Dispersion Pattern of Giant Cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in a Brazilian Coffee Plantation.

The giant cicada Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) is a major pest of coffee plants in Brazil. To ensure the rational management and ecological equilibrium, information about the behavior, dispersion, and reproduction of giant cicada is fundamental. The present work was conducted in an area of 97 ha planted with Coffea arabica L. to investigate adult dispersion as well as mating and oviposition behaviors of Q. gigas. A sound trap was placed at a 'release point' used for the attraction, marking, and release of adults in the area. The recapture of insects was performed with the same sound trap positioned at 20 points distributed at 100, 250, 400, and 1,000 m from the release point. The highest recapture rates of Q. gigas were observed at 100 m from the release point, and the lowest recapture rates were observed at 1,000 m. The presence of Eucalyptus plants in the area apparently influenced dispersion, as high recapture rates were observed at the sites close to Eucalyptus plants. One copulation of Q. gigas lasted 41.6 ± 0.43 min, and the period of a single oviposition bout was 30.0 ± 0.20 min. Quesada gigas adult longevity in the field was estimated to be 49 d. Both males and females were observed performing multiple matings.

Transgenic Cotton-Fed Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Affects the Parasitoid Encarsia desantisi Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) Development.

Cotton cultivars expressing Cry proteins are widely used to control lepidopteran pests. The effects of transgenic plants containing insecticidal Cry proteins on non-target species must be comprehended for a better and rational use of this technology for pest management. We investigated the influence of the Bt cotton cultivars NuOPAL and FM 975 on biological parameters of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a non-target pest of Bt cotton cultivars and on its parasitoid Encarsia desantisi Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). The experiments were conducted in a climatized room, and the non-transgenic near isolines were used for rearing whiteflies as control hosts. The effects of the Bt cotton cultivars on the period of embryonic and larval development and the percentage of adult emergence of B. tabaci were assessed. The period required for embryonic, larval, and pupal development and the percentage of emergence and longevity of E. desantisi females were determined using Bt cotton-fed and non-Bt cotton-fed B. tabaci as hosts. Both Bt cotton cultivars resulted in a decrease of approximately 20% of adult emergence of B. tabaci. Differently, an increase of approximately 10% of adult emergence of E. desantisi was observed for parasitoids that used hosts fed with both Bt cotton cultivars. However, female parasitoid longevity decreased when their hosts were fed on Bt cotton cultivars. Our data suggest that the use of Bt cotton cultivars in association with the biological control agent E. desantisi could be functional for the management of B. tabaci in Bt cotton crops.

Modification of turbulent transport with continuous variation of flow shear in the large plasma device.

Continuous control over azimuthal flow and shear in the edge of the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) has been achieved using a biasable limiter which has allowed a careful study of the effect of flow shear on pressure-gradient-driven turbulence and transport in the LAPD. The LAPD rotates spontaneously in the ion diamagnetic direction; positive limiter bias first reduces, then minimizes (producing a near-zero shear state), and finally reverses the flow into the electron diamagnetic direction. Degradation of particle confinement is observed in the minimum shearing state and a reduction in the turbulent particle flux is observed with increasing shearing in both flow directions. Near-complete suppression of the turbulent particle flux is observed for shearing rates comparable to the turbulent autocorrelation rate measured in the minimum shear state. Turbulent flux suppression is dominated by amplitude reduction in low-frequency (<10 kHz) density fluctuations. An increase in fluctuations for the highest shearing states is observed with the emergence of a coherent mode which does not lead to net particle transport. The variations of density fluctuations are fit well with power laws and compare favorably to simple models of shear suppression of transport.

Biochemical analysis of a castor bean leaf extract and its insecticidal effects against Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Plant extracts represent a great source of molecules, with insecticidal activity, which are used for pest control in several crop production systems. This work aimed to evaluate the toxicity of an aqueous extract of leaves of castor bean against larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in search for different classes of molecules with insecticidal activities by using in vitro assays. The effects of the castor bean leaf extract on the food utilization, development, and survival of S. frugiperda larvae was evaluated by feeding the larvae an artificial diet supplemented with different concentrations of the extract (0%, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% w/v). The effects observed were dose-dependent, and the highest concentration evaluated (10% w/v) was the one the most affected food utilization by altering the nutritional indices, as well as larval weight gain, development time, and survivorship. In vitro assays to detect saponins, lectins, and trypsin inhibitors in the castor bean leaf extract were performed, but only trypsin inhibitors were detected. No preference for the diet source was detected in S. frugiperda by feeding the larvae in choice experiments with diets containing different concentrations of the castor bean extract tested. The data obtained indicate the existence of a potential molecule in the tested extract of castor bean to be used as an alternative insecticide to be integrated in the management of S. frugiperda.

Acquired inhibitor against factor IX in a child: successful treatment with high-dose immunoglobulin and dexamethasone.

The occurrence of acquired inhibitor against factor IX:C is infrequent in haemophilia B patients and is very rare in previously healthy subjects, in whom it is often related to underlying diseases. We describe the case of a 2-year-old girl, who was referred to our hospital with haematomas, without previous bleeding history. Prolonged APTT, normal PT and a factor IX:C level below 1% were found. An inhibitor against factor IX:C was detected (5.5 U mL(-1)). Her father and mother showed normal factor IX:C levels. Treatment with high-dose immunoglobulin (400 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 5 consecutive days by intravenous infusion) and dexamethasone (4 mg three times a day by intravenous injection for 4 consecutive days) normalized factor IX:C levels and overcame the inhibitor. In conclusion, high-dose immunoglobulin and high-dose dexamethasone are a successful and safe immunosuppressive approach for recovery from inhibitor occurrence.

Combination of Cytosine-Arabinoside (ARA-C), Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone in the Treatment of B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Advanced Stages and Progressive Disease.

Recently the major advances in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) have been in defining biological characteristics and prognostic criteria. However it remains to be established which is the best therapeutic approach following the first line treatment, particularly when the patients are completely unresponsive to the standard treatment using Chlorambucil (CHL) and Prednisone (PDN) and the disease is progressive. We report the results of a combination regimen using Cytosine-Arabinoside (ARA-C), Cyclophosphamide (CTX) and PDN in 19 B-CLL patients with advanced disease, resistant to CHL + PDN. The treatment schedules were as follows: Schedule A) ARA-C 60mg/sqm from day 1 to 4 s.c., CTX 75 mg/sqm from day 1 to 4 i.v., PDN 40 mg/sqm from day 1 to 4 p.o.: courses were repeated every 4 weeks for 6 months; Schedule B) ARA-C 100 mg/sqm from day 1 to 7 s.c., CTX 100 mg/sqm from day 8 to 14 i.v., PDN 40 mg/sqm from day 1 to 21 p.o.: courses were repeated every 4 weeks for 6 months. Fourteen pts were treated with schedule A and 5 pts with schedule B. We observed 9 partial remissions (PR), 5 cases with no response and 5 patients with progression. The median duration of PR is 20 months and two patients remain in PR after 18 and 60 months, respectively. The combination of ARA-C, CTX plus PDN is highly effective in advanced stages and in pretreated B-CLL but we need larger randomized studies to draw more definitive conclusions.