Selection of Beauveria bassiana sensu lato and Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato isolates as microbial control agents against the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) in Argentina

The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is the main pest of cotton in the Americas. The aim of this work was to evaluate isolates of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana sensu lato and Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato virulent against A. grandis. Screening was performed to evaluate the pathogenicity of 28 isolates of M. anisopliae s.l. and 66 isolates of B. bassiana s.l. against boll weevil adults. To select the isolates, LC 50 values of the most virulent isolates were calculated, and compatibility between the fungi and insecticides was studied. In addition, the effects of these isolates on the feeding behavior of the adults were evaluated. Isolates Ma 50 and Ma 20 were the most virulent against A. grandis and their LC 50 values were 1.13×10 7 and 1.20×10 7 conidia/ml, respectively. In addition, these isolates were compatible with pyrethroid insecticides, but none with endosulfan. On the other hand, infected females reduced the damage caused by feeding on the cotton squares and their weight gain. This shows that entomopathogenic fungi cause mortality in the insects, but also these fungi could influence the feeding behavior of the females. In summary, these results indicate the possibility of the use of M. anisopliae s.l. as a microbiological control agent against boll weevils. Also, this species could be included in an Integrated Pest Management program.Fil: Nussenbaum, Ana Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lecuona, R. E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola; Argentin

Strategies for Controlling House Fly Populations Resistant to Cyromazine

The objectives of this study were to compare, from both biological and economic viewpoints, the impact of various control strategies and evaluate their effect on cyromazine-resistant Musca domestica L., and beneficial house fly pupal parasitoids on caged-layer farms (240,000 hens) in Argentina. The strategies evaluated were: chemical, chemical + cultural, and chemical + cultural + biological (integrated management). The products used were: cyromazine 1% and 50%, DDVP, azamethiphos with and without z-9-tricosene, lime, and the parasitoids Spalangia endius Walker and Muscidifurax raptor Girault & Sanders. In the absence of control measures, fly density increased quickly and the average parasitism rate was 12%. When only chemical control was used, fly populations were reduced to ca. 40/grid and parasitism averaged 2%. When topical cyromazine was used in conjunction with cultural control (lime), fly populations were reduced more rapidly than those treated with cyromazine 1% feed-through. With the subsequent use of parasitic wasps, high parasitism levels were observed and house flies were reduced to tolerance levels in the shortest time. From an economic and biological point of view, the best treatment for house flies resistant to cyromazine was biological + cultural + chemical with localized applications of topical cyromazine

Sensory integration intervention and the development of the premature infant: A controlled trial

Background. Premature infants are at risk of sensory processing difficulties and developmental delays due to an immature central nervous system and possible episodes of medical instability, discomfort, pain and stress during the first weeks or months after birth.Objective. To investigate the effect of Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) on the development of premature infants in the first 12 months of life.Methods. A pre-/post-test experimental design was used to randomly divide 24 premature infants from a low socioeconomic setting in Bloemfontein, South Africa, into experimental and control groups after being matched by corrected age and gender. Developmental status was determined with the Bayley III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants and the Infant/ Toddler Sensory Profile. The experimental group received 10 weeks of ASI intervention.Results. ASI intervention had a positive effect on the sensory processing and development of premature infants, especially in terms of cognitive, language and motor development.Conclusions. ASI intervention at an early age enhances the developmental progress of premature infants

Unraveling Heterogeneities in Mindfulness Profiles: a Review and Latent Profile Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short‑Form (FFMQ‑SF) in the Spanish Population.

Objectives The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is one of the most common self-report instruments used in scientific literature to assess mindfulness. However, mixed evidence has been provided regarding its psychometric properties. Among them, the FFMQ seems to present latent classes or profiles with specific patterns in its facets, which might explain said mixed evidence. This study explores mindfulness profiles in the Spanish population using the short form of the FFMQ (FFMQ-SF) and its relations with relevant constructs (i.e., decentering, self-compassion, psychological well-being, psychopathology, positive and negative states). Methods A general population sample of 826 participants completed instruments measuring mindfulness and related constructs. Latent profile analyses were applied to the FFMQ-SF facets, and profile membership of participants was estimated for relations with related constructs. Results Three latent profiles were found: General Mindfulness, Judgmentally Observing, and Non-judgmentally Aware. General Mindfulness showed expected relations with other constructs, but the other two profiles showed some relations opposite to prior literature: The Judgmentally Observing profile displayed functional behaviors while the Non-judgmentally Aware profile showed an inverse mitigated pattern. Results could not be explained by gender, age, level of studies, or minimum experience with meditation. Conclusions Most people (68%) fall into mindfulness profiles that can be regarded as a continuum (e.g., an overall mindfulness factor). However, the FFMQ-SF shows heterogeneities in its facets due to two unique latent profiles, namely “Judgmentally Observing” (7.4%) and “Non-judgmentally Aware” (24.8%). While the structure of these profiles was replicated, relations with relevant psychological constructs contradicted previous literature. Implications and recommendations for future studies are discussed.post-print1029 K

Psychometric properties of the Spanish validation of the children's empathic attitudes questionnaire (CEAQ)

The prevalence of antisocial behavior in school settings is still discouraging. Students that often engage in aggressive acts may lack in the ability to appreciate the emotional consequences of their behaviors and share others’ emotions. The Children’s Empathic Attitudes Questionnaire (CEAQ) is one of the questionnaires used to assess empathy in children and early adolescents. This study is aimed to validate the Spanish version of CEAQ. The sample comprised 297 children (50% males), aged from 7 to 12 years (M = 9.53, SD = 1.2), from Madrid. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an excellent fit for a unidimensional model, χ2(89) = 110.702, p = .059; CFI = .972; RMSEA = .029, 95% CI [.000, .045]. Multigroup invariance analysis showed no significant gender-related differences in all levels. Results also referred an acceptable reliability (ω = .824, r = .610). These results provide psychometric support for the use of the Spanish version of CEAQ as a valid and reliable instrument to assess empathy in children and youth population, especially for school-based intervention

Effect of Constant and Cyclical Temperatures on the Mortality of Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Treated with Beauvaria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Hyphomycetes)

Neotropical Entomology 34(4): Efecto de Temperaturas Constantes y Cíclicas sobre la Mortalidad de Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Tratada con Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. PALABRAS CLAVE: Regímen fluctuante, germinación, hongo entomopatógeno ABSTRACT -The mortality of Triatoma infestans (Klug) treated with Beauvaria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. under several temperature regimes was analyzed. Mortality rates were highest at 26ºC and 22ºC and lowest at constant 34ºC. The combinations 26/34ºC or 34/26ºC (12:12h cycles) were significantly different from the combinations 18/26ºC and 26/18ºC, showing that high temperatures (34ºC) affect mortality most significantly. The combinations also indicate that when an extreme high temperature is associated with an optimal temperature of 26ºC, the susceptibility of T. infestans to B. bassiana infection decreases. Exposure to extreme temperature (18ºC or 34ºC) associated with an optimal temperature of 26ºC in 8:8:8h cycles, reduces the mortality of T. infestans. In cycles of 6:6:6:6h, only the mortality associated with the 34/30/26/22ºC combination was similar to the combinations at constant 22ºC and 26ºC. Extreme temperatures during the first stage affect mortality less than when this period is not longer than 6h. Mortality decreases significantly when an extreme high initial temperature is followed by an abrupt fall (34/22/26/30ºC). Our results indicate that Beauvaria bassiana should be applied to the field in the late afternoon to avoid the negative impact of abrupt changes in temperature, or of high temperatures during the critical first stages of the infectious cycle of this entomopathogenic fungi. KEY WORDS: Fluctuating regime, germination, entomapathogenic fungus The blood-sucking bug Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), the most important vector of Chagas disease, is well adapted to domestic and peridomestic habitats (Rabinovich 1972).The entomopathogenic fungus Beauvaria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Hyphomycetes) controlled T. infestans under laboratory conditions (Lecuona et al. 2000). 676 Effect of Constant and Cyclical Temperatures on the Mortality of Triatoma... Lecuona et al. In insects, development of Hyphomycetes mycosis occurs in 10 stages The disease cycle is influenced by several factors, including environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, and light (Alves 1998). Temperature is one of the most important factors because it affects both the growth of B. bassiana Material and Methods Populations of T. infestans. Specimens of T. infestans were collected in rural areas of Santiago del Estero by employees of the Servicio Nacional de Chagas (Cordoba, Argentina). The insects were reared in the laboratory at 27 ± 1ºC and 80 ± 10% relative humidity (R.H.), and fed on chickens. Thirdinstar nymphs (N3) that belonged to this colony were taken to the Laboratory of Entomopathogenic Fungi (Laboratorio de Hongos Entomopatógenos -IMYZA-INTA Castelar, Buenos Aires), where the experiments were conducted. Cultivation of B. bassiana. A strain Bb10 that belongs to the fungal culture collection of the IMYZA-INTA Castelar was used. The strain was isolated from Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in Argentina. Before the strain could be used in this study, it was isolated a second time in nymphs of T. infestans. The strain was maintained in a petri dish with complete agar medium (CAM) containing (g/l): KH 2 PO 4 , 0.4; Na 2 HPO 4 , 1.4; MgSO 4 , 0.6; KCl, 1; NH 4 NO 3 , 0.7; glucose, 10; agar, 15; and yeast extract, 5. Conidia were extracted from 14-days old fungal colonies, and were incubated in petri dishes at 26 ± 0.5ºC. Viability was assessed at 18, 22, 26, 30 and 34 ± 0.5ºC by counting the number of conidia that had germinated. The conidia were incubated in CAM with 1 x 10 7 conidia/ml, in 10 microscopic fields 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24h after planting. Conidia are considered germinated when the germination tubule reaches a length that is the same, or greater than the widest part of the conidial body. Mortality of T. infestans under Constant and Fluctuating Temperature Regimes. The activity of the strain Bb10 on T. infestans was analyzed by means of a completely random design with 20 N3 nymphs in each repetition. The number of repetitions varied from six to 24, depending on the availability of insects. Nymphs were fed on chickens up to a week before the assays started. Inoculation was carried out by immersion, 6 min after each repetition, in a suspension of 1 x 10 8 conidia/ml in sterile water with 0.01% Tween 80. The insects were placed in a plastic cylindrical sieve (4 x 4.5 cm) for immersion. After immersion in the fungal suspension, each nymph was kept in a separate plastic container (4.5 x 2.5 cm), had their upper bodies covered with a voile fine cloth, and were maintained at different temperatures and in the dark, according to each treatment. The nymphs were not fed for 14 days. Control insects were dipped into sterile water with 0.01% Tween 80, also for six seconds. The assays were carried out at constant temperatures (18, 22, 26, 30 and 34 ± 0.5 o C), and daily temperature fluctuation cycles (12:12h, 8:8:8h and 6:6:6:6h). All the assays were conducted in the dark, at 80 ± 10% R.H. Nymph mortality was recorded daily, and cadavers were taken to a humid chamber (saturated atmosphere) for fungal sporulation. Mortality was analyzed by ANOVA and SNK, soon after the data arc sine transformation. Percentiles of the survival function were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method Results and Discussion Mortality of T. infestans under Constant and Fluctuating Temperatures. Mortality percentage was higher at 26ºC in the 12:12h and 8:8:8h cycles, and at 26ºC and 22ºC in the 6:6:6:6h cycl

A Network Analysis of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)

Objectives: The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is a popular self-report instrument for mindfulness assessment. However, several studies report mixed evidence regarding its reliability and validity. While recent replication studies have shown several issues regarding its latent structure, first-order facets seemed to replicate successfully. This study proposes an exploratory approach to these facets on an item level in one sample, with cross-validation in another sample. Methods: Using a snowball sampling, 1008 participants were recruited in the first sample. Psychometric networks were applied to explore relations between items and item clusters. We compared these exploratory latent variable proposals with previous literature. A second sample of 1210 participants was collected from an FFMQ validation study, and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to cross-validate findings on the first sample. Results: The FFMQ showed a positively correlated network. Exploratory analyses suggested the 5-facet structure as stable with alternatives of 4-facet (merging Observe and Non-Judging) and 6-facet (splitting Acting with Awareness in two) solutions. However, the CFAs in the second sample did not provide clear support to any solution. Conclusions: The FFMQ showed unclear evidence on its latent structure. We propose researchers and users of the FFMQ to use the most fitting solution between the 5 and 6-facet solutions in their data, since the 4-facet solution is difficult to interpret. We also propose cautionary notes and guidelines for researchers and applied users of the FFMQ and regarding this instrument. We conclude that more research is needed in mindfulness assessment to provide robust measurement

Sensory integration intervention and the development of the premature infant: A controlled trial

Background. Premature infants are at risk of sensory processing difficulties and developmental delays due to an immature central nervous system and possible episodes of medical instability, discomfort, pain and stress during the first weeks or months after birth.Objective. To investigate the effect of Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) on the development of premature infants in the first 12 months of life.Methods. A pre-/post-test experimental design was used to randomly divide 24 premature infants from a low socioeconomic setting in Bloemfontein, South Africa, into experimental and control groups after being matched by corrected age and gender. Developmental status was determined with the Bayley III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile. The experimental group received 10 weeks of ASI intervention.Results. ASI intervention had a positive effect on the sensory processing and development of premature infants, especially in terms of cognitive, language and motor development.Conclusions. ASI intervention at an early age enhances the developmental progress of premature infants.

Development of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.) Transgenic Plants Expressing a Bacillus Thuringiensis Endotoxin and Their Evaluation Against Alfalfa Caterpillar (Colias Lesbia)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important forage crop in Argentina, with ca. 6 million cultivated hectares. The production of this crop is limited by the alfalfa caterpillar (Colias lesbia) which causes a loss equivalent to at least 10% of the biomass per year. No natural tolerance against this lepidoptera was found in alfalfa germplasm, hampering the development of tolerant cultivars by conventional breeding. This pest is usually controlled by using chemical insecticides but this has adverse effects on beneficial insects and the environment. Alternatively, low doses of commercial Bt insecticides (40 to 70 g/ha) also proved to efficiently limit the pest. This observation leads to us consider that the development of alfalfa transgenic plants expressing a suitable member of the B. thuringiensis cry gene family could be a useful tool for overcoming this alfalfa yield constraint. The aim of this work was to produce alfalfa transgenic plants expressing a Bt protein and to assess its biological activity against C. lesbia under laboratory conditions