The use of carbon dioxide in big bags and containers for the control of pest in food products

Modified atmospheres (MA) based on high carbon dioxide (CO2) contents offer an alternative to synthetic chemical fumigation for insect pest control in food commodities during storage and shipment processes. The present study aimed to establish the efficacy of using CO2 in big bags and containers to prevent pests’ development. Four trials were conducted with gastight big bags (900 x 900 x 1000 or 1600 cm). Two of these trials were conducted with polished rice and samples of Sitophilus oryzae, one trial with chamomile infested with Lasioderma serricorne and one trial with cocoa and samples of Tribolium confusum and Ephestia kuehniella. Initial contents of CO2 were higher than 75%, which decreased depending on exposure time (13 to 90 d) and food product. In all four trials the insects present in the infested samples were controlled with the MA. An additional trial was conducted in a 9 m container containing dried herbs in boxes, big bags and other pacaging formats. Twelve infested samples of L. serricorne and Plodia interpunctella were distributed uniformly at the bottom and top of the container. A concentration between 70% and 15% CO2 was maintained for an exposure time of 18 d. In spite of the decrease in CO2 content, the treatment was also effective to control all insects present in the samples. Our results confirmed that CO2 could be applied to food products during the storage in big bags and containers to control the occurrence of pests. Keywords: Modified atmosphere, Carbon dioxide, Pest control, Stored-product pests

Non-chemical alternative in rice storage: the use of refrigeration for insect control and quality maintenance of paddy rice

Trials were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of refrigeration in controlling insect infestations of Sitophilus zeamais and S. oryzae on stored rice. In the rice storage and processing industry use of aeration systems during winter and refrigeration units under summer conditions can provide a good solution to reduce paddy temperature for control of insects and maintenance of paddy quality; though it is restricted by costs of machinery and electric power. Trials were conducted in a rice mill in Portugal close to the Mondego Valley. A granary containing 140 t of paddy (variety Ripallo) was cooled using refrigerated aeration because during the trials ambient temperatures were too high for successful insect control by ambient air aeration. Sitophilus zeamais and S. oryzae adults reared on brown rice at 28°C and 68±3% r.h. were used as bioassays. Paddy stored in the granary was cooled to below 18ºC from 27 June 2008 to 19 September 2008. The mean ambient temperature during the total period of the trial varied from 12ºC to 27ºC. The moisture content of the paddy in the granary ranged from 12.1% to 13.9% during the same period of time. The total F1 of adult emergence population of S. zeamais and S. oryzae was counted after the experiments. The F1 adult from parent adults of S. zeamais was reduced up to 77%; the F1 adult from eggs of S. zeamais and S. oryzae were also reduced up to 71% and 45%, respectively, when compared with corresponding untreated controls. Refrigeration of the paddy allowed storage for almost three months at about 18ºC and caused delay in rice weevils development. As a consequence, this negated the necessity for fumigation. Although the energy consumed during refrigeration doubled the cost when compared with cooling using an ambient-air, aeration system during the cold season, refrigeration provided an environmentally sound and user-friendly treatment during warm months of the year. Keywords: Refrigeration, Sitophilus zeamais, Sitophilus oryzae, Paddy, Rice mill, Storag

Optimization of a Banker Box System to Rear and Release the Parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for the Control of Stored-Product Moths

Pyralid moths, such as Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) or Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), are among the pests of most concern in mills and food industries worldwide. One option for their control, which presents an alternative to the application of insecticides, is the release of natural enemies. Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a larval parasitoid of pyralid moths that is commercially available for augmentative release in storehouses. They are delivered as adults that limit their performance. To improve their quality when released at the target location, a banker box has been developed consisting of a rearing box that optimizes the release of the parasitoid. In the present study, the nonpest larvae Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) have been used as a host, substituting for E. kuehniella larvae which were used in the previous design. The best results were obtained when a mixture of two larval sizes of the host were offered to the female parasitoid, producing five times more adults than with E. kuehniella larvae. Quality of the released parasitoids was optimal because they were delivered in the pupal stage inside the rearing box and adults began to emerge in situ. The banker box released adult parasitoids over a prolonged period of approximately 25 d at the target location. The use of this banker box may significantly help in the biological control of stored-product moths.Los pirálidos Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) y Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) se encuentran entre las plagas más preocupantes de los molinos y las industrias alimentarias de todo el mundo. Una alternativa a la aplicación de insecticidas para su control es la liberación de enemigos naturales. Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) es un parasitoide de larvas de pirálidos que está disponible comercialmente para su introducción en almacenes de la industria agroalimentária. Estos parasitoides se envían normalmente como adultos lo que limita su efectividad. Para mejorar su calidad cuando se liberan en el destino, se ha desarrollado una ‘banker box’ consistente en una caja de cría, que permite mejorar la calidad del parasitoide liberado. En este estudio, hemos mejorado esta ‘banker box’ utilizando como huésped la larva Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), especie que no es plaga en almacenes, en sustitución de las larvas de E. kuehniella que se utilizaron en el diseño anterior. Los mejores resultados se obtuvieron cuando se ofreció a la hembra del parasitoide una mezcla de dos tamaños de larvas del huésped, produciéndose cinco veces más adultos que con las larvas de E. kuehniella. La calidad de los parasitoides liberados fue óptima porque se distribuyeron en la fase de pupa, y los adultos comenzaron a emerger ya in situ. La ‘banker box’ liberó parasitoides durante un período prolongado de aproximadamente 25 días. El uso de esta ‘banker box’ puede ayudar a mejorar significativamente el control de las polillas que atacan los productos alimenticios almacenados.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

¿Tiene depredadores en España la psila africana, vector del Huanglongbing?

Una de las principales amenazas de los cítricos a nivel mundial es la enfermedad del dragón amarillo o Huanglongbing (HLB). Por eso, desde la detección de uno de sus vectores, la psila africana Trioza erytreae, en Canarias (2002) y en Galicia (2014), su contención y erradicación ha sido una prioridad para evitar su propagación en la zona citrícola española. En este estudio se ha puesto a punto una herramienta molecular para identificar aquellos depredadores generalistas que han incorporado este insecto vector en su dieta. Para ello se diseñó un par de cebadores específicos de T. erytreae con los que se analizaron depredadores recolectados en cítricos infestados con esta especie en Canarias y en Galicia mediante PCR convencional. Su detección en el contenido estomacal de un amplio rango de depredadores, entre ellos varias especies de coccinélidos, antocóridos, sírfidos, crisopas y arañas, pone de manifiesto la existencia de candidatos autóctonos para su control biológico en España.Esta investigación ha sido financiada por el proyecto INIA E–RTA RTA2015–00005–C06 del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España. Paula Molina obtuvo una beca predoctoral (BES–2017–081914) del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de Españainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of intercurrent introduction of steroids on clinical outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (Nsclc) patients under immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ici)

Background: Baseline steroids before ICI have been associated with poor outcomes, particularly when introduced due to cancer symptoms. Methods: Retrospective analysis of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICI. We collected the use of intercurrent steroids (≥10 mg of prednisone-equivalent) within the first eight weeks of ICI. We correlated steroid use with patient outcomes according to the indications. Results: 413 patients received ICI, 299 were steroids-naïve at baseline. A total of 49 patients received intercurrent steroids (16%), of whom 38 for cancer-related symptoms and 11 for other indications, such as immune-related events. Overall, median (m) progression-free survival (PFS) was 1.9 months (mo.) [95% CI, 1.8-2.4] and overall survival (OS) 10 mo. [95% CI, 8.1–12.9]. Intercurrent steroids under ICI correlated with a shorter PFS/OS (1.3 and 2.3 mo. respectively, both p < 0.0001). Intercurrent steroids for cancer-related symptoms correlated with poorest mPFS [1.1 mo.; 95% CI, 0.9–1.5] and mOS [1.9 mo.; 95%CI, 1.5–2.4; p < 0.0001)]. No mOS and mPFS differences were found between cancer-unrelated-steroid group and no-steroid group. Steroid use for cancer-related symptoms was an independent prognostic factor for poor PFS [HR 2.64; 95% CI, 1.2–5.6] and OS [HR 4.53; 95% CI, 1.8–11.1], both p < 0.0001. Conclusion: Intercurrent steroids during ICI had no detrimental prognostic impact if the indication was unrelated to cancer symptoms

Targeting HER2 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) : a glimpse of hope? An updated review on therapeutic strategies in NSCLC harbouring HER2 alterations

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring HER2 alterations is now considered a distinct molecular subtype. The activation of HER2 in NSCLC occurs via three mechanisms, i.e. gene mutation (1%-4% of cases), gene amplification (2%-5%) and protein overexpression (2%-30%), with different prognostic and predictive outcomes. So far, non-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have shown a minor benefit in HER2-mutant NSCLC patients with objective response rates (ORRs) ranging from 0% to 19%. Trastuzumab-based chemotherapy was not found to be superior to chemotherapy alone [median progression-free survival (PFS) 6.1 versus 7 months, respectively] and dual HER2 antibody blockade with trastuzumab and pertuzumab had limited efficacy (ORR 13%-21%). In contrast, novel more selective HER2 TKIs such as poziotinib and pyrotinib have shown a promising activity in HER2-mutant pre-treated NSCLC patients, with response rates up to 38% and 44%, respectively. The most encouraging data come from phase II studies that evaluated the antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) ado-trastuzumab-emtansine and trastuzumab-deruxtecan in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC, with response rates of 50% and 62%, respectively. These agents are bringing hope to the management of HER2-altered NSCLC. Moreover, a paradigm shift from monotherapies towards combinations of agents with distinct mechanisms of action, such as ADCs with irreversible TKIs or immune checkpoint inhibitors, is already taking place and will change the therapeutic landscape of HER2-driven NSCLC. This paper provides a practical, concise and updated review on the therapeutic strategies in NSCLC with HER2 molecular alterations

Effect of transgenic Bt rice on the survival of three nontarget stored product insect pests

The effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic Ariete and Senia rice lines developed for the control of Chilo suppressalis Walker were evaluated on three nontarget stored product insect pests: the lepidopteran Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the coleopteran Sitophilus oryzae L., and the psocid Liposcelis bostrichophila (Badonnel). Two different cry genes (cry1B and cry1Aa) under the control of a constitutive plant promoter (ubi) and a wound inducible promoter (mpi) were tested. Plodia interpunctella was unable to survive in rice semolina obtained from the two Ariete and Senia lines, which contained the ubi:cry1B gene. A reduction in S. oryzae adult progeny was observed in cultivar Senia rice containing the ubi:cry1B gene but not in cultivar Ariete rice. Moreover, a sublethal effect on S. oryzae adult progeny weight was observed in both of the rice cultivar treatments that constitutively expressed this gene. The number of L. bostrichophila emerging from Ariete rice containing the ubi:cry1B gene also was reduced. Both a reduction in the number of emerged adults and a delay in the development of P. interpunctella were observed for Ariete rice semolina containing the mpi:cry1B gene. However, no lethal or sublethal effects were observed for P. interpunctella reared on a transformed Senia rice line expressing the ubi:cry1Aa gene, suggesting possible tolerance to the toxin present in the rice grains. Although no increase in mortality was observed with S. oryzae fed ubi:cry1Aa rice, there was a sublethal effect on adult progeny weight.This study was supported by project INIA RTA2005-00068-00-00.Peer reviewe

Effect of Transgenic Bt

The effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic Ariete and Senia rice lines developed for the control of Chilo suppressalis Walker were evaluated on three nontarget stored product insect pests: the lepidopteran Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the coleopteran Sitophilus oryzae L., and the psocid Liposcelis bostrichophila (Badonnel). Two different cry genes (cry1B and cry1Aa) under the control of a constitutive plant promoter (ubi) and a wound inducible promoter (mpi) were tested. Plodia interpunctella was unable to survive in rice semolina obtained from the two Ariete and Senia lines, which contained the ubi:cry1B gene. A reduction in S. oryzae adult progeny was observed in cultivar Senia rice containing the ubi:cry1B gene but not in cultivar Ariete rice. Moreover, a sublethal effect on S. oryzae adult progeny weight was observed in both of the rice cultivar treatments that constitutively expressed this gene. The number of L. bostrichophila emerging from Ariete rice containing the ubi:cry1B gene also was reduced. Both a reduction in the number of emerged adults and a delay in the development of P. interpunctella were observed for Ariete rice semolina containing the mpi:cry1B gene. However, no lethal or sublethal effects were observed for P. interpunctella reared on a transformed Senia rice line expressing the ubi:cry1Aa gene, suggesting possible tolerance to the toxin present in the rice grains. Although no increase in mortality was observed with S. oryzae fed ubi:cry1Aa rice, there was a sublethal effect on adult progeny weight.This study was supported by project INIA RTA2005-00068-00-00.Peer reviewe