Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods

This proceedings contains papers dealing with issues affecting biological control, particularly pertaining to the use of parasitoids and predators as biological control agents. This includes all approaches to biological control: conservation, augmentation, and importation of natural enemy species for the control of arthropod targets, as well as other transversal issues related to its implementation. It has 14 sessions addressing the most relevant and current topics in the field of biological control of arthropods: (i) Accidental introductions of biocontrol agens: positive and negative aspects; (ii) The importance of pre and post release genetics in biological control; (iii) How well do we understand non-target impacts in arthropod biological control; (iv) Regulation and access and benefit sharing policies relevant for classical biological control approaches; (v) The role of native and alien natural enemy diversity in biological control; (vi) Frontiers in forest insect control; (vii) Biocontrol marketplace I; (viii) Weed and arthropod biological control: mutual benefits and challenges; (ix) Maximizing opportunities for biological control in Asia's rapidly changing agro-environments; (x) Biological control based integrated pest management: does it work?; (xi) Exploring the compatibility of arthropod biological control and pesticides: models and data; (xii) Successes and uptake of arthropod biological control in developing countries; (xiii) Socio-economic impacts of biological control; (xiv) Biocontrol marketplace II

Debunking Lesbian Bed Death: Using Coarsened Exact Matching to Compare Sexual Practices and Satisfaction of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

The current study examined the prevalence and correlates of over 50 sexual practices in a national survey of heterosexual and lesbian women in relationships. Coarsened exact matching was used to create comparable samples of heterosexual (n = 2510) and lesbian (n = 283) women on six demographic factors, including relationship length. Heterosexual and lesbian women were equally likely to be sexually satisfied (66% heterosexual women vs. 68% lesbian women). Compared to heterosexuals, lesbians were more likely to report having sex 0–1 times per month (11% vs. 23%) and were less likely to report having sex greater than once per month (89% vs. 77%). Among women who had been in relationships for longer than 5 years, heterosexual women were less likely than lesbian women to report having sex 0–1 times per month (15%; 42%). This steeper drop in sexual frequency among lesbian women than heterosexual women has pejoratively been labeled lesbian bed death. Rather than accept the label “lesbian bed death” as characterizing these sexual relationships, we turn our attention to what we call lesbian bed intimacies: the myriad ways that lesbian women incorporate behaviors promoting emotional connection, romance, and mood setting, as well as relying on a wide variety of specific sexual acts (e.g., use of sex toys) and sexual communication. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian women were more likely to usually to always receive oral sex during sex in the past month (28%; 47%) and to use sex toys in the past year (40%; 62%). In their last sexual encounter, lesbian women were more likely to say “I love you” (67%; 80%), have sex longer than 30 min (48%; 72%), and engage in gentle kissing (80%; 92%). These intimacies likely help explain why sexual satisfaction was similar in these groups despite notable differences in sexual frequency

Debunking Lesbian Bed Death:Using Coarsened Exact Matching to Compare Sexual Practices and Satisfaction of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

The current study examined the prevalence and correlates of over 50 sexual practices in a national survey of heterosexual and lesbian women in relationships. Coarsened exact matching was used to create comparable samples of heterosexual (n = 2510) and lesbian (n = 283) women on six demographic factors, including relationship length. Heterosexual and lesbian women were equally likely to be sexually satisfied (66% heterosexual women vs. 68% lesbian women). Compared to heterosexuals, lesbians were more likely to report having sex 0–1 times per month (11% vs. 23%) and were less likely to report having sex greater than once per month (89% vs. 77%). Among women who had been in relationships for longer than 5 years, heterosexual women were less likely than lesbian women to report having sex 0–1 times per month (15%; 42%). This steeper drop in sexual frequency among lesbian women than heterosexual women has pejoratively been labeled lesbian bed death. Rather than accept the label “lesbian bed death” as characterizing these sexual relationships, we turn our attention to what we call lesbian bed intimacies: the myriad ways that lesbian women incorporate behaviors promoting emotional connection, romance, and mood setting, as well as relying on a wide variety of specific sexual acts (e.g., use of sex toys) and sexual communication. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian women were more likely to usually to always receive oral sex during sex in the past month (28%; 47%) and to use sex toys in the past year (40%; 62%). In their last sexual encounter, lesbian women were more likely to say “I love you” (67%; 80%), have sex longer than 30 min (48%; 72%), and engage in gentle kissing (80%; 92%). These intimacies likely help explain why sexual satisfaction was similar in these groups despite notable differences in sexual frequency.</p

Assessing Body Fat in Pediatric Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Preliminary Comparison of Anthropometric Techniques

Background: Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder causing brittle bones, extremity deformities, short stature, and scoliosis, resulting in decreased physical function. Body Mass Index (BMI) is used as a proxy for body fat in the general population, however, it is particularly inaccurate measure to gauge body fat in OI patients due to skeletal deformities and short stature. There is a critical need to identify the anthropometric and body composition characteristics that contribute to important health outcomes and improve disease management in patients with OI. Current literature is lacking data on percent body fat (% BF) composition in patients with OI due to several of the current methods to estimate % BF cannot be safely performed. The purpose of this study is to compare two safe measures using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) via the BOD POD® (COSMED USA Inc. Concord, CA) and 3D Body Scanner Styku™ (Styku, LLC, Los Angeles, CA) precision to one another to evaluate body fat percentage in OI patients. Our hypothesis is %BF and BMI percentiles measured between these two devices will not be statistically dissimilar. Methods: Patients were recruited from Children’s Omaha multidisciplinary OI clinic and underwent anthropometric measures using BOD POD® and Styku™. Air displacement plethysmography (ADP) via the BOD POD® and 3D Body Scanner with Styku™ associations between continuous variables were assessed using Spearman correlations. Difference scores between Styku and BodPod measurements were calculated, and were assessed to see if they significantly differed from zero (i.e. no difference) using a Signed Rank test All analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Results: Higher body fat percentages as measured by the Styku™ and BOD POD® tended to be associated with higher BMI percentiles (rho = 0.56; 0.45), however this was not significant (p = 0.07; 0.09). The median difference between Styku and BodPod % BF measurements was 3.4 (-2.2, 8.7), however, this was not significantly different from zero (p = 0.21). Conclusion: More patients are needed to increase the power of the study in order to determine if there truly is a difference between Styku™ and BOD POD® measurements in %BF and BMI percentiles. If there is not a difference between these measures it is foreseeable to use either Styku™ and BOD POD® to assess %BF in OI patients as an overall measure of health.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1044/thumbnail.jp

Increase in fall-related hospitalizations in the United States, 2001-2008

BACKGROUND: The objective was to determine secular trends in unintentional fall-related hospitalizations in people aged 65 years and older in the United States. MATERIALS: Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of emergency department visits from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2008, available through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program. These data were weighted to estimate the number, incidence rates, and the annual percent change of fall-related hospitalizations. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2008, the estimated number of fall-related hospitalizations in older adults increased 50%, from 373,128 to 559,355 cases. During the same time period, the age-adjusted incidence rate, expressed per 100,000 population, increased from 1,046 to 1,368. Rates were higher in women compared with men throughout the study period. The age-adjusted incidence rate showed an average annual increase of 3.3% (95% CI, 1.66-4.95). DISCUSSION: Both the number and rate of fall-related hospitalizations in the United States increased significantly over the 8-year study period. Unless preventive action is taken, rising hospitalization rates in combination with the aging US population over the next decades will exacerbate the already stressed healthcare system and may result in poorer health outcomes for older adults in the future. Further research is needed to determine the underlying causes for this rising trend. Copyrigh

Stochastic Simulation of Process Calculi for Biology

Biological systems typically involve large numbers of components with complex, highly parallel interactions and intrinsic stochasticity. To model this complexity, numerous programming languages based on process calculi have been developed, many of which are expressive enough to generate unbounded numbers of molecular species and reactions. As a result of this expressiveness, such calculi cannot rely on standard reaction-based simulation methods, which require fixed numbers of species and reactions. Rather than implementing custom stochastic simulation algorithms for each process calculus, we propose to use a generic abstract machine that can be instantiated to a range of process calculi and a range of reaction-based simulation algorithms. The abstract machine functions as a just-in-time compiler, which dynamically updates the set of possible reactions and chooses the next reaction in an iterative cycle. In this short paper we give a brief summary of the generic abstract machine, and show how it can be instantiated with the stochastic simulation algorithm known as Gillespie's Direct Method. We also discuss the wider implications of such an abstract machine, and outline how it can be used to simulate multiple calculi simultaneously within a common framework.Comment: In Proceedings MeCBIC 2010, arXiv:1011.005

Femoral and Tibial Indications for Initial and Reoperation Surgeries with Fassier-Duval Intramedullary Rods for Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Background: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic connective tissue disorder affecting quantity and integrity of collagen type I, which is integral for the strength of osseus tissue. OI has a heterogenous molecular inheritance pattern – divided into four major subgroups (I-IV). Defects in collagen protein products lead to poor development of skeletal structures and increased fracture rates. Children with OI suffer from multiple fractures and bone deformities often requiring surgical intervention with osteotomies and intramedullary telescoping rods, most often with Fassier-Duval (FD) rods. Our study–updated cohort from 2018 paper Azzam et al.–looked at the relationship between initial and reoperation indications for femur and tibia FD rodding surgeries based on age, bone, and OI type. Methods: Retrospective chart review of initial surgeries included 197 bones (femurs and tibias) from 58 patients. Reoperations included 140 bones from 45 patients. Variables included age at first operation (0-24, 24.1-48, 48.1+ months), time to reoperation, operation indications, bone, and OI type. Spearman correlations were used separately for each bone-type to assess associations between age at first surgery and total number of surgeries. To assess dichotomous outcomes (i.e. specific indication), generalized estimating equations were utilized and adjusted for bone-type and side. Hazard ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals were derived from frailty survival models for the time to first reoperation outcome. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to display time to reoperation, stratified by age at first operation and bone-type. Data was collected from 2003-2018. Analyses were performed using SAS software v9.4. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between age at first surgery and indication (bowing and fracture) for initial (p\u3c0.0001, p=0.01) and reoperation surgeries (p=0.004, p=0.03), respectively. All bones, except left tibias, showed significant negative correlation between age at first surgery and total number of surgeries. Both older age at first surgery groups (24.1-48, 48.1+ months) had significantly lower risks of needing reoperation relative to the 0-24 months group (p=0.0003, p=0.0004). Descriptive analyses suggest median survival of FD rods in OI type III was decreased relative to type IV, XV or unknown when initial surgery was between 0-24 months. Conclusion: Bowing and fractures are the most common causes for initial and reoperation surgeries in children with OI. Patients in older age groups at first surgery need fewer reoperation surgeries. Median survival probabilities of FD rods increased when age at first surgery was after 48.1+ months. OI type may impact median survival of FD rods.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1004/thumbnail.jp

Real-time monitoring of live mycobacteria with a microfluidic acoustic-Raman platform

Funding: UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for funding through grant EP/P030017/1 and fellowship EP/L025035/1. This work was also supported by the PreDiCT-TB consortium [IMI Joint undertaking grant agreement number 115337, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) and EFPIA companies’ in kind contribution (www.imi.europa.eu)] and the PanACEA consortium [funded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP); grant agreement: TRIA-2015-1102]Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Lipid rich, phenotypically antibiotic tolerant, bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics and may be responsible for relapse and the need for long-term TB treatment. We present a microfluidic system that acoustically traps live mycobacteria, M. smegmatis, a model organism for M. tuberculosis. We then perform optical analysis in the form of wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy (WMRS) on the trapped M. smegmatis for up to eight hours, and also in the presence of isoniazid (INH). The Raman fingerprints of M. smegmatis exposed to INH change substantially in comparison to the unstressed condition. Our work provides a real-time assessment of the impact of INH on the increase of lipids in these mycobacteria, which could render the cells more tolerant to antibiotics. This microfluidic platform may be used to study any microorganism and to dynamically monitor its response to different conditions and stimuli.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe