New records of predation on eggs of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by Chrysopodes (Chrysopodes) Lineafrons (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in northwestern Argentina

Bemisia tabaci has become one of the major pests of economic importance that affects several crops worldwide. Among their natural enemies are found the Chrysopidae family, with larvae predators of different pests resulting very effective biological control agents. In order to contribute to possible use of this beneficial insect in B. tabaci biological control, the developmental time and survival of the immature stages of Chrysopodes (Chrysopodes) lineafrons was determined, as well as longevity and oviposition of the adults fed with eggs of B. tabaci. Chrysopodes (C.) lineafrons adults were collected in tomato crops in Lules department, Tucumán province. To determine the developmental duration for each instars and survival of the larvae, 90 eggs of C. (C.) lineafrons were randomly selected, of which only 71 eggs hatched; of these, 34 larvae were fed with B. tabaci eggs and 37 with Sitotroga cerealella eggs, used as control. The oviposition and longevity of the adults were recorded, both fed with the two preys. Chrysopodes (C.) lineafrons larvae consumed an average 127.04 (± 40.2) eggs of B. tabaci and 44 (± 19.04) eggs of S. cerealella per day. Mean developmental time of C. (C.) lineafrons fed with B. tabaci eggs was 45 (± 3.54) days and 35 (± 5.04) days with S. cerealella eggs. Survival of immature stages, number of eggs per adults and their longevity were higher when C. (C.) lineafrons were fed with S. cerealella eggs than with B. tabaci eggs. Chrysopodes (C.) lineafrons has proved to be an efficient predator which would represent an excellent tool for B. tabaci biological control in tomato crops.Bemisia tabaci se ha convertido en una de las principales plaga de importancia económica, afectando a diversos cultivos en todo el mundo. Entre sus enemigos naturales se encuentran las especies de la familia Chrysopidae, con larvas depredadoras de diferentes plagas que resulta un agente de control biológico muy efectivo de diferentes plagas. Para contribuir al posible aprovechamiento de este insecto benéfico en el control biológico de B. tabaci, se determinó el tiempo de desarrollo y supervivencia de los estadios inmaduros de Chrysopodes (Chrysopodes) lineafrons, y la longevidad y oviposición de los adultos alimentados con huevos de B. tabaci. Los adultos de C. (C.) lineafrons fueron recolectados en cultivos de tomate en el departamento Lules, provincia de Tucumán. Para determinar la duración del desarrollo de cada estadio y la supervivencia de las larvas, se seleccionaron aleatoriamente 90 huevos de C. (C.) lineafrons, de los cuales sólo 71 huevos eclosionaron; de estas, 34 larvas fueron alimentadas con huevos de B. tabaci y 37 con huevos de Sitotroga cerealella, utilizados como control. Se registró la oviposición y la longevidad de los adultos alimentados con las dos presas. Las larvas de C. (C.) lineafrons consumieron un promedio de 127,04 (± 40,2) huevos de B. tabaci y 44 (± 19,04) huevos de S. cerealella por día. El tiempo promedio de desarrollo de C. (C.) lineafrons alimentados con huevos de B. tabaci fue de 45 días (±3,54); mientras que los alimentados con huevos de S. cerealella fue de 35 días (± 5,04). La supervivencia de los estadios inmaduros, el número de huevos por adultos y la longevidad fue mayor cuando C. (C.) lineafrons fueron alimentados con huevos de S. cerealella que con los huevos de B. tabaci. Chrysopodes (C.) lineafrons demostró ser un depredador eficiente, representando así una excelente herramienta para el control biológico de B. tabaci en cultivos de tomate

Estudio preliminar de la fluctuación de Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) en cultivos de tomate y pimiento bajo cubierta, Tucumán, Argentina

The aim of this study was to determine the abundance and population dynamics of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in greenhouse tomato and pepper crops in Lules department, Tucumán province (Argentina). Entomological sampling was carried out from July 2008 to March 2009. Adults were collected through sticky traps while immature individuals were collected from the leaflets of the different plant strata. A total of 121.075 individuals of B. tabaci were collected, from which 12.630 corresponded to eggs, 8.718 to nymphs, 262 to pupae, and 99.465 to adults. In general terms, the abundance of B. tabaci increased considerably from the third week of sampling and stayed high, with pepper crops showing the highest number of individuals.El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la abundancia y fluctuación poblacional de Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) en cultivos de tomate y pimiento bajo cubierta en el departamento Lules, provincia de Tucumán (Argentina). Los muestreos entomológicos se realizaron desde julio de 2008 a marzo de 2009, recolectándose adultos mediante trampas adhesivas e inmaduros en los foliolos de los diferentes estratos de las plantas. Se recolectó un total de 121,075 individuos de B. tabaci, de los cuales 12,630 corresponden al estado de huevo, 8,718 a ninfa, 262 a pupa y 99,465 a adulto. En líneas generales, la abundancia de B. tabaci aumentó considerablemente a partir de la tercera semana de muestreo y se mantuvo elevada, siendo el cultivo de pimiento el que presentó mayor número de individuos

Efficacy and safety of trabectedin in metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma: A retrospective multicenter study of the Spanish ovarian cancer research group (GEICO)

Objective: We assessed trabectedin in patients with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) in real-life clinical practice given according to the marketing authorization. Methods: Thirty-six women from 11 tertiary hospitals across Spain who received trabectedin after anthracyclinecontaining regimen/s were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Median PFS and overall survival (OS) since starting trabectedin treatment were 5.4 (95%CI: 3.5–7.3) and 18.5 months (95%CI: 11.5–25.6), respectively. Median OS was significantly higher (P = 0.028) in patients receiving trabectedin in ≤ 2nd line (25.3 months) than in ≥ 3rd (15.1 months) and with ECOG performance status ≤ 1 at trabectedin start (19.8 months) than ECOG 2–3 (6.0 months, P = 0.013). When calculating OS since diagnosis, patients had longer OS with localized disease at diagnosis (87.4 months) vs. locally advanced (30.0 months) or metastatic (44.0 months, P = 0.041); and patients who received adjuvant therapy (87.4 months) compared with those who did not (30.0 months, P = 0.003), especially when receiving radiochemotherapy (106.7 months, P = 0.027). One patient (2.8%) had a complete response (CR) and nine patients (25.0%) achieved a partial response (PR) for an objective response rate of 27.8% with median response duration of 11 months (range: 4–93). Eighteen patients (50.0%) had disease stabilization for a disease control rate (DCR) of 77.8%. More patients receiving trabectedin in 1st-line of advanced disease achieved CR (16.7%) and PR (50.0%) than those in ≥ 2nd line/s (0.0% and 20.0%), whereas the DCR was similar across treatment lines. Reversible neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 laboratory abnormality (19.4%). Conclusions: Trabectedin confers clinical benefit in patients with recurrent/metastatic uLMS, given after failure to an anthracycline-based regimen being comparable to those reported in clinical trials and with a manageable safety profile

Results of the PETHEMA ALL-96 trial in elderly patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignant disease in children, but the frequency of this malignancy in the adult population is low. Most of the studies on the treatment of adult ALL exclude older patients because of the presence of co-morbid disorders or poor performance status. This implies that, in most of the cases, these patients are managed with conservative or individualized strategies outside clinical trials. Thus, the number of trials on elderly ALL published is scarce and frequently, the schedules are not homogenous over Abstract Background and aim: Only 20-30% of elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are enrolled in clinical trials because of co-morbid disorders or poor performance status. We present the results of treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph)) ALL patients over 55 yr treated in the PETHEMA ALL-96 trial. Patients and methods: From 1996 to 2006, 33 patients P55 yr with Ph) ALL were included. Induction therapy was vincristine, daunorubicin, prednisone, asparaginase, and cyclophosphamide over 5 weeks. Central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis involved triple intrathecal (IT) therapy, 14 doses over the first year. Consolidation-1 included mercaptopurine, methotrexate, teniposide and cytarabine, followed by one consolidation-2 cycle similar to the induction cycle. Maintenance consisted of mercaptopurine and methotrexate up to 2 yr in complete remission (CR) with monthly reinduction cycles (vincristine, prednisone and asparaginase) during the first year. Results: Median (range) age was 65 yr (56-77). Phenotype (30 patients): early-pre-B 7, common/pre-B 18, T 5. Cytogenetics (28 patients): normal 12, complex 10, t(4;11) 2 and other 4. CR was achieved in 19/33 (57.6%) patients, early death occurred in 12 (36.4%) and 2 (6%) were resistant. Overall survival and disease-free survival probabilities (2 yr, 95% CI) were 39% (21%-57%) and 46% (22%-70%), respectively (median follow up of 24 months). Removal of asparaginase and cyclophosphamide from the induction decreased induction death (OR 0.119, CI 95% 0.022-0.637, P = 0.013) and increased survival (20% vs. 52%, P = 0.05). Conclusions: The prognosis of elderly Ph) ALL patients is poor. In this study, less intensive induction decreased toxic death, allowing delivery of planned consolidation therapy and increased survival probability

Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project

Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality