A positive behaviour support practice framework for disability and community services in Australia that prioritises human rights and evidence-based practices.

PURPOSE: This paper introduces a practice framework for individualised positive behaviour support (PBS). The framework incorporates existing function-based PBS principles and integrates contemporary research and Australian legislation to frame practice elements through a human rights lens. It is designed to support people with disability of varied aetiologies across the lifespan in various settings (e.g. home, schools, and aged care). METHODS: Existing research and literature have been reviewed, including key theories and current formulations to inform a new practice framework that reflects recommendations for applications in community settings. RESULTS: The PBS Pathway (PBS-P) framework promotes culturally sensitive and socially valid strategies for empowering the person and their supporters via a clear practice framework. It emphasises evidence-based practices while acknowledging the need for flexibility to meet individual needs. CONCLUSIONS: The PBS-P framework offers a pragmatic approach and focused lens for critical thinking and reflective applications within PBS. It promotes a universal approach across the lifespan and service settings, contributing to a shared understanding of PBS as a rights-based practice. The framework's alignment with current legislation supports adoption within existing systems; however, successful implementation requires skilled practitioners, adequate funding, and policies to support knowledge translation.

The positive behaviour support pathway framework guides individualised practices for people across the lifespan and service settings, with emphasis on data-based decision making to inform socially and culturally valid intervention planning.The framework aligns with current legislation and addresses current concerns relating to poor behaviour support practices and urgent recommendations for practices that protect and promote human rights.

Compartment-based reconstruction of 3D acquisition-weighted 31 P cardiac magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 7 T: A reproducibility study.

Even at 7 T, cardiac 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is fundamentally limited by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), leading to long scan times and poor temporal and spatial resolutions. Compartment-based reconstruction algorithms such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy with linear algebraic modeling (SLAM) and spectral localization by imaging (SLIM) may improve SNR or reduce scan time without changes to acquisition. Here, we compare the repeatability and SNR performance of these compartment-based methods, applied to three different acquisition schemes at 7 T. Twelve healthy volunteers were scanned twice. Each scan session consisted of a 6.5-min 3D acquisition-weighted (AW) cardiac 31 P phase encode-based MRSI acquisition and two 6.5-min truncated k-space acquisitions with increased averaging (4 × 4 × 4 central k-space phase encodes and fractional SLAM [fSLAM] optimized k-space phase encodes). Spectra were reconstructed using (i) AW Fourier reconstruction; (ii) AW SLAM; (iii) AW SLIM; (iv) 4 × 4 × 4 SLAM; (v) 4 × 4 × 4 SLIM; and (vi) fSLAM acquisition-reconstruction combinations. The phosphocreatine-to-adenosine triphosphate (PCr/ATP) ratio, the PCr SNR, and spatial response functions were computed, in addition to coefficients of reproducibility and variability. Using the compartment-based reconstruction algorithms with the AW 31 P acquisition resulted in a significant increase in SNR compared with previously published Fourier-based MRSI reconstruction methods while maintaining the measured PCr/ATP ratio and improving interscan reproducibility. The alternative acquisition strategies with truncated k-space performed no better than the common AW approach. Compartment-based spectroscopy approaches provide an attractive reconstruction method for cardiac 31 P spectroscopy at 7 T, improving reproducibility and SNR without the need for a dedicated k-space sampling strategy.

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva and Pregnancy: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Objective: To evaluate maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP; OMIM#135100), an ultrarare genetic disorder characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification of soft tissues and cumulative disability. Methods: This is a retrospective case series of three patients with FOP who were admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, from to February 2011 to July 2021. Results: Three women delivered preterm infants at our institution. These cases posed unique anesthetic and obstetric technical challenges, particularly when securing the airway and performing cesarean delivery. Importantly, each patient received perioperative glucocorticoids for prevention of further heterotopic ossification. Conclusion: FOP is a unique clinical diagnosis encountered by obstetricians and requires multidisciplinary management for optimal outcomes.

Increased cardiac Pi/PCr in the diabetic heart observed using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T.

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) has previously demonstrated decreased energy reserves in the form of phosphocreatine to adenosine-tri-phosphate ratio (PCr/ATP) in the hearts of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Recent 31P-MRS techniques using 7T systems, e.g. long mixing time stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM), allow deeper insight into cardiac metabolism through assessment of inorganic phosphate (Pi) content and myocardial pH, which play pivotal roles in energy production in the heart. Therefore, we aimed to further explore the cardiac metabolic phenotype in T2DM using STEAM at 7T. Seventeen patients with T2DM and twenty-three healthy controls were recruited and their cardiac PCr/ATP, Pi/PCr and pH were assessed at 7T. Diastolic function of all patients with T2DM was assessed using echocardiography to investigate the relationship between diastolic dysfunction and cardiac metabolism. Mirroring the decreased PCr/ATP (1.70±0.31 vs. 2.07±0.39; p<0.01), the cardiac Pi/PCr was increased (0.13±0.07 vs. 0.10±0.03; p = 0.02) in T2DM patients in comparison to healthy controls. Myocardial pH was not significantly different between the groups (7.14±0.12 vs. 7.10±0.12; p = 0.31). There was a negative correlation between PCr/ATP and diastolic function (R2 = 0.33; p = 0.02) in T2DM. No correlation was observed between diastolic function and Pi/PCr and (R2 = 0.16; p = 0.21). In addition, we did not observe any correlation between cardiac PCr/ATP and Pi/PCr (p = 0.19). Using STEAM 31P-MRS at 7T we have for the first time explored Pi/PCr in the diabetic human heart and found it increased when compared to healthy controls. The lack of correlation between measured PCr/ATP and Pi/PCr suggests that independent mechanisms might contribute to these perturbations.

Evaluation of Acute Supplementation With the Ketone Ester (R)-3-Hydroxybutyl-(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate (deltaG) in Healthy Volunteers by Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle 31P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

In this acute intervention study, we investigated the potential benefit of ketone supplementation in humans by studying cardiac phosphocreatine to adenosine-triphosphate ratios (PCr/ATP) and skeletal muscle PCr recovery using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) before and after ingestion of a ketone ester drink. We recruited 28 healthy individuals: 12 aged 23-70 years for cardiac 31P-MRS, and 16 aged 60-75 years for skeletal muscle 31P-MRS. Baseline and post-intervention resting cardiac and dynamic skeletal muscle 31P-MRS scans were performed in one visit, where 25 g of the ketone monoester, deltaG®, was administered after the baseline scan. Administration was timed so that post-intervention 31P-MRS would take place 30 min after deltaG® ingestion. The deltaG® ketone drink was well-tolerated by all participants. In participants who provided blood samples, post-intervention blood glucose, lactate and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations decreased significantly (-28.8%, p ≪ 0.001; -28.2%, p = 0.02; and -49.1%, p ≪ 0.001, respectively), while levels of the ketone body D-beta-hydroxybutyrate significantly increased from mean (standard deviation) 0.7 (0.3) to 4.0 (1.1) mmol/L after 30 min (p ≪ 0.001). There were no significant changes in cardiac PCr/ATP or skeletal muscle metabolic parameters between baseline and post-intervention. Acute ketone supplementation caused mild ketosis in blood, with drops in glucose, lactate, and free fatty acids; however, such changes were not associated with changes in 31P-MRS measures in the heart or in skeletal muscle. Future work may focus on the effect of longer-term ketone supplementation on tissue energetics in groups with compromised mitochondrial function.

Noninvasive assessment of steatosis and viability of cold-stored human liver grafts by MRI.

PURPOSE: A shortage of suitable donor livers is driving increased use of higher risk livers for transplantation. However, current biomarkers are not sensitive and specific enough to predict posttransplant liver function. This is limiting the expansion of the donor pool. Therefore, better noninvasive tests are required to determine which livers will function following implantation and hence can be safely transplanted. This study assesses the temperature sensitivity of proton density fat fraction and relaxometry parameters and examines their potential for assessment of liver function ex vivo. METHODS: Six ex vivo human livers were scanned during static cold storage following normothermic machine perfusion. Proton density fat fraction, T1 , T2 , and T2∗ were measured repeatedly during cooling on ice. Temperature corrections were derived from these measurements for the parameters that showed significant variation with temperature. RESULTS: Strong linear temperature sensitivities were observed for proton density fat fraction (R2 = 0.61, P < .001) and T1 (R2 = 0.78, P < .001). Temperature correction according to a linear model reduced the coefficient of repeatability in these measurements by 41% and 36%, respectively. No temperature dependence was observed in T2 or T2∗ measurements. Comparing livers deemed functional and nonfunctional during normothermic machine perfusion by hemodynamic and biochemical criteria, T1 differed significantly: 516 ± 50 ms for functional versus 679 ± 60 ms for nonfunctional, P = .02. CONCLUSION: Temperature correction is essential for robust measurement of proton density fat fraction and T1 in cold-stored human livers. These parameters may provide a noninvasive measure of viability for transplantation.

Quantifying the effect of dobutamine stress on myocardial Pi and pH in healthy volunteers: A 31 P MRS study at 7T.

PURPOSE: Phosphorus spectroscopy (31 P-MRS) is a proven method to probe cardiac energetics. Studies typically report the phosphocreatine (PCr) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio. We focus on another 31 P signal: inorganic phosphate (Pi), whose chemical shift allows computation of myocardial pH, with Pi/PCr providing additional insight into cardiac energetics. Pi is often obscured by signals from blood 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). We introduce a method to quantify Pi in 14 min without hindrance from 2,3-DPG. METHODS: Using a 31 P stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequence at 7 Tesla that inherently suppresses signal from 2,3-DPG, the Pi peak was cleanly resolved. Resting state UTE-chemical shift imaging (PCr/ATP) and STEAM 31 P-MRS (Pi/PCr, pH) were undertaken in 23 healthy controls; pH and Pi/PCr were subsequently recorded during dobutamine infusion. RESULTS: We achieved a clean Pi signal both at rest and stress with good 2,3-DPG suppression. Repeatability coefficient (8 subjects) for Pi/PCr was 0.036 and 0.12 for pH. We report myocardial Pi/PCr and pH at rest and during catecholamine stress in healthy controls. Pi/PCr was maintained during stress (0.098 ± 0.031 [rest] vs. 0.098 ± 0.031 [stress] P = .95); similarly, pH did not change (7.09 ± 0.07 [rest] vs. 7.08 ± 0.11 [stress] P = .81). Feasibility for patient studies was subsequently successfully demonstrated in a patient with cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSION: We introduced a method that can resolve Pi using 7 Tesla STEAM 31 P-MRS. We demonstrate the stability of Pi/PCr and myocardial pH in volunteers at rest and during catecholamine stress. This protocol is feasible in patients and potentially of use for studying pathological myocardial energetics.

Measuring inorganic phosphate and intracellular pH in the healthy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy hearts by in vivo 7T 31P-cardiovascular magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular phosphorus MR spectroscopy (31P-CMRS) is a powerful tool for probing energetics in the human heart, through quantification of phosphocreatine (PCr) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio. In principle, 31P-CMRS can also measure cardiac intracellular pH (pHi) and the free energy of ATP hydrolysis (ΔGATP). However, these require determination of the inorganic phosphate (Pi) signal frequency and amplitude that are currently not robustly accessible because blood signals often obscure the Pi resonance. Typical cardiac 31P-CMRS protocols use low (e.g. 30°) flip-angles and short repetition time (TR) to maximise signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) within hardware limits. Unfortunately, this causes saturation of Pi with negligible saturation of the flowing blood pool. We aimed to show that an adiabatic 90° excitation, long-TR, 7T 31P-CMRS protocol will reverse this balance, allowing robust cardiac pHi measurements in healthy subjects and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: The cardiac Pi T1 was first measured by the dual TR technique in seven healthy subjects. Next, ten healthy subjects and three HCM patients were scanned with 7T 31P-MRS using long (6 s) TR protocol and adiabatic excitation. Spectra were fitted for cardiac metabolites including Pi. RESULTS: The measured Pi T1 was 5.0 ± 0.3 s in myocardium and 6.4 ± 0.6 s in skeletal muscle. Myocardial pH was 7.12 ± 0.04 and Pi/PCr ratio was 0.11 ± 0.02. The coefficients of repeatability were 0.052 for pH and 0.027 for Pi/PCr quantification. The pH in HCM patients did not differ (p = 0.508) from volunteers. However, Pi/PCr was higher (0.24 ± 0.09 vs. 0.11 ± 0.02; p = 0.001); Pi/ATP was higher (0.44 ± 0.14 vs. 0.24 ± 0.05; p = 0.002); and PCr/ATP was lower (1.78 ± 0.07 vs. 2.10 ± 0.20; p = 0.020), in HCM patients, which is in agreement with previous reports. CONCLUSION: A 7T 31P-CMRS protocol with adiabatic 90° excitation and long (6 s) TR gives sufficient SNR for Pi and low enough blood signal to permit robust quantification of cardiac Pi and hence pHi. Pi was detectable in every subject scanned for this study, both in healthy subjects and HCM patients. Cardiac pHi was unchanged in HCM patients, but both Pi/PCr and Pi/ATP increased that indicate an energetic impairment in HCM. This work provides a robust technique to quantify cardiac Pi and pHi.

Reproducibility of human cardiac phosphorus MRS (31 P-MRS) at 7 T.

PURPOSE: We test the reproducibility of human cardiac phosphorus MRS (31 P-MRS) at ultra-high field strength (7 T) for the first time. The primary motivation of this work was to assess the reproducibility of a 'rapid' 6½ min 31 P three-dimensional chemical shift imaging (3D-CSI) sequence, which if sufficiently reproducible would allow the study of stress-response processes. We compare this with an established 28 min protocol, designed to record high-quality spectra in a clinically feasible scan time. Finally, we use this opportunity to compare the effect of per-subject B0 shimming on data quality and reproducibility in the 6½ min protocol. METHODS: 10 healthy subjects were scanned on two occasions: one to test the 28 min 3D-CSI protocol, and one to test the 6½ min protocol. Spectra were fitted using the OXSA MATLAB toolbox. The phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate concentration ratio (PCr/ATP) from each scan was analysed for intra- and intersubject variability. The impact of different strategies for voxel selection was assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between repeated measurements in the same subject. For the 28 min protocol, PCr/ATP in the midseptal voxel across all scans was 1.91 ± 0.36 (mean ± intersubject SD). For the 6½ min protocol, PCr/ATP in the midseptal voxel was 1.76 ± 0.40. The coefficients of reproducibility (CRs) were 0.49 (28 min) and 0.67 (6½ min). Per-subject B0 shimming improved the fitted PCr/ATP precision (for 6½ min scans), but had negligible effect on the CR (0.67 versus 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Both 7 T protocols show improved reproducibility compared with a previous 3 T study by Tyler et al. Our results will enable informed power calculations and protocol selection for future clinical research studies.

EXIT (ex utero intrapartum treatment) in a growth restricted fetus with tracheal atresia.

Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) encompasses a heterogeneous group of pathologies leading to poor lung development and difficulty oxygenating the newborn after delivery. While previously uniformly fatal, the ex utero intrapartum therapy (EXIT) procedure has provided a method to treat these patients and provide an airway to potentiate survival. We present a patient diagnosed prenatally with CHAOS secondary to tracheal atresia complicated by severe intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) who was successfully delivered via an EXIT procedure at 33-weeks. Multidisciplinary care and planning is paramount.

Talcum Powder Toxicosis in Pregnancy.

Background Pica is a relatively common phenomenon in pregnancy and typically includes consumption of nontoxic substances such as earth/clay, raw starches, and ice. Occasionally, substances may be toxic or have unintended consequences. Case A nulliparous woman presented to our facility complaining of numerous, vague symptoms that are common in pregnancy. She had multiple work-ups and an admission to our antepartum unit without clear etiology of her symptoms. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with talcum powder toxicosis secondary to talc ingestion as a coping mechanism for her anxiety, which was heightened in pregnancy. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of screening for mental health disorders, which may be exacerbated during the peripartum period. Patients' coping mechanisms for mental health disorders may have unintended consequences.

Partnering of Public, Academic, and Private Entities to Reestablish Maternal Mortality Review in Georgia.

The pregnancy-related mortality ratio in the United States has increased over the past 25 years. Georgia's pregnancy-related mortality ratio is among the highest in the United States. Confronted with this harsh reality, Georgia reestablished maternal mortality review as one strategy to address its high maternal mortality. To achieve a comprehensive process for review of maternal deaths involved securing the knowledge, resources, and support of physician experts, public health agencies and professional organizations as well as representatives in the state legislature. The six key steps in successfully reinstating maternal mortality review were 1) establishing a maternal mortality advisory committee, 2) developing a defined methodology for comprehensive case identification, 3) convening an introductory maternal mortality review committee meeting, 4) securing legislative protection for the committee, 5) conducting a mock mortality review, and 6) completing a formal first-year case review and producing a summary report of initial findings. This first case review revealed the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia as hemorrhage, hypertension, cardiac disease, embolism, and seizures. Our objective in this commentary is to share our experiences and advocate for engaging public, private, and academic partners in working on complex and multifactorial public health issues such as high maternal mortality.

"What matters to someone who matters to me": using media campaigns with young people to prevent interpersonal violence and abuse.

BACKGROUND: While media campaigns are increasingly advocated as a strategy for preventing interpersonal violence and abuse, there is little evidence available regarding their effectiveness. SETTING AND DESIGN: Consultation with experts and young people was used as part of a UK scoping review to capture current thinking and practice on the use of media campaigns to address interpersonal violence and abuse among young people. Three focus groups and 16 interviews were undertaken with UK and international experts, and three focus groups were held with young people. MAIN RESULTS: Participants argued that, although campaigns initially needed to target whole populations of young people, subsequently, messages should be "granulated" for subgroups including young people already exposed to interpersonal violence and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people. It was suggested that boys, as the most likely perpetrators of interpersonal violence and abuse, should be the primary target for campaigns. Young people and experts emphasized that drama and narrative could be used to evoke an emotional response that assisted learning. Authenticity emerged as important for young people and could be achieved by delivering messages through familiar characters and relevant stories. Involving young people themselves in creating and delivering campaigns strengthened authenticity. CONCLUSIONS: Practice is developing rapidly, and robust research is required to identify the key conditions for effective campaigns in this field. The emotional impact of campaigns in this field appears to be as important as the transmission of learning.

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Women's Health and Laboratory Course.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the creation, implementation, and evaluation of a case-based, interdisciplinary course that highlights laboratory principles for students who have selected a career in obstetrics and gynecology. METHODS: We developed four case-based modules with questions that emphasize laboratory principles required to establish a diagnosis and treat and monitor each case-based scenario. The cases were offered as a 4-hour elective course during the medical school capstone. A clinician and a clinical pathologist pair facilitated the case discussions with groups of six to nine medical students during 2 consecutive years. Pre- and postknowledge quizzes were given to the students. In addition, a structured evaluation of the course was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-two students participated in the courses. Most found the format effective and the information useful. There was a significant increase in their related knowledge as established by pre- and posttesting. CONCLUSIONS: Case-based discussions gave learners a better understanding of the function and complexity of the clinical laboratories, and multidisciplinary facilitation highlighted the value of interacting with laboratory professionals to enhance clinical care.

Pregnancy-Associated Deaths in Rural, Nonrural, and Metropolitan Areas of Georgia.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize pregnancy-associated deaths and examine the relationship between area of residence and pregnancy-associated deaths and pregnancy-related mortality ratios in Georgia from 2010 to 2012. METHODS: The cohort of pregnancy-associated deaths was reviewed and categorized as pregnancy-related or resulting from other medical conditions not related to pregnancy, suicide, drug toxicity, homicide, or motor vehicle accident. Georgia Online Analytical Statistical Information System data were used to calculate pregnancy-related mortality ratio by rural, nonrural, and metropolitan Atlanta area and by race. Causes of death and pregnancy-related mortality ratio were compared by area of residence and race using χ tests; a P value <.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 262 pregnancy-associated deaths; 40.1% (n=105) were pregnancy-related. The 2010-2012 pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 26.5 per 100,000 live births and the pregnancy-related mortality ratio did not differ statistically among rural (27.1), nonrural (24.4), and metropolitan Atlanta (27.7) areas (P=.845). Most pregnancy-related deaths were the result of hemorrhage and cardiovascular factors. In aggregate, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for black women was 49.5 compared with 14.3 for white women (P<.001). The gap in pregnancy-related mortality ratio between black and white women was highest for metropolitan Atlanta (51.6 compared with 12.4, P<.001), less in nonrural areas (50.3 compared with 12.0, P<.001), and comparable in rural areas (39.4 compared with 22.4, P=.281). CONCLUSION: Although the pregnancy-related mortality ratio was similar for rural, nonrural, and metropolitan Atlanta areas, it was significantly higher for black compared with white women living outside of rural areas.

Preventing domestic abuse for children and young people: A review of school-based interventions.

Schools provide the setting in which interventions aimed at preventing intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) are delivered to young people in the general population and a range of programmes have been designed and evaluated. To date, most rigorous studies have been undertaken in North America and the extent to which programmes are transferable to other settings and cultures is uncertain. This paper reports on a mixed methods review, aimed at informing UK practise and policy, which included a systematic review of the international literature, a review of the UK grey literature and consultation with young people as well as experts to address the question of what works for whom in what circumstances. The context in which an intervention was delivered was found to be crucial. Context included: the wider policy setting; the national or regional level, where the local culture shaped understandings of IPVA, and the readiness of an individual school. The programmes included in the systematic review provided stronger evidence for changing knowledge and attitudes than for behavioural change and those young people who were at higher risk at baseline may have exerted a strong influence on study outcomes. Shifting social norms in the peer group emerged as a key mechanism of change and the young people consulted emphasised the importance of authenticity which could be achieved through the use of drama and which required those delivering programmes to have relevant expertise. While the consultation identified increasing interest in targeting interventions on boys, there was an identified lack of materials designed for minority groups of young people, especially Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people. Increased responsivity to the local context can be achieved by involving those who will deliver and receive these preventive programmes in their development. Schools need to be better prepared and supported in the task of delivering these interventions and this is particularly relevant for the management of disclosures of IPVA. Outcomes measured by evaluations should include those relevant to education.

Understanding early elementary children's conceptual knowledge of plant structure and function through drawings.

This study examined children's drawings to explain children's conceptual understanding of plant structure and function. The study explored whether the children's drawings accurately reflect their conceptual understanding about plants in a manner that can be interpreted by others. Drawing, survey, interview, and observational data were collected from 182 students in grades K and 1 in rural southeastern United States. Results demonstrated the children held a wide range of conceptions concerning plant structure and function. These young children held very simple ideas about plants with respect to both their structure and function. Consistent with the drawings, the interviews presented similar findings.

Composition, mosquito larvicidal, biting deterrent and antifungal activity of essential oils of different plant parts of Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ('Carolina Sapphire').

Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of female cones (FC), male cones (MC), needle-twigs (NT) and wood-bark (WB) of 'Carolina Sapphire' [Cupressus arizonica var glabra (Sudw.) Little] were analyzed simultaneously by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main constituents of the investigated essential oils were as follows: FC: alpha-pinene 68.5% and myrcene 11.9%; MC: alpha-pinene 22.5%, epi-zonarene 9.9%, zonarene 6.9%, limonene 6.8% and cadina-3,5-diene 6.1%; NT: alpha-pinene 20.7%, epi-zonarene 10.4%, zonarene 7.6%, limonene 5.9% umbellulone 5.8% and cadina-3,5-diene 5.8%; WB: alpha-pinene 40.7%, limonene 3.2% and umbellulone 2.9%. Essential oils were evaluated for antifungal activity against the strawberry anthracnose causing fungal plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides. Only WB essential oil showed moderate activity when compared with the commercial antifungal standards. Carolina Sapphire essential oils exhibited biting deterrent activity at 10 microg/cm2 with Biting Deterrence Index (BDI) values of 0.64, 0.59, 0.65 and 0.72, for FC, MC, NT and WB, respectively, and were significantly lower (P < or = 0.05) than the synthetic insect repellent, DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), at 25 nmol/cm2 against Aedes aegypti. The biting deterrence of NT and WB oils at 100 microg/cm2 with BDI values of 1.04 and 1.01, respectively, were similar, whereas the activity of MC (BDI = 0.88) and FC (BDI = 0.62) essential oils was lower than DEET at 25 nmol/cm2. Essential oil from FC with LD50 of 33.7 ppm was most toxic against 1-day-old Ae. aegypti larvae at 24-h post treatment. Female cone essential oil was significantly more toxic than MC (LD50 = 53.6 ppm), NT (LD50 = 55.5 ppm) and WB (LD50 = 44.6 ppm) essential oils.