Sterile Insect Technique Programme against Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the Valencian Community (Spain).

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), is an endemic pest in fruit-growing areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. In the Valencian Community, it represents a serious problem in the cultivation of citrus and numerous species of fruit, such as peach, cherry, apricot, persimmon, etc. For over 50 years, the Department of Agriculture of Valencia has led, promoted, and carried out a C. capitata control programme to protect crops, especially citrus fruits, because this community is the largest national producer and the leading region for fresh citrus exports in the world. Traditionally, pest control has been based on the use of insecticides. However, a reduction of more than 90% of a target wild population was achieved in the frame of a pilot integrated pest management (IPM) project based on the sterile insect technique (SIT), which was implemented from 2003 to 2006. Based on this successful result, in 2007 the Department of Agriculture of Valencia initiated an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme for the suppression of C. capitata, using the SIT as the primary control method. Complementary activities are implemented periodically in hotspots and during different time periods depending on the pest population dynamics. As a result, there has been a reduction of more than 90% in the use of insecticides by aerial means to control C. capitata, as well as a growth trend in exports of citrus and fresh fruits from the Valencian Community in recent years. This paper provides a historical review of the Valencian programme and briefly describes how technological innovations and decision-making tools have contributed to programme efficiency.

Behavior of P-Pt and P-Pd bonds in phosphido complexes toward electrophilic fragments.

The reactions between the unsaturated 30-valence-electron-count [(C(6)F(5))(2)Pt(mu-PPh(2))(2)M(PPh(3))] (M = Pt, Pd) and [M'(OClO(3))PPh(3)] (M' = Ag, Au) yield the cationic trinuclear [(C(6)F(5))(2)Pt(mu-PPh(2))(2)M(PPh(3))(M'PPh(3))][ClO(4)] (M = Pt, Pd; M' = Ag, Au), which displays Pt-M and M-M' bonds. The X-ray structures of the complexes reveal that the core of the molecules is planar and the Pt-M and M-M' distances point to the presence of Pt-M and M-M' bonds. A computational study on the formation of these complexes and the analysis of the interaction between the binuclear fragment [(C(6)F(5))(2)Pt(mu-PPh(2))(2)Pt(PPh(3))] and the cation [Ag PPh(3)](+) has been carried out on the basis of density functional theory and shows that the Ag center interacts weakly with M and P (PPh(2) ligand) atoms of the binuclear fragment.

CD38 expression in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia: association with clinical presentation and outcome in 155 patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether CD38 expression at diagnosis is an independent predictor of survival and assess its associations with other clinical parameters used in the staging of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). DESIGN AND METHODS: CD38 expression was analyzed in 155 consecutive unselected patients newly diagnosed with B-CLL from January 1991 to July 1997. In all cases CD38 expression was evaluated at diagnosis and patients were classified into two groups: those with > or = 30% were considered positive (CD38+) and those with < 30% were considered negative (CD38-). Statistical differences between each group were analyzed using c2 tests for categorical variables and Student's t-tests for continuous variables. Survival analysis was performed at the univariate level by the Kaplan Meier technique and at the multivariate level by Cox hazard models. RESULTS: Thirty (19%) patients were CD38+. CD38+ was associated with atypical morphology (p=0.004), a diffuse bone marrow pattern (p=0.016), Rai stage > or =2 (p=0.009), high lactate dehydrogenase (p=0.02), high b2 microglobulin (p=0.004), and higher lymphocyte count (p=0.02). Furthermore, CD38+ patients required treatment more frequently (p=0.006) and CLL-related mortality was significantly higher (p=0.012). When we divided the study group into patients with Rai 0-1 and Rai 2-4 stages, CD38 positivity was only significantly associated with mortality in the early stage patients (p= 0.012 vs p= 0.68). CD38 expression in the multivariate analysis lost its statistical significance. None of these results was modified when the CD38 cut-off was set at 20%. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: CD38 expression identifies a subgroup of B-CLL patients with aggressive clinical presentation and worse outcome. Its expression is probably associated with other prognostic factors, but the feasibility of determining this parameter makes it easily reproducible and adds prognostic information at diagnosis to aid prediction of the clinical course and outcome of B-CLL.

Synthesis and Crystal and Electronic Structures of the Dinuclear Platinum Compounds [PEtPh(3)](2)[Pt(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)] and [Pt(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)]: A Computational Study by Density Functional Theory.

The electrolytic behavior of the dinuclear complexes [NBu(4)](2)[MM'(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)] (M = M' = Pt (1), Pd (1a); M = Pt, M' = Pd (1b)) has been studied, showing electrochemically irreversible oxidation and related reduction processes. The chemical oxidation of the binuclear compound for M = M' = Pt, results in the formation of the binuclear Pt(III) compound [Pt(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)]. The crystal structure analysis of both complexes has been carried out, showing very similar structures with similar Pt-C and Pt-P distances and analogous skeletons. However the Pt-Pt distances are very different, 3.621(1) Å for the Pt(II) compound and 2.7245(7) Å for the Pt(III) derivative (as are the parameters geometrically related to this Pt-Pt distance), suggesting that, in the Pt(III) compound, there is a strong Pt-Pt bond. Results of DFT calculations on [Pt(2)(&mgr;-PH(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)](n)()(-) (n = 2, 0) agree very well with the crystallographic data and indicate that, in the Pt(III) compound, there is approximately a single sigma bond between the metal atoms.

A Polycationic Metallodendrimer with 24 [Fe(η5 -C5 Me5 )(η6 -N-Alkylaniline)]+ Termini That Recognizes Chloride and Bromide Anions.

Pronounced dendritic effects are shown by the title compound 1 in the recognition of Cl- and Br- -this is shown by the comparison with a mononuclear compound with one dendrimer arm and a trinuclear compound with a tripodal dendrimer branch. Thus, 1 differs distinctly from 24-ferrocene dendrimers of comparable topology.

Synthesis, Molecular Structure, and Reactivity of the Tetranuclear Complex [NBu(4)](2)[Pd(4)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(&mgr;-Cl)(4)(C(6)F(5))(4)]. Molecular Structure of [Pd(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(C(6)F(5))(2)(bipy)(2)]ClO(4).C(6)H(14).

Anionic tetranuclear complexes with the molecular formula [NBu(4)](2)[Pd(4)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(&mgr;-X)(4)(C(6)F(5))(4)] [X = Cl (1), Br (2)] were obtained by reaction of [NBu(4)](2)[Pd(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)] and PdCl(2) (or K(2)[PdCl(4)]) in acetone, followed by reaction with KBr for 2. The reactions of 1 with neutral monodentate (L) or bidentate (L-L) ligands afford the dinuclear derivatives [Pd(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(&mgr;-Cl)(C(6)F(5))(2)L(2)] [L = PPh(3) (3), py (4)] or [Pd(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(C(6)F(5))(2)(L-L)(2)](n)() [n = 1-, L-L = acac (6); n = 1+, L-L = bipy (7) or phen (8)]. The structures of complexes 1 and 7 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The bis(acetone) solvate of complex 1, [NBu(4)](2)[Pd(4)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(2)(&mgr;-Cl)(4)(C(6)F(5))(4)].2C(3)H(6)O, crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c, with a = 11.679(5) Å, b = 16.552(7) Å, c = 23.868(8) Å, beta = 101.10(3) degrees, V = 4527.6(15) Å(3), and Z = 2. The central core of the anion has the shape of a rectangle with the four Pd atoms in the corners. The hexane solvate of complex 7, [Pd(2)(&mgr;-PPh(2))(C(6)F(5))(2)(bipy)(2)][ClO(4)].C(6)H(14), crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/n, with a = 16.214(3) Å, b = 10.311(2) Å, c = 28.380(6) Å, beta = 100.82(3) degrees, V = 4660(2) Å(3), and Z = 4. In both complexes, the long Pd.Pd distances (>3.1 Å) clearly point to the absence of any Pd-Pd interaction.