European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana Part II: prevention and management

Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), commonly known as the European grapevine moth (EGVM), is a primary pest of vineyards. This article provides an updated review of its monitoring, modelling, and management tools. EGVM management strategies analysed here include insecticide-based control, insecticide resistance, side-effects (particularly those caused by the exposure to sublethal doses of pesticides), cultural control, sterile insect technique, pheromone-mediated control strategies (with special reference to pheromone-based mating disruption), biological control, and area-wide control programs. Lastly, we outline significant challenges for future EGVM research and sustainable control implementatio

European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana Part I: biology and ecology

Though the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) can feed on more than forty plant species, grapevine is the preferred crop worldwide. This moth is a western palearctic species that has recently spread to Chile, Argentina, and California. The possible further expansion in other regions of the Americas is greatly feared and should be monitored carefully in the near future. In this framework, we provide an updated review of the current knowledge on its taxonomy, morphology, biology, ecology, genomics, geographic distribution, and invasiveness. Then, in the last section, we develop a research agenda pointing out significant challenges for future investigations on bio-ecology and invasion biology, which are tightly connected with the prevention and management strategie

CO-FREE Alternative Test Products for Copper Reduction in Agriculture

The project CO-FREE (2012-2016) aimed to develop strategies to replace/reduce copper use in organic, integrated and conventional farming. CO-FREE alternative test products (CTPs) were tested and integrated together with decision support systems, disease-tolerant varieties, and innovative breeding goals (ideotypes) into improved management strategies. CO-FREE focused on apple/apple scab (Venturia inaequalis), grape/downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and tomato and potato/late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Starting point of the project were ten CTPs with direct or indirect modes of action including Trichoderma atroviride SC1 and protein extract SCNB, Lysobacter spp., yeast-based derivatives, Cladosporium cladosporioides H39, the oligosaccharidic complex COS-OGA, Aneurinibacillus migulanus and Xenorhabdus bovienii, sage (Salvia officinalis) extract, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract, PLEX- and seaweed plant extracts. As the project progressed, further promising CTPs were included by the partners. Field trials were performed in different European countries in 2012-2015 following EPPO standards. In the first years, stand-alone applications of CTPs were tested. In the following years these were integrated into complete strategies. Effects on main and further diseases, on yield and on non-target organisms were assessed. Here, field trial results with CTPs are summarized

Femoroacetabular impingement: normal values of the quantitative morphometric parameters in asymptomatic hips.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the means and the reference intervals of the quantitative morphometric parameters of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in normal hips with high-resolution computed tomography (CT). METHODS: We prospectively included 94 adult individuals who underwent CT for thoracic, abdominal or urologic pathologies. Patients with a clinical history of hip pathology and/or with osteoarthritis on CT were excluded. We calculated means and 95 % reference intervals for imaging signs of cam-type (alpha angle at 90° and 45° and femoral head-neck offset) and pincer-type impingement (acetabular version angle, lateral centre-edge angle and acetabular index). RESULTS: The 95 % reference interval limits were all far beyond the abnormal thresholds found in the literature for cam-type and to a lesser extent for pincer-type FAI. The upper limits of the reference intervals for the alpha angles (at 90°/45°) were 68°/83° (men) and 69°/84° (women), compared to thresholds from the literature (50°, 55° or 60°). Reference intervals were similar between genders for cam-type parameters, and slightly differed for pincer-type. CONCLUSION: The 95 % reference intervals of morphometric measurements of FAI in asymptomatic hips were beyond the abnormal thresholds, which was especially true for cam-type FAI. Our results suggest the need for redefining the current morphometric parameters used in the diagnosis of FAI. KEY POINTS: ? 95 % reference intervals limits of FAI morphotype were beyond currently defined thresholds. ? Reference intervals of pincer-type morphotype measurements were close to current definitions. ? Reference intervals of cam-type morphotype measurements were far beyond the current definitions. ? Current morphometric definitions of cam-type morphotype should be used with care

European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana. Part II: Prevention and management.

Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), commonly known as the European grapevine moth (EGVM), is a primary pest of vineyards. This article provides an updated review of its monitoring, modelling, and management tools. EGVM management strategies analysed here include insecticide-based control, insecticide resistance, side-effects (particularly those caused by the exposure to sublethal doses of pesticides), cultural control, sterile insect technique, pheromone-mediated control strategies (with special reference to pheromone-based mating disruption), biological control, and area-wide control programs. Lastly, we outline significant challenges for future EGVM research and sustainable control implementation

Phenotypic and functional analysis of lymphocytes infiltrating osteolytic tumors: use as a possible therapeutic approach of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary bone tumor. The use of aggressive chemotherapy has drastically improved the prognosis of the patients with non-metastatic osteosarcomas, however the prognosis of the patients with metastasis is still very poor. Then, new and more effective treatments for curing osteosarcoma, such as immunotherapy are needed. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been involved in the control of tumor development and already assessed with success for the treatment of several cancers including melanoma. While TIL represent a fascinating therapeutic approach in numerous malignant pathologies, there is few report concerning adult bone-associated tumors including osteosarcoma. METHODS: Human TIL were isolated and characterized (phenotype, lytic activity) from twenty-seven patients with bone-associated tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, giant cell tumor, chondrosarcoma, plasmocytoma and bone metastases). Similar experiments were performed using rat osteosarcoma model. RESULTS: While TIL with a main CD4(+ )profile were easily isolated from most of the tumor samples, only TIL extracted from osteosarcoma were cytotoxic against allogeneic tumor cells. In all cases, TIL lytic activity was significantly higher compared to autologous peripheral blood leukocytes. Similar data were observed in rat osteosarcoma model where TIL were characterized by a main CD4(+ )profile and high lytic activity against allogeneic and autologous tumor cells. Moreover, rat TIL expansion was not accompanied by refractoriness to further activation stimulus mainly by tumor antigens. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that TIL therapy could be a very efficient strategy for the treatment of adult osteosarcoma

European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana. Part I: Biology and ecology.

Though the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) can feed on more than forty plant species, grapevine is the preferred crop worldwide. This moth is a western palearctic species that has recently spread to Chile, Argentina, and California. The possible further expansion in other regions of the Americas is greatly feared and should be monitored carefully in the near future. In this framework, we provide an updated review of the current knowledge on its taxonomy, morphology, biology, ecology, genomics, geographic distribution, and invasiveness. Then, in the last section, we develop a research agenda pointing out significant challenges for future investigations on bio-ecology and invasion biology, which are tightly connected with the prevention and management strategies

HER2 status of bone marrow micrometastasis and their corresponding primary tumours in a pilot study of 27 cases: a possible tool for anti-HER2 therapy management?

Discrepancies have been reported between HER2 status in primary breast cancer and micrometastatic cells in bone marrow. The aim of this study was to assess HER2 gene status in micrometastatic cells in bone marrow and corresponding primary tumour. Micrometastatic cells were detected in bone marrow aspirations in a prospective series of 27 breast cancer patients by immunocytochemistry (pancytokeratin antibody). HER2 status of micrometastatic cells was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), respectively in 24 out of 27. Primary tumour HER2 status was assessed by immunohistochemistry (CB11 antibody) and by FISH in 20 out of 27 of the cases. HER2 was amplified or overexpressed in five out of 27 (18.5%) primary tumours and in four out of 27 (15%) micrometastatic cells. In two cases, HER2 was overexpressed and amplified in primary tumour, but not in micrometastatic cells, whereas, in one case, HER2 presented a low amplification rate (six copies) in micrometastatic cells not found in the primary tumour. We demonstrated that negative and positive HER2 status remained, in the majority of the cases, stable between the bone marrow micrometastasis and the primary tumour. Therefore, the efficiency of anti-HER2 adjuvant therapy could be evaluated, in a clinical trial, by sequential detection of HER2-positive micrometastatic cells within the bone marrow, before and after treatment