Copper nanoparticles interfere with insecticide sensitivity, fecundity and endosymbiont abundance in olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae).

BACKGROUND: The potential of copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) to be used as an alternative control strategy against olive fruit flies (Bactrocera oleae) with reduced sensitivity to the pyrethroid deltamethrin and the impact of both nanosized and bulk copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) on the insect's reproductive and endosymbiotic parameters were investigated. RESULTS: The application of nanosized and bulk copper applied by feeding resulted in significant levels of adult mortality, comparable to or surpassing those achieved with deltamethrin at recommended doses. Combinations of Cu-NPs or copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) with deltamethrin significantly enhanced the insecticide's efficacy against B. oleae adults. When combined with deltamethrin, Cu-NPs significantly reduced the mean total number of offspring compared with the control, and the number of stings, pupae, female and total number of offspring compared with the insecticide alone. Both bulk and nanosized copper negatively affected the abundance of the endosymbiotic bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola which is crucial for the survival of B. oleae larvae. CONCLUSION: The Cu-NPs can aid the control of B. oleae both by reducing larval survival and by enhancing deltamethrin performance in terms of toxicity and reduced fecundity, providing an effective anti-resistance tool and minimizing the environmental footprint of synthetic pesticides by reducing the required doses for the control of the pest. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Dynamic interactions between the symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola and its olive fruit fly host Bactrocera oleae.

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, the most serious pest of olives, requires the endosymbiotic bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola in order to complete its development in unripe green olives. Hence, a better understanding of the symbiosis of Ca. E. dacicola and its insect host may lead to new strategies for B. oleae control. The relative abundance of bacteria during the fly life cycle comparing black and green olives was estimated by real time quantitative PCR revealing significant fluctuations during development in black olives with a peak of the bacteria in the second instar larvae. By microscopy analysis of larvae, we show that the bacteria reside extracellularly in the gastric caeca. During the transition to late third instar larvae, the bacteria were discharged into the midgut concomitant with a change in caeca size and morphology due to the contraction of the muscles surrounding the caeca. A similar alteration was also observed in a laboratory strain devoid of bacteria. To further investigate the symbiotic interaction and the change in caeca morphology a comparative transcriptomics analysis was undertaken. Samples of dissected caeca from second and third instar larvae collected from the field as well as second instar larvae from a laboratory strain devoid of symbionts showed significant changes in transcript expression. This highlighted genes associated with the developmental changes revealed by the microscopic analysis as well as responses to microorganisms.

Affordable Biocidal Ultraviolet Cured Cuprous Oxide Filled Vat Photopolymerization Resin Nanocomposites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties.

In this study, Cuprous Oxide (Cu2O), known for its mechanism against bacteria, was used as filler to induce biocidal properties on a common commercial resin stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing resin. The aim was to develop nanocomposites suitable for the SLA process with a low-cost process that mimic host defense peptides (HDPs). Such materials have a huge economic and societal influence on the global technological war on illness and exploiting 3D printing characteristics is an additional asset for these materials. Their mechanical performance was also investigated with tensile, flexural, Charpy's impact, and Vickers microhardness tests. Morphological analysis was performed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, while the thermal behavior was studied through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The antibacterial activity of the fabricated nanocomposites was investigated using a screening agar well diffusion method, for a gram-negative and a gram-positive bacterium. Three-dimensional printed nanocomposites exhibited antibacterial performance in all loadings studied, while their mechanical enhancement was approximately 20% even at low filler loadings, revealing a multi-functional performance and a potential of Cuprous Oxide implementation in SLA resin matrices for engineering and medical applications.

Vanishing bone disease: review and case reports.

Vanishing bone disease is a rare idiopathic disease, leading to extensive loss of bony matrix, replaced by proliferating thin-walled vascular channels and fibrous tissue. There are >191 cases reported in the English literature. Gorham and Stout made the first overview of the disease in 1955 and they first presented 24 cases known at that time. The etiology remains speculative, the prognosis unpredictable, and effective therapy still unknown. The disease can be monostotic or polyostotic although multicentric involvement is exceptional. We report 2 cases of a histologically studied vanishing bone disease involving the humerus and the femoral head. The patients' past history was noncontributory. The radiographic study revealed a destructive lesion of the left humerus in the first case, and complete disappearance of the femoral head in the second case. Laboratory findings including hormonological tests revealed no evidence of metabolic, immunologic, neoplastic, or infection etiology. Histopathological findings of the 2 cases revealed thickened bone of lamellar structure without marrow cavities next to fibrous tissue, with few fibroblasts and a small number of newly formed vascular channels. The prognosis varies from slight disability to death by involvement of vital skeletal structures. The treatment of vanishing bone disease is controversial. Several treatment modalities have been proposed. Surgical intervention has been suggested as a method of choice by many authors and concerns local resection of the affected bone, with or without replacement prosthesis or bone grafts.

Piriform and trochanteric fossae. A drawing mismatch or a terminology error? A review.

The current literature indicates that the standard starting point for intramedullary nailing is the piriform fossa. The accuracy of the entry point for anterograde femoral intramedullary nailing between published texts and relevant illustrations was recorded. The piriform fossa is the site of insertion of the piriform tendon and represents a small, shallow depression located on the tip of the greater trochanter. The trochanteric fossa is a deep depression on the inner surface of the greater trochanter, and in the vast majority of the published data is indicated incorrectly as "piriform fossa". As a result of either a recurrent drawing mismatch or a terminology error, the correct entry point for anterograde femoral intramedullary nailing is confusing and should be indicated in the current literature. The trochanteric fossa appears to be the standard entry point that most surgeons recommend.

Incomplete paraplegia following use of heroin: a case report and review of the literature.

Neurological complications involving the lumbar spine following intravenous injection of heroin was observed in a 28-year-old man. On admission, steroids were administrated, and the patient had a complete recovery after an interval of 2 days. There have been more than 46 cases reported in the literature with similar findings to the one presented here. The mechanism of neuropathology of heroin abuse is still unknown. Possible mechanisms are a toxic, allergic, or a hypersensitivity reaction. Rare cases of complete recovery have been reported.