In integrated pest management (IPM), the mass rearing of insects is crucial for applications in agriculture and stored-product protection. The use of artificial diets for insect rearing enables control over insect quality, ensures a continuous insect supply, and provides logistical advantages. However, optimized diets are still lacking for the hosts of parasitoids used in the biological control of stored product pests, such as Piophila casei Linnaeus (Diptera: Piophilidae). In previous research, fly development was obtained using a whole powder milk-based artificial diet. However, a comprehensive evaluation of this diet's efficacy in sustaining feeding, development, growth, and reproduction across continuous generations had not yet been conducted. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a diet based on infant formula on the development time, longevity, fecundity, and population growth parameters of P. casei, compared to the whole powder milk diet and to dry-cured ham. The results indicate that dry-cured ham (which is protein-rich) accelerated development, while the infant formula-based diet (which is carbohydrate-rich) enhanced longevity and improved population growth parameters. Among the artificial diets, the infant formula-based diet was the most effective in maximizing the number of individuals, making it suitable to produce P. casei as a host for parasitoid rearing, whereas the whole powder milk diet showed the poorest performance.

The conservation of beneficial insects in agroecosystems, in combination with biological and chemical control, is essential for integrated pest management (IPM) thus, the ban on neonicotinoids has prompted the search for alternative solutions compatible with these principles. Sulfoxaflor, a sulfoximine-based insecticide, has been proposed as a replacement, but its impact on non-target species, such as the two-spotted ladybird Adalia bipunctata (L.), remains insufficiently studied. This coccinellid is a versatile predator, primarily feeding on aphids, and commercialized in Europe as biological control agent. This research evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects of sulfoxaflor on A. bipunctata compared to imidacloprid. Laboratory bioassays assessed mortality, development, fecundity, fertility, and demographic parameters using a population model. Results showed that sulfoxaflor had significantly lower mortality than imidacloprid, with no adverse effects on larvae and minimal impact on adults. While imidacloprid reduced survival, fecundity, and population growth, sulfoxaflor at higher concentrations slightly increased egg fertility and female fecundity, suggesting potential hormetic effects. Demographic modeling indicated that A. bipunctata populations exposed to imidacloprid experienced delayed growth, whereas sulfoxaflor-exposed populations exhibited faster recovery. These findings support sulfoxaflor as a selective and environmentally compatible alternative to neonicotinoids in IPM programs. Further research should explore its long-term ecological effects in field conditions.

Plant food such as pollen represents part of the diet of many predaceous coccinellids, exploited as a supplemental food source when prey is scarce. They can therefore suffer adverse effects when foraging on genetically modified plants expressing Cry1Ab toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner. The Variegated Lady Beetle, Hippodamia variegata Goeze, a very common and important aphid predator in the Mediterranean area, feeds preferably on aphids but can use plant pollen as a supplemental food source. Hence, it can be exposed to Cry proteins when foraging on insect-resistant Bt-maize. In the current study, an experimental methodology to provide pollen to the coccinellids and quantify the amount of pollen eaten was developed. Using this methodology, the potential effects of the consumption of Bt-maize pollen on the fitness of H. variegata were evaluated. Both standardized laboratory bioassays and demographic approach by means of an age-structured matrix population model were performed. Both biological and demographic parameters did not differ between coccinellids fed Bt- or non-Bt-maize pollen. However, demographic analyses showed that some effects of Bt pollen exposure on H. variegata occurred. Indeed, the Bt-pollen-fed females had a higher expected lifetime reproduction; however, a reduced life expectancy occurred early in life for their offspring. As a result, the consumption of Bt-maize pollen causes a lower increase in H. variegata population since a reduction of offspring survival seems only partially outweighed by increased female fecundity. Overall, this study shows that the consumption of Bt-maize pollen expressing Cry1Ab by adults of H. variegata does not significantly affect their fitness, but it also shows that this outcome is a result of a trade-off among vital rates such as age-specific fecundity and survival probability that are positively or negatively influenced. Moreover, the methodology proposed in this study provides a sound exposure system to supply pollen to the coccinellids and appears functional to quantify maize pollen consumption by H. variegata adults.

Botanical insecticides and soaps are frequently proposed as environmentally safer alternatives to synthetic insecticides. However, the efficacy and selectivity of these products are often only partially supported by empirical evidence. Here, we tested the effectiveness of five botanical insecticides, belonging to different categories, on the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and their selectivity towards two natural enemies, the ladybird beetle Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.) and the parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Dalman). White thyme essential oil (EO), sweet orange EO, crude garlic extract and Marseille soap were tested and compared with a pyrethrin-based commercial product. Both direct spray assays and residual contact assays on treated cabbage leaf disks were carried out. The tested products had low efficacy against aphids when compared to pyrethrins but were in general less detrimental to ladybird beetle larvae, meaning that if applied against other pests, they have a lower chance of harming this agent of aphid biocontrol. Some of the products (soap, orange EO) did, however, show direct exposure toxicity toward ladybird larvae, and thyme EO had extensive phytotoxic effects on cabbage leaves, possibly indirectly leading to higher mortality in ladybird adults. These results underline the necessity for case-by-case evaluations of botanical insecticides.

Recent studies have opened the way for using elicitor-induced resistance in plants as a method to control arthropod pests. In this study, 1,3-beta-glucan laminarin, an elicitor of disease resistance in plants, was tested on the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Rosaceae] plantlets and evaluated its effects on short-term mortality and population growth. Laminarin exposure did not affect aphid survival in the short term; however, laminarin-treated peach plants sustained fewer nymphs and adults in comparison with the control. Aphid populations on plants treated with laminarin declined significantly over the sampling period compared to the control. Moreover, the demographic parameters net reproductive rate (R-0), finite rate of increase (lambda), and intrinsic rate of increase (r(m)), all showed decreasing trends in aphid populations reared on laminarin-treated plants. The decline in aphid populations exposed to laminarin seemed to mainly be linked to reduced adult survival, slower nymph development, and lower nymph survival and only marginally to changes in reproduction outcome. Changes in gene expression causing the final production of defence chemicals by peach plants may contribute to explaining the results. However, potential direct effects of laminarin on M. persicae feeding activity and probing behaviour cannot be ruled out. This study provides evidence that, although laminarin did not display insecticidal activity in the short term, this elicitor caused sublethal effects, significantly reducing aphid populations.

The predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are crucial biological control agents widely utilized in biological pest management targeting phytophagous mites and insects. Key factors in these control strategies are that phytoseiids must be able to find their main target prey and to maintain high populations and efficacy. To reduce expenses and time-consuming production methods of mass rearing of phytoseiids, pollen and other factitious (i.e., non-natural/nontarget) hosts need to be present as an alternative food for predatory mite populations. The mass-rearing possibilities of these predators on alternative food sources, such as astigmatid mites (i.e., house and stored mites) and pollen, must be evaluated not only by the cost of rearing settings but on the basis of their efficiency maintenance in killing prey. The pest kill rate (km) is the average daily lifetime killing of the pest by the natural enemy under consideration and can represent a useful indicator for phytoseiids efficacy to rank them as BCAs on the basis of their effective killing/predation on target prey. In this study, we evidenced that 2 astigmatid mites, Glycyphagus domesticus (De Geer) and Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank), and Quercus ilex L. pollen can be successfully adopted as substitute food sources for mass rearing of the phytoseiid Neoseiulus californicus (MgGregor); then, we determined that these populations of BCAs maintained a consistent km at new/first impact on the main target pest, Tetranychus urticae Koch.

Crop yield and plant products quality are directly or indirectly affected by climate alterations. Adverse climatic conditions often promote the occurrence of different abiotic stresses, which can reduce or enhance the susceptibility to pests or pathogens. Aflatoxin producing fungi, in particular, whose diffusion and deleterious consequences on cereals commodities have been demonstrated to highly depend on the temperature and humidity conditions that threaten increasingly larger areas. Biological methods using intraspecific competitors to prevent fungal development and/or toxin production at the pre-harvest level are particularly promising, even if their efficacy could be affected by the ecological interaction within the resident microbial population. A previously characterized Aspergillus flavus atoxigenic strain was applied in two maize fields to validate its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent against aflatoxin contamination. At one month post-application, at the harvest stage, its persistence within the A. flavus population colonizing the maize kernels in the treated area was assessed, and its efficacy was compared in vitro with a representation of the isolated atoxigenic population. Results proved that our fungal competitor contained the aflatoxin level on maize grains as successfully as a traditional chemical strategy, even if representing less than 30% of the atoxigenic strains re-isolated, and achieved the best performance (in terms of bio-competitive potential) concerning endogenous atoxigenic isolates.

The most commercialized Bt maize plants in Europe were transformed with genes which express a truncated form of the insecticidal delta-endotoxin (Cry1Ab) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) specifically against Lepidoptera. Studies on the effect of transgenic maize on non-target arthropods have mainly converged on beneficial insects. However, considering the worldwide extensive cultivation of Bt maize, an increased availability of information on their possible impact on non-target pests is also required. In this study, the impact of Bt-maize on the non-target corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis , was examined by comparing biological traits and demographic parameters of two generations of aphids reared on transgenic maize with those on untransformed near-isogenic plants. Furthermore, free and bound phenolics content on transgenic and near-isogenic plants were measured. Here we show an increased performance of the second generation of R. maidis on Bt-maize that could be attributable to indirect effects, such as the reduction of defense against pests due to unintended changes in plant characteristics caused by the insertion of the transgene. Indeed, the comparison of Bt-maize with its corresponding near-isogenic line strongly suggests that the transformation could have induced adverse effects on the biosynthesis and accumulation of free phenolic compounds. In conclusion, even though there is adequate evidence that aphids performed better on Bt-maize than on non-Bt plants, aphid economic damage has not been reported in commercial Bt corn fields in comparison to non-Bt corn fields. Nevertheless, Bt-maize plants can be more easily exploited by R. maidis , possibly due to a lower level of secondary metabolites present in their leaves. The recognition of this mechanism increases our knowledge concerning how insect-resistant genetically modified plants impact on non-target arthropods communities, including tritrophic web interactions, and can help support a sustainable use of genetically modified crops.

Ecologists study how populations are regulated, while scientists studying biological pest control apply population regulation processes to reduce numbers of harmful organisms: an organism (a natural enemy) is used to reduce the population density of another organism (a pest). Finding an effective biological control agent among the tens to hundreds of natural enemies of a pest is a daunting task. Evaluation criteria help in a first selection to remove clearly ineffective or risky species from the list of candidates. Next, we propose to use an aggregate evaluation criterion, the pest kill rate, to compare the pest population reduction capacity of species not eliminated during the first selection. The pest kill rate is the average daily lifetime killing of the pest by the natural enemy under consideration. Pest kill rates of six species of predators and seven species of parasitoids of Tuta absoluta were calculated and compared. Several natural enemies had pest kill rates that were too low to be able to theoretically reduce the pest population below crop damaging densities. Other species showed a high pest reduction capacity and their potential for practical application can now be tested under commercial crop production conditions.

Introduction: With limited resources for rehabilitation, burn therapists throughout the world rely on local resources, professional creativity and community relationships to create solutions to help their patients recover. The demands of helping a burn survivor achieve an optimal outcome drive the burn therapist to create tools and strategies that effectively solve common problems after burn injury. Methods: The International Society for Burn Injury (ISBI) invited burn therapists from around the world to describe the innovations that they have created to solve burn rehabilitation problems. The submissions were provided through an online form and inclusion of photographs was encouraged. Each submission was reviewed in a blinded manner by an expert panel of three independent rehabilitation therapists from the ISBI Rehabilitation Committee. The submissions were reviewed for originality, utility, quality and safety, then edited and compiled to be shared and disseminated throughout the world. Results: A total of 77 innovations were submitted for review. 71 were accepted for publication (92%) and given the opportunity to publish in Burns Open. Clinicians from 15 countries submitted innovations. The innovations were categorized as: Orthosis, Scar Management, Techniques, Activities of Daily Living Devices, Educational Tools and Prosthesis. Nineteen submissions were translated from Spanish to English. Discussion: Creative and innovative ideas using local resources are turned into patient solutions by experienced burn therapists around the world. However, because such innovations don’t reach widespread investigation or production, the ideas remain in a silo in the local area when they could be of use to therapists in other cultures. This project resulted in a book of “Innovative Solutions in Burn Rehabilitation from Around the World,” that was printed and is now available as this Special Edition in Burns Open. Future work would include expanding on the book with more innovative solutions and translating it into multiple languages to improve access and usability throughout the world.

Purpose: Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) prevents group B streptococcus (GBS) early-onset disease (EOD). No European study evaluates the relative impact of risk factors (RFs) for EOD after a screening-based strategy and widespread IAP use We aimed to evaluate the risks of EOD in an Italian region where a screening-based strategy for preventing EOD was implemented. Materials and methods: Cases of EOD born at or above 35 weeks' gestation were reviewed and matched with controls. Results: There were 109 cases of EOD among 532,154 live births. Most cases had negative GBS prenatal screening (56/91, 61.5%) and were unexposed to IAP (86/109, 78.9%). At multivariate analysis, GBS bacteriuria (OR = 6.99), positive prenatal screening (OR = 13.7) and maternal intrapartum fever (OR = 188.3) were associated with an increased risk of EOD, whereas intrapartum beta-lactam antibiotics were associated with a decreased risk of EOD (>= 4 h: OR = 0.008; OR = 0.04). Neonates born to nonfebrile, GBS positive pregnant women, receiving beta-lactam antibiotics had very low probability of EOD, particularly if IAP was adequate. Conclusions: GBS positive prenatal screening, GBS bacteriuria and intrapartum fever are associated with EOD. Intrapartum beta-lactam antibiotics reduce the probability of EOD in neonates born to nonfebrile mothers.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diseases (STDs) affect millions of people every year worldwide1 . In Italy, data are provided by the Italian National Institute of Health (INIH) and reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)2,3 . In 1991 and 2009 the Italian sentinel surveillance system was established, consisting in 25 public centers (12 clinical, 13 laboratories) on the national field for diagnosis, treatment and data transmission to the INIH4 . The STDs service of Dermatology, Bologna belongs to it and is a free-access service (7.30-11 am) from Monday to Friday, with a patient flow of 50 patients/day.

The European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a key pest of maize (Zea mays L.). In Northern Italy, larvae of the 2nd generation may damage cobs and kernels and the feeding activity can promote the proliferation of aflatoxigenic fungi, such as Aspergillus flavus, the major producer of aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)). During 2017-2018, the efficacy of two strategies to control ECB in maize was assessed. Biological control strategy (Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner), conventional chemical strategy (chlorantraniliprole) and an untreated control were compared to assess: i) the effect of the strategies on ECB infestation; ii) the association of ECB and AFB(1) kernels contamination; iii) the impact of the strategies on beneficial arthropods. The conventional chemical strategy demonstrated the best control of ECB infestation, followed by biological control strategy and the untreated control. No significant differences in maize yield were found among strategies. The role of ECB on AFB(1) concentration was demonstrated only in 2017, when higher level of infestations occurred simultaneously with an extended period of drought and high temperatures, sanctioning the important role of meteorological conditions on AFB(1) contamination. The activity density of ground beetles, rove beetles and spiders and the mean number per leaf of the most abundant beneficial insects dwelling on plants (coccinellids, predatory thrips and lacewings) did not show significant changes between pre-and post-treatment with chlorantraniliprole, highlighting the selectivity of this pesticide in the short time. This study provides some contribution for the reduction of non-renewable input in Italian maize fields, demonstrating that biological control strategy, although less effective than conventional chemical control, can be a feasible approach to control ECB second larval generation, without any increment of AFB(1) level in grains and yield loss.

The development of improved technology for use of beneficial organisms in greenhouse crops includes mechanical application methods to that can reduce labour costs compared to manual application while preserving the quality of the applied natural enemies. A pneumatic distribution system, verified as effective in previous study with mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot), was tested for application of the predatory bug Orius laevigatus (Fieber). Laboratory and field tests were used to assess the efficiency of mechanical distribution of nymphs of O. laevigatus. The efficiency of mechanical distribution was evaluated comparing the biological parameters of the predator (survival, fecundity, fecundity rate and longevity) dispensed mechanically with to those following manual distribution. Nymphal survival immediately after and 10 days after the dispensing was calculated as proportion of nymphs reaching adulthood. We found that mechanical applications caused a reduction of predator survival in comparison to manual sprinkling of 21% and 36% immediately after and 10 days after the dispensing, respectively. The causes of the reduced survival from mechanical application were attributed to the combined effect of the extraction system and the velocity of airflow that transports the predator. Moreover, the biological parameters of adult females that survived mechanical distribution as nymphs, showed no significant differences compared to the same following manual distribution. In the greenhouse test, the mechanically released nymphs of O. laevigatus were as effective as those manually released in controlling Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) in a cucumber crop. Consistently, the yield and quality of cucumber fruits did not show differences in the mechanical vs. manual application. Mechanical application time was significantly lower compared to manual application, determining a 5.5 higher effective work capacity compared to traditional manual distribution.

Helicoverpa armigera is a polyphagous and globally distributed pest. In Italy, this species causes severe damage on processing tomato. We compared the efficacy of mating disruption with a standard integrated pest management strategy (IPM) in a two-year experiment carried out in Northern Italy. Mating disruption registered a very high suppression of male captures (>95%) in both growing seasons. Geostatistical analysis of trap catches was shown to be a useful tool to estimate the efficacy of the technique through representation of the spatial pattern of captures. Lower fruit damage was recorded in mating disruption than in the untreated control plots, with a variable efficacy depending on season and sampling date. Mating disruption showed a higher efficacy than standard IPM in controlling H. armigera infestation in the second season experiment. Mating disruption showed the potential to optimize the H. armigera control. Geostatistical maps were suitable to draw the pheromone drift out of the pheromone-treated area in order to evaluate the efficacy of the technique and to detect the weak points in a pheromone treated field. Mating disruption and standard IPM against H. armigera were demonstrated to be only partially effective in comparison with the untreated plots because both strategies were not able to fully avoid fruit damage.

Background Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64-98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 +/- 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and very severe in 13.7%. Higher itch intensity was associated with female gender, lower educational attainment compared to university degree, pustular psoriasis, psoriasis on the head, face, palmoplantar areas, folds and genitalia, more severe disease, disease duration <15 years, and no or few prior systemic treatments. Limitations Effects of specific medication on itch were not assessed. Conclusions Pruritus should be evaluated during psoriasis visits, and physicians should be aware of patients at higher risk for itch. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of medications on itch, and establish therapy for psoriasis patients with persistent itch.

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), a key pest of tomato, is quickly spreading over the world and biological control is considered as one of the control options. Worldwide more than 160 species of natural enemies are associated with this pest, and an important challenge is to quickly find an effective biocontrol agent from this pool of candidate species. Evaluation criteria for control agents are presented, with the advantages they offer for separating potentially useful natural enemies from less promising ones. Next, an aggregate parameter for ranking agents is proposed: the pest kill rate km. We explain why the predator's intrinsic rate of increase cannot be used for comparing the control potential of predators or parasitoids, while km can be used to compare both types of natural enemies. As an example, kill rates for males, females and both sexes combined of three Neotropical mirid species (Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Macrolophus basicornis (Stål)) were determined, taking all life-history data (developmental times, survival rates, total nymphal and adult predation, sex ratios and adult lifespan) into account. Based on the value for the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) for T. absoluta and for the kill rate km of the predators, we predict that all three predators are potentially able to control the pest, because their km values are all higher than the rm of the pest. Using only km values, we conclude that E. varians is the best candidate for control of T. absoluta on tomato, with C. infumatus ranking second and M. basicornis last.

Objective: Group B streptococcus (GBS) early-onset sepsis (EOS) has declined after widespread intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. However, strategies for preventing EOS may differ across countries. The analysis of their strategies allows to compare the effectiveness of prevention in different countries and suggests opportunities for improvement.Methods: We compared six western countries. Prevention strategies, incidence rates of EOS and approaches for managing neonates at-risk were analysed. Countries were selected because of availability of recommendations for prevention and sufficient epidemiological data for comparison.Results: Five of six countries recommend antenatal vagino-rectal screening. The decline of GBS cases is relevant in most countries, particularly in those with a screening-based strategy, which have reached incidence rates from 0.1 to 0.3/1000 live births and zero or close to zero mortality in full-term newborns. The recommendation for managing asymptomatic neonates at risk for EOS varies according to gestational age and ranges from observation only to laboratory testing plus empirical antibiotics. Chorioamnionitis (suspected or confirmed) is the main indication for carry out laboratory testing and for administering empirical antibiotics.Conclusions: Wide variations exists in preventing EOS. They depend on national epidemiology of GBS infections, compliance, cost, and feasibility of the strategy. The extreme variability of approaches for managing neonates at risk for EOS reflects the even greater uncertainty regarding this issue, and may explain the persisting, great use of resources to prevent a disease that has become very rare nowadays.

Since the mid-2000s, the exotic coccinellid species Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) has established itself in Northern Italy, raising serious concerns about possible repercussions on native ladybirds. In this study we compared the ladybird assemblages in 2015–2016 with those sampled in 1995–1996, before the arrival of H. axyridis. Surveys were carried out in the same sites and with the same methods for both periods. Aphidophagous ladybirds were sampled in hedgerows and herbaceous habitats at field margins by mechanical knockdown and sweeping net, respectively. The changes in the structure of ladybird communities after the arrival of H. axyridis were significantly different between arboreal and herbaceous habitats. Harmonia axyridis is currently the dominant species in shrubs and trees, and all the native ladybird species taken together account for only approximately one third of the total individuals sampled in 2015–2016. On the other hand, the relative abundance of the exotic species in herbaceous habitats was low, and it has had a negligible relevance on the structure of ladybird communities on grasslands. Among native species, Adalia bipunctata (L.), whose ecological niche largely overlaps with that of H. axyridis, suffered the largest decline between 1995–1996 and 2015–2016. The co-occurrence of H. axyridis invasion and the regression of A. bipunctata suggest a direct impact of the exotic species, because no other major modifications occurred in the studied areas between sampling periods.