Environmental fate and exposure; neonicotinoids and fipronil.

Systemic insecticides are applied to plants using a wide variety of methods, ranging from foliar sprays to seed treatments and soil drenches. Neonicotinoids and fipronil are among the most widely used pesticides in the world. Their popularity is largely due to their high toxicity to invertebrates, the ease and flexibility with which they can be applied, their long persistence, and their systemic nature, which ensures that they spread to all parts of the target crop. However, these properties also increase the probability of environmental contamination and exposure of nontarget organisms. Environmental contamination occurs via a number of routes including dust generated during drilling of dressed seeds, contamination and accumulation in arable soils and soil water, runoff into waterways, and uptake of pesticides by nontarget plants via their roots or dust deposition on leaves. Persistence in soils, waterways, and nontarget plants is variable but can be prolonged; for example, the half-lives of neonicotinoids in soils can exceed 1,000 days, so they can accumulate when used repeatedly. Similarly, they can persist in woody plants for periods exceeding 1 year. Breakdown results in toxic metabolites, though concentrations of these in the environment are rarely measured. Overall, there is strong evidence that soils, waterways, and plants in agricultural environments and neighboring areas are contaminated with variable levels of neonicotinoids or fipronil mixtures and their metabolites (soil, parts per billion (ppb)-parts per million (ppm) range; water, parts per trillion (ppt)-ppb range; and plants, ppb-ppm range). This provides multiple routes for chronic (and acute in some cases) exposure of nontarget animals. For example, pollinators are exposed through direct contact with dust during drilling; consumption of pollen, nectar, or guttation drops from seed-treated crops, water, and consumption of contaminated pollen and nectar from wild flowers and trees growing near-treated crops. Studies of food stores in honeybee colonies from across the globe demonstrate that colonies are routinely and chronically exposed to neonicotinoids, fipronil, and their metabolites (generally in the 1-100 ppb range), mixed with other pesticides some of which are known to act synergistically with neonicotinoids. Other nontarget organisms, particularly those inhabiting soils, aquatic habitats, or herbivorous insects feeding on noncrop plants in farmland, will also inevitably receive exposure, although data are generally lacking for these groups. We summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the environmental fate of these compounds by outlining what is known about the chemical properties of these compounds, and placing these properties in the context of modern agricultural practices.

[Acute abdomen in children: a continuous challenge. Two cases report: Meckel's diverticulum with small bowel volvolus and internal herniation related to epiploic appendagitis mimicking acute appendicitis]. / Addome acuto in età pediatrica: una sfida continua. Due casi clinici: volvolo intestinale su residue del dotto onfalo mesenterico e strangolamento ileale su appendice epiploica cecale.

Acute abdomen is a continuous clinical challenge in pediatric age. The aim of our study is to describe two pediatric rare cases: the first case is a small bowel volvolus related to Meckel's diverticulum confused with an intestinal intussusception; the second an internal herniation related to epiploic appendagitis with intestinal obstruction mimic acute appendicitis in two years old children. We review the current literature.

Translocation of neonicotinoid insecticides from coated seeds to seedling guttation drops: a novel way of intoxication for bees.

The death of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and the consequent colony collapse disorder causes major losses in agriculture and plant pollination worldwide. The phenomenon showed increasing rates in the past years, although its causes are still awaiting a clear answer. Although neonicotinoid systemic insecticides used for seed coating of agricultural crops were suspected as possible reason, studies so far have not shown the existence of unquestionable sources capable of delivering directly intoxicating doses in the fields. Guttation is a natural plant phenomenon causing the excretion of xylem fluid at leaf margins. Here, we show that leaf guttation drops of all the corn plants germinated from neonicotinoid-coated seeds contained amounts of insecticide constantly higher than 10 mg/l, with maxima up to 100 mg/l for thiamethoxam and clothianidin, and up to 200 mg/l for imidacloprid. The concentration of neonicotinoids in guttation drops can be near those of active ingredients commonly applied in field sprays for pest control, or even higher. When bees consume guttation drops, collected from plants grown from neonicotinoid-coated seeds, they encounter death within few minutes.

[Foreign body ingestion: a common problem in paediatric age]. / L'ingestione di corpi estranei in età pediatrica: una costante realtà.

Foreign body (F.B.) ingestion occurs very frequently in paediatric age. The kind of ingested foreign bodies depends on the patient's age. Children between 1 and 3 years of age mostly swallow coins, toy parts, stones and small batteries; instead, older children typically ingest boluses of meat. The aim of this study is to review our case histories according to the latest literature, focusing on some events that needed a therapeutic emergency treatment.

Short bowel syndrome: experimental approach to increase intestinal surface in rats by gastric homologous acellular matrix.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: In this preliminary work the authors used homologous acellular matrix obtained by the gastric wall to increase the small bowel surface in Sprague-Downey rats; through this experimental model the authors verified that homologous acellular matrix can support cell migration and the reconstruction of the intestinal wall. METHODS: A tract of about 2 cm of tubular gastric acellular matrix was inserted with bilateral anastomosis in an isolated ileal loop, which was located in endoabdominal position through a short subcutaneous tunnel. Twelve animals were analyzed at each of the time-points ranging from 1 to 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Histologic evaluation showed that the implanted matrix can be reintegrated in the normal small bowel in a period ranging between 3 and 6 weeks from surgery. The implanted matrix was organized with 4 different tonacae from the third week after the surgery, without interruption at the site of the anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: To date, the authors do not have a demonstration of the function of the ileal loop reconstructed with this technique; based on these results the authors are engaged in an experimental trial of restoration of intestinal viability with the ileal prosthesis after 3 weeks to study its function.

[Usefulness of long-term follow-up of patients operated on for cryptorchidism]. / Utilità del follow-up a lungo termine nei pazienti operati per criptorchidismo.

BACKGROUND: Cryptorchidism, testicular ectopia and rectractile testicle are different pathologies with conceivable different prognosis. As a matter of fact spermiogram used in these patients for the prognosis is really worse in bilateral cryptorchid than ectopic patients, because the tubular damage is present in the former than in the latter. It does not mean, anyway, that direct correlation exists between age of the patient at the operation and fertility. METHODS: 171 patients operated on for cryptorchidism or testicular ectopia at the Pediatric Surgery Department of the Regional Hospital of Treviso during the years 1974-1983 under-went follow-up at the age of 18 years with clinical evaluation, hormonal dosage (testosterone and gonadotropin after stimulus as GnRH) and spermiogram. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not differ from many other studies about hormonal levels and spermiograms of cryptorchid patients; it underlines long term follow-up utility of patients operated on for cryptorchidism and stresses the need of an eventual psychological evaluation of these patients.

[Steroid therapy of hemangioma in children]. / Considerazioni sulla terapia steroidea degli emangiomi infantili.

Hemangiomata is the more frequent pediatric tumor, absent at birth and usually growing, sometimes very quickly, during the first week of life. It potentially represents a serious problem because of his unforeseeable evolution during the time: is it more useful to use a corticosteroid therapy or to wait for the involution of the tumor? Here we have the results of the treatment on 51 babies who presented with hemangiomas of various sites: 52.6% of the lesions were on the face and head, 13.4% on chest wall, 10% on upper limbs, 4% on abdominal wall, 10% on pelvis region and 10% multiple. Therapy was compression in 10% of patients, corticosteroid injection in 66%, oral administered corticosteroid in 12%, surgery post corticosteroid therapy in 11.5%, others in 2.5%. Best results were obtained on the lesion of the head and face (good in 96%), worst in those of the abdomen (any modification in 100%).

[Phimosis: when does it require surgical intervention?]. / Fimosi: quando è patologia di interesse chirurgico?

One of the most recurrent questions in pediatric age is the phimosis; this is a frequently underestimated problem and its resolution often cause a lot of discomforts in babies and parents. In many countries it has been treated on the roots of ancient sanitary measures (circumcision) whereas in others it's routinely treated with painful and useless maneuvers; instead, until three years of age this don't represents a problem but the normal situation of the baby. Herein the authors report the results of topic corticosteroid treatment of fimosis in 83 patients aged 1-14 years, with good outcome in 86.7% of cases. Therapy and results are discussed.

Isolated blunt liver trauma: is nonoperative treatment justified?

During the past 8 years 13 children with isolated blunt liver trauma were managed nonoperatively. All patients selected for this management were hemodynamically stable after initial resuscitation and were without signs of other associated intraabdominal injuries on ultrasonogram and/or computed tomography. Patients were observed in an intensive care unit for at least 48 hours with repeated clinical assessments, laboratory studies, and bed rest. One patient with type 3 injury was operated on 8 days after injury because of sudden intraperitoneal bleeding on ambulation. Five patients required blood transfusions of not more than 300 mL per patient. Laboratory values returned to normal from 7 to 21 days after injury. Resolution of hepatic injury on ultrasonogram took from 1 to 3 months. Complete bed rest was prescribed for at least 10 days depending on the type of injury, with restricted activities up to 3 months postinjury. No complications were seen in this series.