Evaluation of screen barriers on redbay trees to protect them from Xyleborus glabratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and distribution of initial attacks in relation to stem moisture content, diameter, and height.

Fine mesh screen was used to create a physical barrier to prevent redbay ambrosia beetles, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), from accessing various parts of the boles of redbay trees, Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel, and infecting them with the laurel wilt fungus, Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harrington, Fraedrich, & Aghayeva). Screen barriers prevented beetles from attacking boles of mature redbay trees from the ground to 1 or to 3 m and from 1 to 3 m above ground. Untreated control trees were sampled more extensively to determine how location of initial attacks varied with height, diameter, and moisture content of the wood. Screening did not affect tree survival, and all of the trees died within 243 d from the beginning of observation. Initial points of attack by X. glabratus varied from ground level to heights of at least 6.6 m. Trees showed characteristic laurel wilt symptoms with as few as two X. glabratus entry points. The number of attacks exhibited nonlinear relationships with diameter (P = 0.0004; r2 = 0.82) and height (P = 0.0013; r2 = 0.69) but were not correlated with moisture content. Attacks increased gradually with increasing stem diameter up to approximately 10 cm after which the attacks became more numerous. X. glabratus attacks were most numerous on the tree bole near the ground. Attacks then declined as tree height reached 2-3 m. From 3 to 8 m, attacks were relatively consistent.

Gallery productivity, emergence, and flight activity of the redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).

Flight and emergence of the redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, were monitored from March 2011 through August 2012 using Lindgren funnel traps baited with manuka oil and emergence traps attached over individual beetle galleries on infested redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel) trees. Of the 432 gallery entrances covered with emergence traps, 235 (54.4%) successfully produced at least two adults. Gallery success rates and time until adult emergence were highly variable and strongly depended on time of year galleries were initiated. Successful galleries produced 23.4 ± 2.50 (x ± SE) adult X. glabratus but one had 316 adults emerge from it. Galleries were active for an average of 231.9 ± 6.13 d but five were active for over 1 yr and one gallery produced beetles for 497 d. In total, 5,345 female and 196 males were collected during the study resulting in a sex ratio of ~27:1 (female:male) emerging from galleries. Ambrosia beetles other than X. glabratus were recovered from 18 galleries or ~4% of those studied. Beetles that attacked larger diameter trees were more likely to be successful and produce more brood. Lindgren trap captures reflected emergence trap collections but with a delay of about 1 mo between peaks in emergence and capture in traps. Peaks of activity occurred in fall 2011 and spring 2012, but at least some adult beetles were collected using both methods in every month of the year.

Risk factors for development of de novo neoplasia after liver transplantation.

Liver transplant recipients are at greater risk for de novo neoplasia, especially lymphoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer; however, risk factors for this complication have not been well studied. Clinical and pathological records of 137 consecutive liver transplant recipients who had survived for at least 1 year were reviewed to register de novo neoplasia. Ten variables were analyzed for their association with the development of de novo malignancies by means of a log-rank test and stepwise selection in a multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model. Thirty de novo neoplasias appeared in 22 of 137 transplant recipients between 12 and 104 months after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT; median follow-up, 69 months): 14 patients had 21 skin cancers, 6 patients had solid-organ cancer, and 3 patients developed a lymphoproliferative disease. Probabilities of de novo neoplasia were 13% at 5 years post-OLT and 26% at 8 years post-OLT. The only associated risk factor for any neoplasia was age. Age and hepatocarcinoma were independent risk factors associated with skin cancer. That hepatocarcinoma in the explanted liver is an independent risk factor for skin cancer suggests there is individual susceptibility to both neoplasias.