Life tables in entomology: A discussion on tables' parameters and the importance of raw data.

Life tables are one of the most common tools to describe the biology of insect species and their response to environmental conditions. Although the benefits of life tables are beyond question, we raise some doubts about the completeness of the information reported in life tables. To substantiate these doubts, we consider a case study (Corcyra cephalonica) for which the raw dataset is available. The data suggest that the Gaussian approximation of the development times which is implied by the average and standard error usually reported in life tables does not describe reliably the actual distribution of the data which can be misleading and hide interesting biological aspects. Furthermore, it can be risky when life table data are used to build models to predict the demographic changes of the population. The present study highlights this aspect by comparing the impulse response generated by the raw data and by its Gaussian approximation based on the mean and the standard error. The conclusions of this paper highlight: i) the importance of adding more information to life tables and, ii) the role of raw data to ensure the completeness of this kind of studies. Given the importance of raw data, we also point out the need for further developments of a standard in the community for sharing and analysing data of life tables experiments.

Are the ladybugs Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Exochomus quadripustulatus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) candidate predators of Toumeyella parvicornis (Hemiptera: Coccidae)?

BACKGROUND: Toumeyella parvicornis is an alien pest of recent introduction in Italy that infests stone pines (Pinus pinea L.), its main host plant in Europe. Infestations are currently controlled through endotherapic treatments, but the high costs and the long-term inefficacy highlight the need for alternative control strategies applicable in natural systems as well. An analysis of the effectiveness of autochthonous and naturalized predators is the first step to achieve this goal. This work focused on two candidate predators, Exochomus quadripustulatus and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), that may potentially control T. parvicornis. The analysis was carried out under laboratory-controlled and semi-field conditions. RESULTS: Laboratory tests were carried out to assess: (i) the predation rate of the ladybugs over different densities of pest preimaginal stages, and (ii) the effect of the presence of heterospecific and conspecific predators on the attractiveness of prey colonies. Semi-field experimentations were carried out by wrapping infested stone pine twigs with net sleeves and applying one of three treatments: (i) Exochomus quadripustulatus, (ii) Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, and (iii) control containing only the pest population. Both the ladybugs were attracted by T. parvicornis, offered as prey. Exochomus quadripustulatus was more attracted to conspecific and heterospecific ladybugs than Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and responded to prey more quickly. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained could be useful for planning further experimentations to explore the potential use of these predators in biological control programs that may be applied in infested areas. Besides the use in an urban context, where pesticide use is strongly limited, the release of natural enemies may help safeguard stone pine forests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Toumeyella parvicornis versus endotherapic abamectin: three techniques, 1 year after.

BACKGROUND: Toumeyella parvicornis is an invasive soft scale insect native to North America that is rapidly spreading in Italy and France, provoking severe infestations on Pinus pinea L. To date, the control of this pest is entrusted to three endotherapic techniques whose short-term efficacy is partially known. No information on long-term efficacy is currently available, although fundamental. This work aims to report on the long-term effect that abamectin-based insecticides, injected with the three different techniques, have on adult female populations. RESULTS: The study was carried out in an infested P. pinea forest in the area of Rome, Italy. Results showed that the tested methods had a similar long-term effect, and only in one case there were differences with the untreated control. Multiresidue analysis reported a zero level of abamectin in plant tissues 14 months apart from injection, except for one treatment where pesticide concentration was just above the limit of quantification. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first long-term evaluation about endotherapic control strategy against T. parvicornis. In fact, the pest may quickly bring the death and fall of the stone pines, representing a concerning risk for citizens, however, control actions to manage it are still partially known and deserve more in-depth investigations. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Using Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to Estimate the Suitability of European Mediterranean Non-Native Area for the Establishment of Toumeyella Parvicornis (Hemiptera: Coccidae).

The pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis, is an insect native to the Nearctic region that is able to infest several Pinus species. It can cause weakening, defoliation and, at high infestation levels, tree death. After its first report in Italy in 2015, the pest spread rapidly over the surrounding areas and was reported in France in 2021. Due to the threat that this pest poses to pine trees, the suitability of European Mediterranean basin areas for T. parvicornis at different spatial scales was estimated by constructing species distribution models (SDMs) using bioclimatic variables. Our results showed that several coastal areas of the Mediterranean basin area could be suitable for T. parvicornis. Based on performance assessment, all the SDMs tested provided a good representation of the suitability of European Mediterranean non-native area for T. parvicornis at different spatial scales. In particular, most of the areas with a medium or high level of suitability corresponded to the geographical range of distribution of different Pinus spp. in Europe. Predicting the suitability of European Mediterranean areas for T. parvicornis provides a fundamental tool for early detection and management of the spread of this pest in Europe.

Endotherapic treatment to control Toumeyella parvicornis Cockerell infestations on Pinus pinea L.

BACKGROUND: The pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell, 1897), is a damaging insect pest native to North America. Its accidental introduction into Europe, where it was first reported in central-southern Italy, is leading to severe infestations among stone pine trees, Pinus pinea L. causing severe infestations and generating a major risk to the health and safety of the citizens as well. This preliminary study aimed at finding an effective low-impact control strategy against Toumeyella parvicornis. We evaluated the effect of endotherapic abamectin injected into infested stone pines in the Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica (Rome). RESULTS: Results showed that endotherapic abamectin significantly reduced the pine tortoise adult female populations and had a persistence into plants of approximately 60 days. The first trace of abamectin on the plant's crown was detected 1 month after the treatment. Moreover, the survey highlighted a higher presence of the pest on the twigs of the plants than on needles. CONCLUSIONS: These findings offer an important tool in fighting the damaging activity of this phytophagous, especially in an urban context where interventions with treatments are strictly regulated by national laws. Endotherapy, in fact, would reduce the dispersion of active ingredients by drift, an aspect that could represent a valid alternative to manage plants in public areas. Given the actual lack of scientific information about other control solutions, abamectin endotherapic treatments would be the more effective strategy currently applicable. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Complete genome assembly of the levan-positive strain PVFi1 of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi isolated from olive knots in Central Italy.

Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, the causal agent of olive knot disease, is a fluorescent Gram-negative bacterium classified, according to the specific LOPAT profile, as Ib. However, during the 90s, a number of atypical non-fluorescent levan-positive strains of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi have been unexpectedly isolated from olive knots in Central Italy. Since its first report, several studies were conducted on this species variant, but its genome sequence has never been reported. The complete genome sequence and two additional plasmids of PVFi1, a representative strain, were here obtained using a hybrid sequencing approach with both Oxford Nanopore Technology and Illumina sequencing. A thorough genomic analysis unravelled several genetic features of this peculiar strain, showing a transposase insertion downstream a fragmented copy of the levansucrase gene. The same features were previously reported on levan-negative Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi strains. In addition, a second copy of the levansucrase gene fully equipped for a gene expression and comparable to the levan-positive Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea, may explain the levan-positive test. This result provides a solid genetic demonstration that the bacterial species Pseudomonas savastanoi contains either levan-positive or levan-negative strains, providing insights for an update of the related LOPAT classification.

NSPG: An Efficient Posture Generator Based on Null-Space Alteration and Kinetostatics Constraints.

Most of the locomotion and contact planners for multi-limbed robots rely on a reduction of the search space to improve the performance of their algorithm. Posture generation plays a fundamental role in these types of planners providing a collision-free, statically stable whole-body posture, projected onto the planned contacts. However, posture generation becomes particularly tedious for complex robots moving in cluttered environments, in which feasibility can be hard to accomplish. In this work, we take advantage of the kinematic structure of a multi-limbed robot to present a posture generator based on hierarchical inverse kinematics and contact force optimization, called the null-space posture generator (NSPG), able to efficiently satisfy the aforementioned requisites in short times. A new configuration of the robot is produced through conservatively altering a given nominal posture exploiting the null-space of the contact manifold, satisfying geometrical and kinetostatics constraints. This is achieved through an adaptive random velocity vector generator that lets the robot explore its workspace. To prove the validity and generality of the proposed method, simulations in multiple scenarios are reported employing different robots: a wheeled-legged quadruped and a biped. Specifically, it is shown that the NSPG is particularly suited in complex cluttered scenarios, in which linear collision avoidance and stability constraints may be inefficient due to the high computational cost. In particular, we show an improvement of performances being our method able to generate twice feasible configurations in the same period. A comparison with previous methods has been carried out collecting the obtained results which highlight the benefits of the NSPG. Finally, experiments with the CENTAURO platform, developed at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, are carried out showing the applicability of the proposed method to a real corridor scenario.

Modelling Drosophila suzukii Adult Male Populations: A Physiologically Based Approach with Validation.

The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is a harmful insect pest for soft fruit cultivations. Even though its main hosts belong to the genera Prunus and Rubus, its high polyphagy and adaptability to new environments makes it a serious problem for farmers worldwide, who have reported several economic losses because of this pest. A wide series of proposals to control SWD are available and operate in line with the mechanisms of integrated pest management, demonstrating their high efficiency when applied at the opportune moment. This work aims to apply and validate a physiologically based model which summarises all the available information about D. suzukii biology, such as the relationship between environmental temperature and its development, fertility and mortality rates. The model provided, as a result, a description of a population of SWD females taking into consideration the multiple generations that occurred during the year. Simulations were then compared with field data collected in a three-year survey in two experimental fields located in the Sabina Romana area (Lazio, Italy). More specifically, D. suzukii males were monitored with traps in fields cultivated with mixed varieties of cherries and they were selected because of their clearer identification in comparison to females. Results showed a high level of reliability of simulations in representing the field data, highlighting at the same time that there is no discrepancy in simulating D. suzukii females in order to represent male populations.

Bayesian analysis of immigration in Europe with generalized logistic regression.

The number of immigrants moving to and settling in Europe has increased over the past decade, making migration one of the most topical and pressing issues in European politics. It is without a doubt that immigration has multiple impacts, in terms of economy, society and culture, on the European Union. It is fundamental to policy-makers to correctly evaluate people's attitudes towards immigration when designing integration policies. Of critical interest is to properly discriminate between subjects who are favourable towards immigration from those who are against it. Public opinions on migration are typically coded as binary responses in surveys. However, traditional methods, such as the standard logistic regression, may suffer from computational issues and are often not able to accurately model survey information. In this paper we propose an efficient Bayesian approach for modelling binary response data based on the generalized logistic regression. We show how the proposed approach provides an increased flexibility compared to traditional methods, due to its ability to capture heavy and light tails. The power of our methodology is tested through simulation studies and is illustrated using European Social Survey data on immigration collected in different European countries in 2016-2017.

Clinical neurophysiology of brain plasticity in aging brain.

The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying normal aging and neurodegenerative disorders represent the focus of a bulk of recent research. Physiological brain aging is characterized by a progressive dysfunction and loss of synaptic contacts and neuronal abnormal apoptosis. Neural and synaptic redundancy as well as functional and structural plastic remodeling of brain networking promote maintenance of brain activity in healthy elderly for everyday life but are not sufficient to face the pathologic scenario of excessive synaptic/ neuronal loss as in dementias. It is, then, important to implement techniques that are able to measure changes in normal aging brain and to discriminate the threshold from neurodegenerative processes. Rhythmic electromagnetic brain oscillatory activity is a hallmark of neuronal function and it contains relevant traces of neuronal assemblies cooperation across different brain functions; an integrated approach utilizing modern neurophysiological techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPs), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), together with biological markers and structural and functional imaging is promising for largescale, affordable, and non-invasive intercept of at-risk populations both at a group and probably also at a single-subject level. This approach might also guarantee the possibility of studying drug-induced changes in the electrical properties of the human cortex, developing and testing models of brain connectivity and treating neuropsychiatric diseases. In this paper some neurophysiological cutting-edge techniques will be presented that provide innovative information and deal with the broad issue of the role of neurophysiology for the assessment of patho-physiological aging and dementia also providing new insight to the actions of central nervous system drugs at the cortical level.

Quantitative evaluation of upper-limb motor control in robot-aided rehabilitation.

This paper is focused on the multimodal analysis of patient performance, carried out by means of robotic technology and wearable sensors, and aims at providing quantitative measure of biomechanical and motion planning features of arm motor control following rehabilitation. Upper-limb robotic therapy was administered to 24 community-dwelling persons with chronic stroke. Performance indices on patient motor performance were computed from data recorded with the InMotion2 robotic machine and a magneto-inertial sensor. Motor planning issues were investigated by means of techniques of motion decomposition into submovements. A linear regression analysis was carried out to study correlation with clinical scales. Robotic outcome measures showed a significant improvement of kinematic motor performance; improvement of dynamic components was more significant in resistive motion and highly correlated with MP. The analysis of motion decomposition into submovements showed an important change with recovery of submovement number, amplitude and order, tending to patterns measured in healthy subjects. Preliminary results showed that arm biomechanical functions can be objectively measured by means of the proposed set of performance indices. Correlation with MP is high, while correlation with FM is moderate. Features related to motion planning strategies can be extracted from submovement analysis.

Stump nerve signals during transcranial magnetic motor cortex stimulation recorded in an amputee via longitudinal intrafascicular electrodes.

Do central and peripheral motor pathways associated with an amputated limb retain at least some functions over periods of years? This problem could be addressed by evaluating the response patterns of nerve signals from peripheral motor fibers during transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of corticospinal tracts. The aim of this study was to record for the first time TMS-related responses from the nerves of a left arm stump of an amputee via intrafascicular longitudinal flexible multi-electrodes (tfLIFE4) implanted for a prosthetic hand control. After tfLIFE4 implant in the stump median and ulnar nerves, TMS impulses of increasing intensity were delivered to the contralateral motor cortex while tfLIFE4 recordings were carried out. Combining TMS of increasing intensity and tfLIFE4 electrodes recordings, motor nerve activity possibly related to the missing limb motor control and selectively triggered by brain stimulation without significant electromyographic contamination was identified. These findings are entirely original and indicate that tfLIFE4 signals are clearly driven from M1 stimulation, therefore witnessing the presence in the stump nerves of viable motor signals from the CNS possibly useful for artificial prosthesis control.

Combining ENG and EEG integrated analysis for better sensitivity and specificity of neuroprosthesis operations.

Combining non-invasive monitoring of action-related brain signals with the invasive recordings of the nerve motor output could provide robust natural and bidirectional multimodal Brain-Machine interfaces. One 26 years old, right-handed male who had suffered traumatic trans-radial amputation of the left arm was connected in a bidirectional way with a robotic hand prostheses. Cortical signals related with movement programming, execution, and feed-back were recorded by non-invasive scalp electrodes to detect high-level information (i.e. onset of movement intention), while the efferent neural activity containing the low-level commands towards the missing limb was recorded from the amputated nerves by multipolar intra-neural electrodes. The aim of this article is to report advanced experiences aiming to investigate whether information on "hand-related" activities can be decoded by the combined analysis of motor-related signals simultaneously gathered via intraneural electrodes implanted into the peripheral nervous system and scalp recorded electroencephalography signals to govern a dexterous hand prosthesis using the natural neural "pathway".

Brain-behavior relations: transcranial magnetic stimulation: a review.

In recent years, noninvasive brain stimulation methods have been proposed as the next-generation technology to probe and eventually interfere with brain function. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a 20-year-old technique originally introduced to investigate nervous propagation along the corticospinal tract, spinal roots, and peripheral nerves in humans. TMS is extensively used in clinical neurophysiology, including rehabilitation and intraoperative monitoring.

Double nerve intraneural interface implant on a human amputee for robotic hand control.

OBJECTIVES: The principle underlying this project is that, despite nervous reorganization following upper limb amputation, original pathways and CNS relays partially maintain their function and can be exploited for interfacing prostheses. Aim of this study is to evaluate a novel peripheral intraneural multielectrode for multi-movement prosthesis control and for sensory feed-back, while assessing cortical reorganization following the re-acquired stream of data. METHODS: Four intrafascicular longitudinal flexible multielectrodes (tf-LIFE4) were implanted in the median and ulnar nerves of an amputee; they reliably recorded output signals for 4 weeks. Artificial intelligence classifiers were used off-line to analyse LIFE signals recorded during three distinct hand movements under voluntary order. RESULTS: Real-time control of motor output was achieved for the three actions. When applied off-line artificial intelligence reached >85% real-time correct classification of trials. Moreover, different types of current stimulation were determined to allow reproducible and localized hand/fingers sensations. Cortical organization was observed via TMS in parallel with partial resolution of symptoms due to the phantom-limb syndrome (PLS). CONCLUSIONS: tf-LIFE4s recorded output signals in human nerves for 4 weeks, though the efficacy of sensory stimulation decayed after 10 days. Recording from a number of fibres permitted a high percentage of distinct actions to be classified correctly. Reversal of plastic changes and alleviation of PLS represent corollary findings of potential therapeutic benefit. SIGNIFICANCE: This study represents a breakthrough in robotic hand use in amputees.

Brain-machine interfaces for space applications.

In human space flight, astronauts are the most precious "payload" and astronaut time is extremely valuable. Astronauts operate under unusual and difficult conditions since the absence of gravity makes some of simple tasks tedious and cumbersome. Therefore, computer interfaces for astronauts are generally designed first for safety and then for functionality. In addition to general constraints like mass, volume, robustness, technological solutions need to enhance their functionality and efficiency while not compromising safety. Brain-machine interfaces show promising properties in this respect. It is however not obvious that devices developed for functioning on-ground can be used as hands-free interfaces for astronauts. This paper intends to address the potential of brain-machine interfaces for space applications, to review expected issues related with microgravity effects on brain activities, to highlight those research directions on brain-machine interfaces with the perceived highest potential impact on future space applications, and to embed these into long-term plans with respect to human space flight. We conclude by suggesting research and development steps considered necessary to include brain-machine interface technology in future architectures for human space flight.

Brain-machine interfaces for space applications-research, technological development, and opportunities.

Recent advances in brain research and brain-machine interfaces suggest these devices could play a central role in future generation computer interfaces. Successes in the use of brain machine interfaces for patients affected by motor paralysis, as well as first developments of games and gadgets based on this technology have matured the field and brought brain-machine interfaces to the brink of more general usability and eventually of opening new markets. In human space flight, astronauts are the most precious "payload" and astronaut time is extremely valuable. Astronauts operate under difficult and unusual conditions since the absence of gravity renders some of the very simple tasks tedious and cumbersome. Therefore, computer interfaces are generally designed for safety and functionality. All improvements and technical aids to enhance their functionality and efficiency, while not compromising safety or overall mass requirements, are therefore of great interest. Brain machine interfaces show some interesting properties in this respect. It is however not obvious that devices developed for functioning on-ground can be used as hands-free interfaces for astronauts. This chapter intends to highlight the research directions of brain machine interfaces with the perceived highest potential impact on future space applications, and to present an overview of the long-term plans with respect to human space flight. We conclude by suggesting research and development steps considered necessary to include brain-machine interface technology in future architectures for human space flight.

Defining brain-machine interface applications by matching interface performance with device requirements.

Interaction with machines is mediated by human-machine interfaces (HMIs). Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are a particular class of HMIs and have so far been studied as a communication means for people who have little or no voluntary control of muscle activity. In this context, low-performing interfaces can be considered as prosthetic applications. On the other hand, for able-bodied users, a BMI would only be practical if conceived as an augmenting interface. In this paper, a method is introduced for pointing out effective combinations of interfaces and devices for creating real-world applications. First, devices for domotics, rehabilitation and assistive robotics, and their requirements, in terms of throughput and latency, are described. Second, HMIs are classified and their performance described, still in terms of throughput and latency. Then device requirements are matched with performance of available interfaces. Simple rehabilitation and domotics devices can be easily controlled by means of BMI technology. Prosthetic hands and wheelchairs are suitable applications but do not attain optimal interactivity. Regarding humanoid robotics, the head and the trunk can be controlled by means of BMIs, while other parts require too much throughput. Robotic arms, which have been controlled by means of cortical invasive interfaces in animal studies, could be the next frontier for non-invasive BMIs. Combining smart controllers with BMIs could improve interactivity and boost BMI applications.