Laboratory evaluation of a bio-insecticide candidate from tangerine peel extracts against Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae).

Background: The excessive use of synthetic insecticides in modern agriculture has led to environmental contamination and the development of insect resistance. Also, the prolonged use of chemical insecticides in producing flowers and tomatoes in greenhouses has caused health problems for workers and their offspring. In this study, we analyzed the efficacy of mandarin peel (Citrus reticulata L.) essential oil (EO) as a natural insecticide against greenhouse whitefly (Trieurodes vaporariorum W., Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), a common pest in greenhouse production of different crops. Methods: Petroleum ether (PET) and n-hexane (HEX) were used as solvents to extract essential oil (EO) from tangerine peels. Results: The yield of EO was 1.59% and 2.00% (m/m) for PET and HEX, respectively. Additionally, the insect-killing power of EO was tested by checking how many greenhouse whiteflies died at different times. The results showed that PET and HEX extracts of tangerine EO effectively controlled greenhouse whiteflies. Furthermore, with both solvents, a 12.5% (v/v) application was as practical as the commercial insecticide imidacloprid. Further characterization tests with the polarimeter, FTIR, HPLC-RP, and GC-MS showed that the essential oil (EO) contained about 41% (v/v) of d-limonene and that this compound may be responsible for the observed insecticidal properties. Conclusion: Therefore, tangerine peel essential oil is an excellent botanical insecticide candidate for controlling greenhouse whiteflies.

Exploring Substance Abuse and the Dark Tetrad in Health Sciences and Non-Health Sciences Students.

Substance abuse can be used as a coping strategy to manage stress related to academic activities and is a risk-taking behavior that is also associated with people with higher levels of the Dark Tetrad personality traits. Our study aimed to investigate the association between substance abuse and the Dark Tetrad in students in health and non-health sciences fields. Our sample was composed of 174 college students between 18 and 58 years old (M = 25.60; SD = 9.14). Students completed self-report psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, sadism, and substance use scales. Results suggest that men consumed more substances and scored higher on the Dark Tetrad than women. Also, when comparing fields, men from health sciences tended to score higher on dark personality traits. These results emphasize the potential risk factors associated with dark personality traits and the consumption of licit and illicit substances by college students, highlighting the need for further studies with this population and the impact of these behaviors and characteristics on future professional practice.

Sala de espera: educação em saúde em um ambulatório de gestação de alto risco / The waiting room: health education in a high risk pregnancy clinic

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar as necessidades das gestantes referentes a assuntos que possam ser abordados em atividades de educação em saúde, no momento de espera, em um ambulatório de referência de gestação de alto risco. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, qualitativo e de campo, utilizando a análise de conteúdo temática de Bardin. Participaram 35 gestantes presentes no dia da consulta de pré-natal. Emergiram então seis categorias: Percepção de desconforto durante o momento de espera; Sentimento de abandonado no momento de espera e preocupação com o retorno ao trabalho; Referência a sintomas de ordem física e emocional; Participação (ou não) de educação em saúde; Sugestão de desenvolvimento de atividades educativas no momento de espera; Proposição de oferta oportuna de lanches durante o momento de espera. Assim, a partir das necessidades identificadas, sugere-se a prática de educação em saúde como forma de otimizar o tempo de espera para a consulta de pré-natal deste serviço.

Current paper identifies the needs of pregnant females with regard to themes within health education when they are waiting in a high-risk hospital outpatient clinic. Through a descriptive, qualitative and field studies and employing Bardin´s thematic contents, thirty-five pregnant females participated on the occasion of their pre-natal visit to the doctor. Six categories emerged: perception of discomfort while waiting; feeling of abandonment while waiting; concern on return to work; reference to physical and emotional symptoms; participation or not in health education; suggestion to the development of educational activities while waiting; offering of meals while waiting. When needs are identified, health education should optimize waiting time prior to pre-natal service.

Transformation of fibroadenoma to phyllodes tumor and the use of oncoplastic technique for breast conservative treatment / A transformação do fibroadenoma em tumor filóides e o uso de técnicas oncoplásticas no tratamento cirúrgico conservador de mama

Phyllodes tumors (PT) are rare neoplasms accounting for <1% of breast lesions. A transformation of a fibroadenoma (FA) to a PT is even more rare and unpredictable. Many challenges face PT management, since diagnostic through surgical treatment. We describe a case of a 63-year old woman with PT that was previously diagnosed as a FA who underwent an oncoplastic conservative surgery. A review of the literature on the diagnostic and surgical management of PT was performed. The diagnostic of PT can be hard mostly in needle biopsy, and the close follow up of negative lesions is recommended. Oncoplastic techniques might be an important tool on the conservative treatment of these patients.

O tumor filoide (TF) é uma rara neoplasia que corresponde a menos de 1% das lesões mamárias. A tranformação do fibroadenoma (FA) em TF é um evento raro e imprevisível. Existem muitos desafios no manejo dos TF, desde o seu diagnóstico ao tratamento. Nós descrevemos o caso de uma paciente de 63 anos com TF com diagnóstico prévio de FA que foi submetida ao tratamento cirúrgico conservador da mama por técnicas oncoplásticas. Uma revisão da literatura sobre o diagnóstico e tratamento do TF foi realizada. O diagnóstico dessa condição pode ser especialmente difícil quando feito a partir de amostra de biópsias por agulha, e em caso de resultados negativos recomenda-se acompanhamento rigoroso. As técnicas oncoplásticas podem ser uma importante ferramenta no tratamento cirúrgico conservador desses pacientes.

Effects of production practices on the abundance of quarantine pests in Dracaena marginata in Costa Rican production fields.

To mitigate risks of invasive pests, international nursery exporters may soon be expected to participate in clean stock programs that reduce the probability of shipping crops that contain pests of quarantine significance. We worked with Costa Rican producers of Dracaena marginata Lam. (Ruscaceae) to identify critical pests, as well as the field conditions and production practices that could be explored for lowering pest abundance in a clean stock program. We sampled the abundance of leafhopper and katydid eggs, armored scales, and snails on leaves using a 10- by 10-m grid in a total of 34 production plots located in two distinct growing regions during the rainy and dry seasons of 2006. Growers were surveyed to determine the production practices in each field. Populations of leafhoppers and snails increased during the rainy season, whereas armored scale populations reached higher densities in the dry season. Fertilizer applications were associated with a greater abundance of leafhoppers, the keystone pests in the system. In contrast, abundances of armored scales and katydids were somewhat lower in fertilized fields. Insecticide applications targeting leafhoppers succeeded in reducing their populations, but secondary outbreaks of armored scales and katydids were observed. Increased frequency of herbicide application was associated with lower populations of leafhoppers with no significant effects on the other herbivores. Although effects of specific production practices in a given plot are confounded, the effects of fertilizer, insecticide, and herbicide use on leafhoppers are consistent with those predicted by literature on this pest. For this reason, the 10- by 10-m sampling grid is sensitive enough for use in controlled studies that evaluate effects of specific practices on pest abundance. As such, it is likely to be a useful tool for developing a clean stock program for D. marginata in Costa Rica.