Monitoring of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Resistance Status Using a RAPID Method for Assessing Insecticide Sensitivity Across the United States.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) has spread rapidly, challenging berry and cherry crop production due to its ability to lay eggs into ripening fruit. To prevent infestation by this pest, insecticides are applied during fruit ripening and harvest. We field-tested the Rapid Assessment Protocol for IDentification of resistance in D. suzukii (RAPID) on seventy-eight populations collected across eight U.S. states in 2017 and 2018. Exposure to LC50 rates of malathion, methomyl, spinetoram, spinosad, and zeta-cypermethrin led to average female fly mortality of 25.0% in 2017, and after adjusting concentrations the average was 39.9% in 2018. Using LC99 × 2 discriminating concentrations in 2017 and LC90 × 8 rates in 2018, average female mortalities were 93.3% and 98.5%, respectively, indicating high overall susceptibility. However, using these high concentrations we found 32.0% of assays with survival of some female flies in 2017 and 27.8% in 2018. The adjustment in discriminating dose from 2017 to 2018 also reduced the proportion of assays with <90% survival from 17.6 to 2.9%. Populations with low mortality when exposed to spinosad were identified using this assay, triggering more detailed follow-up bioassays that identified resistant populations collected in California coastal region berry crops. Widespread evaluations of this method and subsequent validation in California, Michigan, and Georgia in 2019-2021 show that it provides a quick and low-cost method to identify populations of D. suzukii that warrant more detailed testing. Our results also provide evidence that important insecticide classes remain effective in most U.S. regions of fruit production.

Volatiles of Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.) Gandhi Leaves Influencing Attraction of Two Generalist Insect Herbivores.

Epilachna vigintioctopunctata Fabr. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Aulacophora foveicollis Lucas (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are important pests of Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.) Gandhi (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as creeping cucumber. The profiles of volatile organic compounds from undamaged plants, plants after 48 hr continuous feeding of adult females of either E. vigintioctopunctata or A. foveicollis, by adults of both species, and after mechanical damaging were identified and quantified by GC-MS and GC-FID analyses. Thirty two compounds were detected in volatiles of all treatments. In all plants, methyl jasmonate was the major compound. In Y-shaped glass tube olfactometer bioassays under laboratory conditions, both insect species showed a significant preference for complete volatile blends from insect damaged plants, compared to those of undamaged plants. Neither E. vigintioctopunctata nor A. foveicollis showed any preference for volatiles released by heterospecifically damaged plants vs. conspecifically damaged plants or plants attacked by both species. Epilachna vigintioctopunctata and A. foveicollis showed attraction to three different synthetic compounds, linalool oxide, nonanal, and E-2-nonenal in proportions present in volatiles of insect damaged plants. Both species were attracted by a synthetic blend of 1.64 µg linalool oxide + 3.86 µg nonanal + 2.23 µg E-2-nonenal, dissolved in 20 µl methylene chloride. This combination might be used as trapping tools in pest management strategies.

An unusual cause of school refusal.

A 6-year-old school boy was brought to the child developmental specialist with complaints of school absenteeism and school refusal behaviour of 7 months duration. Before the onset of school refusal, he had two episodes of unresponsiveness with abnormal posturing preceded by vertigo, which were diagnosed and managed as epileptic seizures. Following these episodes, he started avoiding school due of episodic palpitations, 'nervousness' and sweating. However, the episodes of unresponsiveness did not recur. His symptoms were attributed to stress/anxiety by both the examining physicians as well as the parents because repeated clinical evaluation including 12-lead ECG done three times and echocardiography were normal. Fortunately the sixth time, the diagnosis was clinched on an ECG when he presented to the paediatrician with tachycardia and hypotension.

Vomiting and food refusal causing failure to thrive in a 2 year old: an unusual and late manifestation of congenital duodenal web.

Congenital duodenal anomalies like atresia, stenosis and web or diaphragm commonly present in the neonatal age with signs of intestinal obstruction. Duodenal webs can sometimes present in early infancy and very rarely beyond infancy. The authors present a case of congenital duodenal web with a very small central aperture in a 2-year-old child with presenting features of persistent vomiting and resultant failure to thrive without any overt signs of intestinal obstruction.

Diagnostic dilemmas in fulminant subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

This report describes an eleven-year-old boy with atypical features of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare complication of measles. He had only visual symptoms for 2 months followed by rapid neurological worsening to a vegetative state in 10 days. A diagnosis of SSPE was made based on the history of measles, characteristic ocular findings, compatible magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalographic changes, and elevated ratio of cerebrospinal fluid to serum anti-measles antibody titers.

Congenital airway abnormalities in neonates.

Airway malformations such as laryngeal atresia, tracheal agenesis and subglottic stenosis are rare and present at birth with significant respiratory distress with or without stridor. There may be an initial improvement on bag and mask ventilation. Repeated attempts at intubation are met with failure. The related embryology and clinical aspect of airway malformations have been discussed. The prognosis in tracheal agenesis is universally fatal but cases with laryngeal atresia and subglottic stenosis may be saved with prompt tracheostomy and later surgical reconstruction.