Laboratory-based toxicological assessments of new insecticides on mortality and fecundity of Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) is one of the most abundant predatory phytoseid in deciduous fruit orchards under an integrated pest management (IPM) regimen in eastern North America. Laboratory studies using N. fallacis, and the 'modified excised leaf disc method' identified four insecticides out of six, that would require second-tier field studies before inclusion in an IPM program for deciduous orchards. The overall egg mortality caused by flubendiamide, chlorantraniliprole, chlothianidin, novaluron, Spinetoram, and spirotetramat ranked from 0 to 37.6%. Larval mortality caused by spirotetramat, spinetoram, novaluron, and chlothianidin ranged from 100 to 78.3%, respectively. Chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide were virtually nontoxic to larvae. Spinetoram, chlothianidin, and spirotetramat caused 100, 61.4, and 40.2% mortality of adult N. fallacis, respectively. Spirotetramat and chlothianidin significantly reduced fecundity, whereas novaluron, flubendiamide, and chlorantraniliprole had no such adverse effect for the duration of the study (168 h). Chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide do not require further second tier field studies and may be included in deciduous orchard IPM programs. Spirotetramat is toxic to several growth stages but it has a very short residual activity, and along with novaluron, which is toxic only to larvae, should be evaluated in second-tier field studies. Clothianidin and spinetoram should be evaluated in second-tier field studies only if alternatives are unavailable.

Effects of six selected orchard insecticides on Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in the laboratory.

BACKGROUND: Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) is a key predator of tetranychid mites in integrated pest management (IPM) programs across Canada. This study identified compounds that would be recommended for tier-II field evaluations in an IPM program. RESULTS: The overall egg mortality caused by the six insecticides was negligible as it extended from 0 to 12.1%. Imidacloprid was classified as toxic to adults. The label rate was 7.73-fold the LC(50). Thiamethoxam was classified as moderately toxic to adults, and its label rate was 2.87-fold the LC(50). Acetamiprid and spinosad were classified as marginally toxic, and their label rates were respectively 0.99- and 0.45-fold the LC(50) for adults. Thiacloprid and methoxyfenozide were virtually innocuous to adults. CONCLUSION: Methoxyfenozide was totally harmless to all stages of N. fallacis, and it would be included in IPM programs immediately. Acetamiprid, spinosad and thiacloprid had varying degrees of mild toxicity to at least one growth stage of the predator. Therefore, they were recommended for tier-II field testing according to their label claims. Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam were toxic to moderately toxic to adults and had significant adverse effects on fecundity. Therefore, they would be field evaluated only if alternatives were unavailable.

Effect of seven new orchard pesticides on Galendromus occidentalis in laboratory studies.

BACKGROUND: Biological control of phytophagous mites in orchards requires that pesticides used to manage other arthropod pests or diseases are harmless to predacious mites, as these are essential to keep phytophagous mites at non-injurious population levels. This study evaluates the possible toxic attributes of acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, spirodiclofen, spinosad and methoxyfenoxide currently used in western Canadian orchards. RESULTS: None of these pesticides has any ovicidal properties against Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt). Imidacloprid and acetamiprid were highly toxic to the adults and reduced fecundity significantly. Thiamethoxam and spirodiclofen were non-toxic to adults, but they slightly reduced fecundity. Thiacloprid, spinosad and methoxyfenoxide were harmless to adults and had no effect on fecundity. All compounds showed some repellence at 24 h intervals for 72 h. CONCLUSIONS: Imidacloprid and acetamiprid are incompatible with IPM programs because they are toxic to adults and negatively affect fecundity. Thiamethoxam and spirodiclofen need further field evaluation to determine if they are compatible with IPM programs because they slightly reduced fecundity. Thiacloprid, spinosad and methoxyfenoxide are harmless to adults, but they are slightly repellent. Therefore, with the exception of imidacloprid and acetamiprid, all these compounds should be field tested for compatibility in an IPM program.

Toxicity of six novel fungicides and sulphur to Galendromus occidentalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

A laboratory evaluation of fenbuconazole, myclobutanil propiconazole, boscalid, fenhexamid and pyraclostrobin revealed these fungicides to be harmless to adult Galendromus occidentalis. None of these fungicides affected adversely fecundity and egg viability. Elemental sulphur also had no effect on adults and fecundity. However, 72.4% of the young larvae perished after hatching. The six novel fungicides are safer alternatives to sulphur in perennial crops in British Columbia.

Synchronous liver cancers: A rare tumor combination in an elderly Japanese woman.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) may occur simultaneously in a person with primary liver cancer However HCC and CC arising from separate foci is extremely rare. This is a case presentation of a 66-year-old woman with primary combined HCC-CC, who had no risk factors for either tumor.

An unusual abdominal tumor--leiomyosarcoma of the mesentery: a case report.

We report the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented with an ill-defined mass and tenderness in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. On computerized tomography scan, she had an irregular large bosselated mass of the mesentery located medial to the cecum and associated with multiple loops of small intestine. Preoperative differential diagnoses included leiomyosarcoma, lymphoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The mesenteric mass was resected and identified as a leiomyosarcoma. This patient's tumor is typical of a mesenteric leiomyosarcoma and recurred with hepatic metastases two years after its initial removal. Such tumors usually do not become symptomatic until late in the course of disease, often after distant metastases have occurred. Mesenteric leiomyosarcomas are rare and have a reported incidence of 1: 350,000.

The intrinsic toxicity of several neonicotinoids to Lygus lineolaris and Hyaliodes vitripennis, a phytophagous and a predacious mirid.

The tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) is a key pest of apples in eastern Canada and, currently, chemical control is the only way to manage this pest. Hyaliodes vitripennis (Say) is a univoltine indigenous predacious mirid and an integral part of biological control programs for apples in certain regions of Quebec. In worst-case laboratory conditions, thiamethoxam, thiacloprid and acetamiprid were exceptionally toxic to this predacious mirid. The adults were more susceptible than the nymphs. However, the residual toxicity of these neonicotinoids to L lineolaris in orchards was very short-lived. Because of the short residual toxicity, neonicotinoids should be applied when L lineolaris is at maximum abundance and well before eggs of H vitripennis hatch in late June.

January 2004: elderly Filipino man with frontal lobe tumor.

A 74-year-old Filipino man presented with new-onset partial-complex seizures. Eight months earlier he had a subtotal gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma classified as T1 N0M0 stage IA. He was irradiated. Two months later, he became confused and developed rhythmic, seizure-like movements of the extremities. A head CT revealed a 2 cm. right frontal lobe mass. On MRI, the mass exhibited ring enhancement and was surrounded by edematous white matter. The patient denied headache, weakness or constitutional symptoms. CT of the chest and abdomen revealed no evidence of metastatic spread or other abnormalities. His seizures were controlled with fosphenytoin and dexamethasone. Preoperatively the frontal lobe lesion was considered most likely to be either a metastatic or primary tumor. Resection of the frontal lobe lesion revealed a firm gliotic cystic mass. Crush preparations and frozen sections showed acute and chronic inflammation, gliosis, fibrosis, and many foreign body giant cells reacting to parasitic larval tissue. Intact and necrotic larval parts were surrounded by gliotic brain tissue containing foreign body giant cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes. However, eosinophils were not seen. Finally a refractive fragment resembling a hooklet and a fragmented scolex were identified that made a diagnosis of cysticercosis certain.

The cockroach as a host for Trichinella and Enterobius vermicularis: implications for public health.

Cockroaches are known carriers of bacteria and fungi that produce disease in humans. However, the link between pathogenic helminths and cockroaches has not been fully explored. This preliminary study demonstrates Trichinella and Enterobius (also known as human "pinworm") infestation in cockroaches obtained from a grade school and hospitals in Hawaii. This is the first report of Trichinella and Enterobius infestation in naturally occurring cockroaches. These results suggest that roachs are an unappreciated hosts for these human pathogens and are potential reservoirs for these nematodes, supporting their persistence and transmissibility in the environment. Given the ubiquitous nature of the cockroach and the human-occupied settings in which the infested roaches were found, public health concerns are apparent. Furthermore, this information may have diagnostic value when examining Trichinella and Enterobius-infected individuals.

Ophthalmomyiasis in Hawaii.

Ophthalmomyiasis is the infestation of the eye by fly larvae. Commonly caused by Oestrus ovis, a female sheep botfly will accidentally deposit her larvae into a human eye, resulting in disease. Prompt recognition and treatment of this condition will improve patient care and reduce potential complications. We report a case of ophthalmomyiasis in a young man from Molokai who was infested while unloading a Christmas tree.

Unusual botfly skin infestation.

Myiasis, the infestation of humans and animals with fly larvae, is observed in tropical, lowland areas. Dermatobia hominis is a common cause of cutaneous human infestation in these areas. Patients often present with a furuncular lesion on the extremities, back, or scalp. We report a case of furuncular myiasis in a patient returning from a trip to South America. We will discuss the life-cycle of D. hominis and the clinical findings important in the diagnosis of myiasis.

Fatal postoperative arrhythmia in a man with a remote history of methamphetamine and cocaine use: a case report.

Long-term methamphetamine and cocaine use are associated with significant cardiovascular consequences. Despite these demonstrated associations, adverse effects that persist after cessation of drug use are difficult to establish. Cardiovascular pathology associated with long-term drug use may have subclinical presentations that persist long after cessation of drug use. In asymptomatic persons with a remote history of long-term methamphetamine or cocaine use, it may be prudent to assume existing subclinical cardiovascular pathology with positive methamphetamine or cocaine use history as a cardiac risk factor.

Toxicity of indoxacarb to two species of predacious mites and a predacious mirid.

Indoxacarb is a novel oxadiazine pro-insecticide that has no toxic effects on the adults, fecundity and eclosion of Amblyseius fallacis (Garman), a predacious phytoseiid, or Agistemus fleschneri Summers, a predacious stigmaeid. It is toxic to Hyaliodes vitripennis (Say), a predacious mirid that has been reported from several Quebec orchards where IPM programs are used. The LC50 for this mirid is about one-half of the recommended dose (0.054 g AI litre(-1)) of indoxacarb for apple orchards. Following an application, the intoxicated mirids remained motionless as their prolegs and posterior had paralyzed. Twenty-four hours later, they appeared smaller, shrunken and severely desiccated.

An index for selective toxicity of miticides to phytophagous mites and their predators based on orchard trials.

Data from nine trials conducted from 1990 to 1998 in apple orchards in Nova Scotia and Quebec, Canada, were used to estimate the predator-prey selectivity of miticides and their potential compatibility with biological control of mites. The European red mite Panonychus ulmi (Koch) was the dominant and more harmful phytophagous species, followed by the apple rust mite, Aculus schlechtendali (Nalepa). Two predacious mites, the phytoseiid, Typhlodromus pyri Sheuten, and the stigmaeid, Zetzellia mali (Ewing), were often found in the orchards. We used one minus the ratio of mite-days in treated plots to those in the control plots as an index of population suppression and toxicity of the miticides. Miticides were then categorized into classes similar to those employed by the International Organization for Biological Control to rate pesticide toxicity to natural enemies of insect and mite pests. Selectivity of miticides was mostly based on toxicity to P ulmi, the major pest, versus toxicity to T pyri, the major predator, with some consideration of the two lesser species, A schlechtendali and Z mali. In most cases, our findings were in accord with other studies. Abamectin and clofentezine had favourable selectivity (more toxic to the two phytophagous mites than to T pyri). The higher recommended rate of pyridaben (450 g ha(-1)) and two rates of spirodiclofen (180 and 240 g ha(-1)) were neutral (equally toxic to pests and predators). The lower rate of pyridaben (216 g ha(-1)), dicofol, formetanate hydrochloride and propargite were unfavourably selective (more toxic to T pyri). A higher than recommended rate of pyridaben (2160 g ha(-1)) applied before bloom was disruptive--P ulmi-days after treatment were actually greater than with the untreated control. P ulmi resistance to dicofol and propargite were probable complicating factors in some of the orchard trials.

Pathology of head trauma.

This article reviews the essential primary and secondary injuries attributable to traumatic brain injury (TBI) which causes one third of all injury deaths in the United States. Motor vehicle crashes, falls, assaults, guns, sports, and recreational activities are the major causes of TBI. Secondary peak incidences of TBI occur in infants and children and the elderly. Conditions that increase risk for accidents include alcoholism, prior head injury, prior meningitis, seizure disorders, mental retardation, and psychiatric disorders. However, gunshot wounds to the head are steadily increasing and since 1990 have caused more deaths each year than motor vehicle accidents. The incidence, severity, etiology, and specific types of injuries have been assessed in clinicopathologic studies of head injuries. The pathologic features of both the primary and secondary lesions attributed to TBI should be understood by anyone caring for head-injured patients. The computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images mirror the pathologic abnormalities found in head trauma. Radiologists must accurately interpret the CT and MR images of injured patients. Forensic pathologists have long appreciated the characteristic focal lesions, such as coup and contracoup contusions, that occur in falls or vehicle accidents, but the understanding of diffuse injuries has been more elusive. Understanding the nature of the focal and diffuse injuries is critical to understanding the morbidity and mortality of brain injury.