Is emamectin benzoate effective against the different stages of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)?

peer-reviewedThis work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project AGL 2007-66130-C03-02 to P. Medina). F. Amor and P. Bengochea acknowledge the ministry of Education and Culture and the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) for the doctoral fellowships. Special thanks to Syngenta Agro S.A. for their support.The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is a major polyphagous pest in greenhouses and open fields worldwide and also a main problem in sweet pepper greenhouses. The effectiveness of the pesticide emamectin benzoate was tested in the laboratory on different stages of S. exigua using different concentrations and uptake routes. After dipping young (48-h-old) S. exigua eggs in emamectin benzoate at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg/L a.i. the chemical did not exhibit any ovicidal activity. There was, however, progressive neonate mortality at all concentrations, culminating at 72 hours after hatching, when 100% of the larvae from the treated young eggs died. Second and fourth instar S. exigua larvae did not exhibit significant mortality when exposed to the inert surfaces which were treated. In contrast, ingesting a diet contaminated with 0.5 mg/L a.i. of emamectin benzoate caused 100% mortality in L2 and L4 larvae 24 and 72 hours after ingestion, respectively. The LC50 value of the compound against L4 larvae that fed on sprayed sweet pepper leaves for 24 hours was 0.81 mg/L a.i.. When adults were fed on a solution of 0.5 mg/L a.i., there was a reduction in the female and male lifespan of 29.3% and 55.3%, respectively. Fecundity was reduced by more than 99%. These data suggest that emamectin benzoate is not only a useful insecticide when ingested by beet armyworm larvae but it also has ovolarvicidal and adult activity.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovatio

TREE PLANTING PRIORITIZATION IN NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, PHILIPPINES USING REMOTE SENSING, ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS AND GIS

The need for trees in cities is rapidly increasing because of global warming, rapid population growth, and urbanization. To maximize the benefits of trees, areas of greatest need should be identified and prioritized. In this study, a geospatial framework for tree planting prioritization is developed for NCR using remotely sensed datasets, AHP, and GIS. A Planting Priority Index (PPI) for NCR is derived based on five criteria with corresponding weights calculated based on ratings from 18 experts – air quality (25.2%), tree cover (23.8%), land cover (17.8%), population (17.4%), and land surface temperature (15.8%). The AHP resulted in a consistency ratio (CR) value of 1.7% and a consensus value of 53.2%. PPI values were calculated and statistically significant prioritization clusters and outliers were identified using Anselin Local Moran’s I statistics. The resulting PPI and cluster maps showed that the high-priority areas for tree planting clustered near the region’s center and northwest portion covering the cities of Malabon, South Caloocan, Navotas, Quezon City, Marikina, San Juan, and Mandaluyong, while the low priority areas were found mostly along the region’s outskirts at cities of Pasay, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Valenzuela, and North Caloocan. The generated maps showing PPI values across the region may aid local government agencies and environmental organizations in evaluating and recalibrating their local greening programs. The workflow presented in this study can also be adopted in other regions with localized variables and site-specific goals relevant to tree planting and greening programs

Temporal evolution of a driven optomechanical system in the strong coupling regime

We obtain a time-evolution operator for a forced optomechanical quantum system using Lie algebraic methods when the normalized coupling between the electromagnetic field and a mechanical oscillator, $G/\omega_m$, is not negligible compared to one. Due to the forcing term, the interaction picture Hamiltonian contains the number operator in the exponents, and in order to deal with it, we approximate these exponentials by their average values taken between initial coherent states. Our approximation is justified when we compare our results with the numerical solution of the number of photons, phonons, Mandel parameter, and the Wigner function, showing an excellent agreement.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figure

Effects of Fish Oil and Grape Seed Extract Combination on Hepatic Endogenous Antioxidants and Bioactive Lipids in Diet-Induced Early Stages of Insulin Resistance in Rats

© 2020 by the authors.Diacylglycerols (DAG) and ceramides have been suggested as early predictors of insulin resistance. This study was aimed to examine the combined effects of fish oil (FO) and grape seed extract (GSE) on hepatic endogenous antioxidants, DAG and ceramides in diet-induced early stages of insulin resistance. Thirty-five rats were fed one of the following diets: (1) a standard diet (STD group), (2) a high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHS group), (3) an HFHS diet enriched with FO (FO group), (4) an HFHS diet enriched with GSE (GSE group) or (5) an HFHS diet enriched with FO and GSE (FO + GSE group). In the liver, endogenous antioxidants were measured using spectrophotometric and fluorometric techniques, and non-targeted lipidomics was conducted for the assessment of DAG and ceramides. After 24 weeks, the FO + GSE group showed increased glutathione peroxidase activity, as well as monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing DAG, and long-chain fatty acid-containing ceramides abundances compared to the STD group. The FO and GSE combination induced similar activation of the antioxidant system and bioactive lipid accumulation in the liver than the HFHS diet without supplementation. In addition, the FO and GSE combination increased the abundances of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing DAG in the liver.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant numbers AGL2009-12374-C03-02, AGL2013-49079-C2-1-R and AGL2013-49079-C2-2-R].Peer reviewe

Phenotypic, molecular characterization, antimicrobial susceptibility and draft genome sequence of Corynebacterium argentoratense strains isolated from clinical samples

During a 12-year period we isolated five Corynebacterium argentoratense strains identified by phenotypic methods, including the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility was determined, and genome sequencing for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes was performed. The organisms were isolated from blood and throat cultures and could be identified by all methods used. All strains were resistant to cotrimoxazole, and resistance to β-lactams was partly present. Two strains were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. The draft genome sequences of theses isolates revealed the presence of the erm(X) resistance gene that is embedded in the genetic structure of the transposable element Tn5423. Although rarely reported as a human pathogen, C. argentoratense can be involved in bacteraemia and probably in other infections. Our results also show that horizontal transfer of genes responsible for antibiotic resistance is occurring in this species.Supported in part by the Gerencia Regional de Salud, Junta de Castilla y León, Spain (research project GRS 698/A/2011

Perfil do idoso em área metropolitana na região sudeste do Brasil: resultados de inquérito domiciliar

A multicentre study concerned with the health needs of the elderly population living in urban areas and coordinated by the Panamerican Health Organization was undertaken in 6 Latin-American countries. In Brazil, 1,602 elderly residents (of 60 years of age and over) in the District of S. Paulo, constituting a multistage random sample stratified by socioeconomic status, participated in a household survey using a multidemensional functional assessment questionnaire. The results showed a highly deprived population (70% had a per capita income of less than US$ 100 per month), living mostly in multigenerational households (59% were living with children and/or grandchildren), with a high prevalence of chronic physical illnesses (only 14% referred no illness) and psychiatric disorders (27% were considered psychiatric cases), a high proportion of them showing a loss of autonomy (47% needed help in performing at least one of the activities of daily living). The results are put into perspective concerning future needs in terms of specialized health services and social support for the growing population of elderly people in Brazil.Trata-se de estudo multicêntrico visando levantar as necessidades de saúde da população de idosos residentes em zona urbana, conduzido em 6 países na América Latina e coordenado pela Organização Panamericana da Saúde. No Brasil, 1.602 idosos (60 anos e +) residentes no Distrito de São Paulo, participaram de inquérito domiciliar com questionário de avaliação funcional multidimensional - amostra populacional aleatória, em múltiplos estágios, estratificada por nível socioeconômico. Os resultados mostraram uma população bastante carente (70% tinha uma renda per capita de menos de 100 dólares por mês), vivendo predominantemente em domicílios multigeracionais (59% viviam com os filhos e/ou com netos), com alta prevalência de doenças crônicas (somente 14% referiu não ter nenhuma doença) e distúrbios psiquiátricos (27% foram considerados casos psiquiátricos), e com uma elevada proporção de pessoas com perda de autonomia (47% precisavam de ajuda para realizar pelo menos uma das atividades da vida diária). Os resultados são analisados tendo em vista as demandas futuras por serviços de saúde especializados e suporte social por parte da crescente população de idosos no Brasil

Sustainable Materials and Biorefinery Chemicals from Agriwastes

This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.-- et al.Countries with economies based on agriculture generate vast amounts of low or null value wastes which may even represent an environmental hazard. In our group, agricultural industrial wastes have been converted into value added liquid substances and materials with several aims: decreasing pollution, giving added value to wastes and working in a sustainable manner in which the wastes of an industry can be used as the raw materials of the same or others, as the “cradle to cradle” philosophy states [1]. Sub-products from the agricultural food industry are being employed as renewable low cost raw materials in the preparation of Ecomaterials, designed for use in a number of industrial processes of great interest. Given their origin, these materials may compete with conventional ones since with this process a sustainable cycle is closed, in which the residues of one industry are used as raw materials in the same or other industries [2]. With regards to the composition of the residues produced from agriculture, the pH of soil is of great importance, since plants can only absorb the minerals that are dissolved in water and pH is mandatory for the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and the main cause of many agronomic questions related to nutrient assimilation [3-5]. Variations of pH modify the solubility of most elements necessary for the development of crops and also influence the microbian activity of soil, which will affect the transformation of elements that are liberated to the soil and can be assimilated to form crops or not [3]. For example at pH lower than 6 or higher than 8 bacterian activities are lowered, the oxidation of nitrogen to nitrate is reduced and the amount of nitrogen available for plant food is decreased. However Al, Fe and manganese are more soluble at low pHs, reaching even toxic concentrations. Potassium and sulphur are easily adsorbed at pH higher than 6, calcium and magnesium between 7 and 8.5 and iron at pH lower than 6. For alkaline pH in soil, the availability of H2PO4-can be reduced through precipitation of phosphorous containing salts withcations such as calcium Ca2+ or magnesium Mg2+. However when soils have acid pH other compounds with HPO42-and iron (Fe2+), aluminium (Al3+) and manganese (Mn2+) can form, with increased solubility. The main factors that influence soil pH are the mineral composition and how it meteorizes, the decomposition of organic matter, how nutrients are partitioned among the solution and aggregates and of course the pluviometryof the zone and atmospheric contamination.Lower pHs are found in places with high pluviometry, with high organic matter decomposition, young soils developed on acid substrates, and places with high atmospheric contamination (acid rain). Depending on the species, crops can benefit from calcareous soils with high calcium carbonate content such as alfalfa, but other plants prefer soils with acid pH such as potatoes, coffee or tobacco. It is clear that different seasons will produce plants with a varying composition depending on the atmospheric conditions and therefore the materials derived from them need to be characterised and analysed to determine their possible uses.Given its multidisciplinary approach, this work is being carried out through the collaboration among national (Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM, CSIC), Institute of Catalysis (ICP, CSIC), Centre of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), University at distance (UNED), University Complutense of Madrid (UPM) and international (University of Sheffield and University of Ghent) research groups, in addition to various industries interested in the transformation of their residues and or sub-products into “value added materials”, with whom various research projects have been and are being sponsored by the MICINN and CDTI.Peer Reviewe

Breast cancer PAM50 signature: Correlation and concordance between RNA-Seq and digital multiplexed gene expression technologies in a triple negative breast cancer series

Background: Full RNA-Seq is a fundamental research tool for whole transcriptome analysis. However, it is too costly and time consuming to be used in routine clinical practice. We evaluated the transcript quantification agreement between RNA-Seq and a digital multiplexed gene expression platform, and the subtype call after running the PAM50 assay in a series of breast cancer patients classified as triple negative by IHC/FISH. The goal of this study is to analyze the concordance between both expression platforms overall, and for calling PAM50 triple negative breast cancer intrinsic subtypes in particular. Results: The analyses were performed in paraffin-embedded tissues from 96 patients recruited in a multicenter, prospective, non-randomized neoadjuvant triple negative breast cancer trial (NCT01560663). Pre-treatment core biopsies were obtained following clinical practice guidelines and conserved as FFPE for further RNA extraction. PAM50 was performed on both digital multiplexed gene expression and RNA-Seq platforms. Subtype assignment was based on the nearest centroid classification following this procedure for both platforms and it was concordant on 96% of the cases (N = 96). In four cases, digital multiplexed gene expression analysis and RNA-Seq were discordant. The Spearman correlation to each of the centroids and the risk of recurrence were above 0.89 in both platforms while the agreement on Proliferation Score reached up to 0.97. In addition, 82% of the individual PAM50 genes showed a correlation coefficient > 0.80. Conclusions: In our analysis, the subtype calling in most of the samples was concordant in both platforms and the potential discordances had reduced clinical implications in terms of prognosis. If speed and cost are the main driving forces then the preferred technique is the digital multiplexed platform, while if whole genome patterns and subtype are the driving forces, then RNA-Seq is the preferred method