Frequency and diversity of indoxacarb resistance in Australian Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Annual indoxacarb resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations collected from various crops in Australia was monitored between 2013 and 2023. Resistance frequency determined by F2 screening using a predetermined discriminating dose of indoxacarb, was lowest in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 seasons at 0.0164 and 0.0246, respectively. Resistance then increased significantly to a ten-year high of 0.0869 in 2018-2019 but declined to 0.0557 in 2019-2020 during a severe drought, remaining relatively stable thereafter to 2023. Indoxacarb resistance was first detected in H. armigera collected from maize in the Gwydir valley, New South Wales, in 2013 (strain GY7-39). In 2017, a second indoxacarb resistant H. armigera strain (UN1U3-10) was isolated from a population collected in chickpeas in the Liverpool Plains, New South Wales. Indoxacarb resistance of this strain was characterized to evaluate its potential to compromise the ongoing effectiveness of insecticide resistance management strategies in Australian farming systems. Survival at the discriminating dose of indoxacarb in UN1U3-10 was 28.9, 52.6, 86.7, and 92.9% in the F2, F3, F4, and F5, respectively. Following introgression with a susceptible strain and reselection with the discriminating dose of indoxacarb, the resistance ratio of UN1U3-10 was approximately 800-fold. Resistance was autosomal, incompletely dominant and conferred by more than 1 locus. While indoxacarb resistance in UN1U3-10 did not confer to emamectin benzoate or spinetoram and there was no evidence of major cross-resistance to the Bt toxins Cry1A, Cry2A or Vip3A, there was 5-fold reduced sensitivity to chlorantraniliprole. Indoxacarb resistance was suppressed by approximately 10-fold by PBO with no synergism by TPP or DEM, suggesting the involvement of cytochrome P450 enzymes. A stability analysis indicated a fitness cost may be associated with the genes that confer resistance in the UN1U3-10 strain. The potential risk for diverse indoxacarb resistance in the Australian H. armigera population is discussed.

Relative fitness and stability of resistance in a near-isogenic strain of indoxacarb resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

BACKGROUND: A strain of Helicoverpa armigera with 171-fold resistance to indoxacarb was introgressed with a susceptible strain by serial backcrossing and reselection with indoxacarb resulting in the creation of the near-isogenic GY7-39BC4 strain. Fitness was compared on artificial diet under diapause and non-diapause conditions in resistant, susceptible and F1 progeny from a reciprocal backcross of the two strains using life history trait analyses. Selection experiments were used to determine stability of resistance. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between strains in survival, female fertility or realized fecundity. A comparison of the intrinsic rate of population increase showed similar relative fitness between strains. Lower male fertility and male longevity in the resistant strain and one of the F1 strains compared with the susceptible strain suggests small non-recessive costs may be associated with male reproductive capacity in individuals with indoxacarb resistance alleles. However, there was no significant decline in resistance in the GY7-39 strain when reared in the absence of insecticide for five generations. Following an artificially induced diapause, survival was reduced by 52% and pupal weights were significantly lower in the resistant strain compared with the susceptible strain. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest indoxacarb resistance does not confer a major fitness cost under standard laboratory conditions. However, a survival cost associated with overwintering highlights the imperative for adoption of management strategies in northern regions of Australia where a winter diapause does not occur. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Baseline Susceptibility of Helicoverpa punctigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Indoxacarb, Emamectin Benzoate, and Chlorantraniliprole.

Susceptibility in Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) to emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole, and indoxacarb was established from feeding assays on insecticide-incorporated artificial diet in the laboratory. The variation in dose responses was examined in H. punctigera field populations collected in eastern Australia between September 2013 and January 2016 and compared with a laboratory strain. Chlorantraniliprole was the most toxic insecticide with an average LC50 of 3.7 µg of insecticide per liter of diet (n = 12 field strains). The average LC50 for emamectin benzoate was 5.6 µg of insecticide per liter of diet (n = 11 field strains), whereas indoxacarb had the lowest toxicity with an average LC50 of 172 µg of insecticide per liter of diet (n = 14 field strains). Variation in susceptibility between field strains was low at 1.9-, 2.4-, and 2-fold for chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, and indoxacarb, respectively. Narrow ranges of intra-specific tolerance, high slopes, and goodness-of-fit to a probit binomial model suggested feeding bioassays using insecticide-incorporated diet were a more effective laboratory method for measuring dose responses of these insecticides in H. punctigera than traditional topical bioassays. We propose discriminating concentrations of 0.032, 0.026, and 4 µg of insecticide/ml of diet for chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, and indoxacarb, respectively, to monitor insecticide resistance in H. punctigera. Although the potential for H. punctigera to develop insecticide resistance is considered low based on historical records, recent changes in population dynamics of this species in eastern Australia may have increased the risk of resistance development.

A Randomized Controlled Trial for Pain Control in Laparoscopic Urologic Surgery: 0.25% Bupivacaine Versus Long-Acting Liposomal Bupivacaine.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Liposomal bupivacaine is a delayed-release preparation providing up to 72 hours of local analgesia. It costs much more than standard bupivacaine, however. A prospective, randomized, patient-blinded, controlled trial was performed to assess the efficacy of liposomal bupivacaine versus 0.25% bupivacaine when injected into surgical incisions during laparoscopic and robot-assisted urologic surgery. METHODS: A total of 206 adults were randomized to receive liposomal bupivacaine or 0.25% bupivacaine. All surgical incisions were injected with liposomal bupivacaine or 0.25% bupivacaine with systematic dosing. The primary outcome was total opioid consumption during the postoperative hospital stay. All opioid doses were converted to morphine equivalents. Secondary end points included pain scores using visual analog pain scales, duration of hospital stay, and the time to first opioid use. A subgroup analysis was performed for renal surgery patients. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in median total opioid use during the hospital stay between those who received liposomal bupivacaine (15 [interquartile range (IQR) 6.7-27] mg) and 0.25% bupivacaine (17.3 [IQR 8.3-30.5] mg) (P=0.39). Furthermore, pain scores, length of hospital stay, and time to first opioid use did not differ between groups. Subgroup analysis of laparoscopic renal surgery revealed no difference between liposomal bupivacaine and 0.25% bupivacaine. CONCLUSIONS: For laparoscopic and robot-assisted urologic surgery, there is no significant difference between liposomal bupivacaine and 0.25% bupivacaine for local analgesia at the incision sites.

Genitourinary imaging: part 1, congenital urinary anomalies and their management.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital urinary anomalies may be symptomatic or encountered during imaging for other clinical indications. The array of abnormalities is related to the embryologic stage at the time of the developmental insult, and these abnormalities result in a spectrum of conditions ranging from insignificant to incompatible with life. CONCLUSION: Understanding the implications of common congenital urinary anomalies is the key to detecting associated anomalies, initiating therapy, and avoiding both complications and unnecessary intervention.

Challenges associated with spinal opioid therapy for pain in patients with advanced cancer: a report of three cases.

Intraspinal opioid therapy has been increasingly used for the management of cancer pain refractory to traditional treatment. However, this approach may present challenges in patients with advanced cancer. Three cases are presented that highlight the challenges associated with using neuraxial analgesia to manage cancer pain that was felt to be "refractory" to conventional treatment. Before an invasive procedure, such as placement of a permanent intrathecal opioid delivery system, a rigorous assessment and treatment of total pain (physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and practical) by an interdisciplinary team would be prudent.

Identification, synthesis and field testing of (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene, a second bioactive component of the sex pheromone of the autumn gum moth, Mnesampela privata.

The sex pheromone of Mnesampela privata, an endemic pest of Eucalyptus plantations in Australia, was previously identified as a single bioactive compound, (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene (C19 triene). Initial field testing of lures containing 1 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg of C19 triene (>98% purity) caught no or very few male M. privata. (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-Henicosatriene (C21 triene) was identified as an additional minor pheromone component in abdominal tip extracts of M. privata females from Tasmania. Levels of both compounds extracted from individual females varied greatly, but the ratio was relatively constant at 33:1 C19:C21 trienes. Electroantennograms (EAG) of synthetic C21 triene with male M. privata gave positive but consistently lower responses than elicited by the C19 triene. Field tests showed that the addition of 1-6% C21 triene to 1 mg C19 triene significantly increased trap catch and the detection of M. privata in plantations. Traps baited with a 16:1 ratio caught significantly more moths than those baited with a ratio approximating that of females.

Switching from methadone to a different opioid: what is the equianalgesic dose ratio?

INTRODUCTION: Methadone (ME) is a highly effective opioid agonist used for difficult pain syndromes. However, in the management of cancer pain with strong opioids, rotation to a different opioid (opioid rotation) may be required because of side effects or poor pain control. Rotation from methadone to another opioid has received limited study and therefore may be difficult because of the absence of a uniformly accepted dose conversion ratio. METHODS: Retrospectively reviewed consecutive medical records of patients undergoing an opioid rotation from methadone to an alternative opioid were evaluated. For inclusion, patients were required to have received methadone for at least 3 days and have reached stable dose of the alternative opioid(s) during the 7 days following. Stable dose was defined as a 30% or less change in opioid dose from one day to the next. RESULTS: Records of 39 patients met inclusion criteria. Excluded from analysis were 5 patients who were restarted on methadone within 7 days, 2 with irregular opioid use resulting in negligible regular opioid doses post-switch, and 3 due to concerns about reliability of multiple routes used for fentanyl. Data from 29 patients, 10 female, mean age 48 +/- 14.4 years, were evaluable. The mean dose ratio for oral methadone to oral morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) was 1:4.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0-6.5; n = 16), and for intravenous (IV) methadone to MEDD was 1:13.5 (95% CI, 6.6-20.5; n = 13), p = 0.06. Methadone dose was significantly correlated to stable MEDD after switching opioids for both methadone IV and oral (Spearman = 0.86, p = 0.0001 and Spearman = 0.72, p = 0.0024), respectively. Mean day of achieving stable dose was day 2.5 +/- 0.2 for IV methadone and day 2.6 +/- 0.3 for oral methadone. CONCLUSION: These dose ratios are new findings that may assist in switching patients more safely to alternative opioids when side effects or pain problems occur when patients are receiving methadone. An important difference in analgesic potency appears to exist between IV and oral ME. Future research with prospective studies is required.

A case study of the Australian Plague Locust Commission and environmental due diligence: why mere legislative compliance is no longer sufficient for environmentally responsible locust control in Australia.

The Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) manages locust populations across 2 million square kilometers of eastern Australia using the aerial application of chemical and biological control agents to protect agricultural production. This occurs via a preventative control strategy involving ultralow-volume spray equipment to distribute small droplets of control agent over a target area. The economic costs of, and potential gains stemming from, locust control are well documented. The application of insecticides, however, to fragile arid and semiarid ecosystems is a task that brings with it both real and perceived environmental issues. The APLC is proactive in addressing these issues through a combination of targeted environmental operational research, an ISO-14001-aligned Environmental Management System (EMS), and links with environmental regulatory and research institutions. Increasing due diligence components within Australian environmental legislation dictate that mere legislative compliance is no longer sufficient for industries to ensure that they meet their environmental obligations. The development of external research links and the formulation of an EMS for locust control have enabled the APLC to identify environmental issues and trends, quantify objective environmental targets and strategies, and facilitate continuous improvement in its environmental performance, while maintaining stakeholder support. This article outlines the environmental issues faced by the APLC, the research programs in place to address these issues, and the procedures in place to incorporate research findings into the organization's operational structure.

High dose methadone and ventricular arrhythmias: a report of three cases.

Three patients who developed torsades de pointes while receiving high dosages of oral methadone (>600mg/day) are presented. In all of the cases, drug interactions involving methadone and CYP3A4 isoenzyme system were possible. Two cases involve some previous cardiac impairment. The potential for toxic doses of methadone to cause ventricular arrhythmia is raised by these cases. Until further evidence is available it may be prudent to be vigilant for arrhythmias when high dosages of methadone (>600mg/day) are used, especially in patients on other drugs that interact with the CYP3A4 isoenzyme system, or with conditions that predispose to torsades de pointes.