggesting a high degree of semiochemical parsimony. Antennally-active compounds ranged from seven in A. viridis to 17 in P. trichocarpa. The fewest number of compounds (9) were detected by I. pini and the largest number (24) were detected by D. pseudotsugae. Six compounds excited the antennae of all five species of bark beetles. The large number of antennally-active compounds detected in common by numerous bark beetles and present in common in numerous nonhost trees supports the hypothesis of olfaction-based recognition and avoidance of nonhost angiosperm trees during the process of host selection by coniferophagous bark beetles