Additive Effect of Releasing Sterile Insects Plus Biocontrol Agents against Fruit Fly Pests (Diptera: Tephritidae) under Confined Conditions.

Pest control models integrating the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) and augmentative biological control (ABC) have postulated that it is possible to obtain a synergistic effect from the joint use of these technologies. This synergistic effect is attributed to the simultaneous attack on two different biological stages of the pest (immature and adult flies), which would produce higher suppression on the pest populations. Here we evaluated the effect of the joint application of sterile males of A. ludens of the genetic sexing strain Tap-7 along with two parasitoid species at the field cage level. The parasitoids D. longicaudata and C. haywardi were used separately to determine their effect on the suppression of the fly populations. Our results showed that egg hatching percentage was different between treatments, with the highest percentage in the control treatment and a gradual reduction in the treatments with only parasitoids or only sterile males. The greatest induction of sterility (i.e., the lowest egg hatching percentage) occurred with the joint use of ABC and SIT, demonstrating that the earlier parasitism caused by each parasitoid species was important reaching high levels of sterility. Gross fertility rate decreased up to 15 and 6 times when sterile flies were combined with D. longicaudata and C. haywardi, respectively. The higher parasitism by D. longicaudata was determinant in the decrease of this parameter and had a stronger effect when combined with the SIT. We conclude that the joint use of ABC and SIT on the A. ludens population had a direct additive effect, but a synergistic effect was observed in the parameters of population dynamics throughout the periodic releases of both types of insects. This effect can be of crucial importance in the suppression or eradication of fruit fly populations, with the added advantage of the low ecological impact that characterizes both techniques.

Increasing radiation doses in Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae) larvae improve parasitoid mass-rearing attributes.

Doses of 40, 80, 120, and 160 Gy were applied to 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-day-old Anastrepha obliqua larvae, which were exposed to the Neotropical-native braconids Doryctobracon crawfordi and Utetes anastrephae and the Asian braconid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata. These tests were performed to know the effect of the increase in host radiation on the emergence of the aforementioned parasitoids and the related consequences of oviposition on the host. The study was based on the fact that higher radiation doses may cause a decrease in the host immune activity. There was a direct relationship between the increase in radiation dose and the parasitoid emergence. Both, the weight and the mortality of the host larvae were not affected by radiation. Although the larval weight of the larvae was lower and the mortality was higher in the younger larvae. Both, the number of scars and immature stages per host puparium originated from the younger larvae were lower than those from older larvae. Only U. anastrephae superparasitized more at lower radiation. Superparasitism by D. longicaudata was more frequent at 160 Gy. Qualitative measurements of melanin in the larvae parasitized showed that the levels were lower with increasing radiation. As radiation doses increased, the antagonistic response of the A. obliqua larva was reduced. Host larvae aged 5- and 6-day-old irradiated at 120-160 Gy significantly improve parasitoid emergence. This evidence is relevant for the mass production of the three tested parasitoid species.

Superparasitism and fitness parameters in three native wasp parasitoids (Braconidae: Opiinae) of the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Knowledge on reproductive strategies and host use in insect parasitoids is fundamental for biological control purposes. Superparasitism and multiparasitism, oviposition in a previously parasitized host by a female of the same or different species, respectively, may impact pest management decisions. Our objective was to determine the occurrence of superparasitism and multiparasitism in three species of native larval-pupal solitary endoparasitoids that attack Anastrepha Shiner species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Neotropical region, and the possible effect on offspring fitness parameters. Doryctobracon crawfordi (Viereck), Utetes anastrephae (Viereck), and Opius hirtus (Fischer) occur in sympatry in Mexico, and are currently under consideration for use as biocontrol agents. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions with females acting alone (self-superparasitism), females in groups of the same species (conspecific superparasitism), and females in mixed groups (multiparasitism). Our results showed that self-superparasitism is an uncommon strategy in the three native species and is rare under conditions of intraspecific competition. In the case of multiparasitism, a higher number of immature stages of U. anastrephae was observed, compared to those of D. crawfordi and O. hirtus. However, it is not clear yet if this was due to some adult female trait or to the competitive ability of the larvae. We conclude that most females of the native species studied appeared to avoid superparasitism, specifically when acting alone, suggesting a high discrimination ability, which is probably a result of a close relationship and evolutionary history with Anastrepha hosts.

Sleep Well! An adapted behavioral sleep intervention implemented in urban primary care.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To describe the adaptation, feasibility, and initial outcomes of Sleep Well!, an intervention for early childhood insomnia and insufficient sleep, designed for families from lower-socioeconomic status backgrounds presenting to large metropolitan primary care sites. METHODS: Fifteen caregiver-child dyads (caregivers: 92.3% mothers, 80.0% Black, 53.3% ≤ 125% US poverty level; children: 73.3% female, 86.7% Black, mean age = 3.0 years) participated in this multimethod, single-arm trial. A family advisory board of caregivers (n = 4) and a clinician advisory board of sleep experts, primary care clinicians, and psychologists (n = 13) provided intervention feedback throughout the pilot. Most adaptations were related to intervention delivery methods, with some related to sleep strategies. At postintervention, caregivers completed surveys on intervention acceptability and cultural humility (primary outcomes) and completed semistructured interviews. Caregivers also reported on child sleep pre- and postintervention. RESULTS: Thirteen (86.6%) families completed Sleep Well! and 12 (80.0%) completed pre- and postintervention measures. Caregivers reported strong intervention acceptability and cultural humility. There were preintervention to postintervention reductions in child sleep problems, bedroom electronics, sleep onset latency, and night awakening frequency and duration. Nighttime sleep duration and overall insufficient sleep also improved. Qualitative data also showed strong intervention acceptability and perceived flexibility, with few participation barriers. CONCLUSIONS: A brief, early childhood behavioral sleep intervention delivered in primary care with families from primarily lower-socioeconomic status backgrounds and/or racially minoritized backgrounds is feasible to implement, with strong retention rates, acceptability, and perceptions of cultural humility. Child sleep improvements are positive and warrant replication in a randomized controlled trial. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Implementing Behavioral Sleep Intervention in Urban Primary Care; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04046341; Identifier: NCT04046341. CITATION: Williamson AA, Okoroji C, Cicalese O, et al. Sleep Well! An adapted behavioral sleep intervention implemented in urban primary care. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(4):1153-1166.

Treatment options and long-term outcomes in pediatric spinal cord vascular malformations: a case report and review of the literature.

A 16-month-old female was admitted for prolonged fever, gait ataxia, and neurogenic bowel and bladder. Neurological exam was significant for decreased sensory and motor functions in bilateral lower extremities. Initial MRI showed a thoracic spine hematoma and diagnostic angiogram revealed a large AVM and aneurysm. The patient underwent surgical resection of the hematoma and AVM, as well as clipping and later endovascular coiling of the aneurysm. Due to significant hemorrhage perioperatively, she developed spastic paraplegia improved by baclofen and onabotulinumtoxin A injections. The aims of this paper were to conduct a systematic review of the literature on pediatric spinal cord vascular malformations and analyze trends in treatment options and long-term neurological outcomes. PubMed searches were conducted using keywords "pediatric spinal vascular malformation" and "pediatric spinal AVM", yielding 34 results after abstract screening and cross-reference. Endovascular embolization was determined to have better long-term outcomes, with 10/19 (52.6%) patients with postoperative complications associated with open vascular surgeries. Open versus endovascular surgical decisions can be difficult with unique spinal AVM pathologies in pediatric patients. Important considerations such as size, location, neurological deficits, and risk of rupture are important factors to consider in treating these patients. We recommend endovascular treatment as a first-line approach due to lower risk of hemorrhage and postoperative deficits.

Natural Parasitism in Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Populations in Disturbed Areas Adjacent to Commercial Mango Orchards in Chiapas and Veracruz, Mexico.

To determine the natural parasitism in fruit fly populations in disturbed areas adjacent to commercial mango orchards in the states of Chiapas and Veracruz, Mexico, we recorded over one year the fruit fly-host associations, fly infestation, and parasitism rates in backyard orchards and patches of native vegetation. We also investigated the relationship between fruit size, level of larval infestation, and percent of parasitism, and attempted to determine the presence of superparasitism. The most recurrent species in trap catches was Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), followed by Anastrepha ludens (Loew), in both study zones. The fruit infestation rates were higher in Chiapas than in Veracruz, with A. obliqua again being the most conspicuous species emerging from collected fruits. The diversity of parasitoids species attacking fruit fly larvae was greater in Chiapas, with a predominance of Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) in both sites, although the exotic Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) was well established in Chiapas. Fruit size was positively correlated with the number of larvae per fruit, but this relationship was not observed in the level of parasitism. The number of oviposition scars was not related to the number of immature parasitoids inside the pupa of D. areolatus emerging from plum fruits. Mass releases of Di. longicaudata seem not to affect the presence or prevalence of the native species. Our findings open new research scenarios on the role and impact of native parasitoid species attacking Anastrepha flies that can contribute to the development of sound strategies for using these species in projects for augmentative biological control.