Entomology beyond research and education: 2022 student debates

The 2022 student debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) happened during the Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and addressed entomological aspects beyond research and education. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the ESA Student Affairs Committee and the participating student team members communicated for 8 months and prepared for the debates. The theme of the ESA meeting in 2022 was "Entomology as inspiration: Insects through art, science, and culture". There were 2 unbiased speakers who introduced the debate topics as well as 4 teams who debated the following 2 topics: (i) Is forensic entomology viable in criminal case investigations and court cases today? and (ii) Are insects being treated ethically in scientific research? The teams prepared for about 8 months, debated their arguments, and shared their thoughts with the audience. The teams were judged by a panel and the winners were recognized at the ESA Student Awards Session during the annual meeting.

Searching for nothing: placing zero on the temporal continuum

Generalization allows responses acquired in one situation to be transferred to similar situations. For temporal stimuli, a discontinuity has been found between zero and non-zero durations: responses in trials with no (or 0-s) stimuli and in trials with very short stimuli differ more than what would be expected by generalization. This discontinuity may happen because 0-s durations do not belong to the same continuum as non-zero durations. Alternatively, the discontinuity may be due to generalization decrement effects: a 0-s stimulus differs from a short stimulus not only in duration, but also in its presence, thus leading to greater differences in performance. Aiming to reduce differences between trials with and without a stimulus, we used two procedures to test whether a potential reduction in generalization decrement would bring performance following zero and non-zero durations closer. In both procedures, there was a reduction in the discontinuity between 0-s and short durations, supporting the hypothesis that 0-s durations are integrated in the temporal subjective continuum.

Rituximab in the treatment of anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease: a case-based literature review

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) occurs with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM) as a life-threating complication and is considered the most important prognostic determinant in this disease group. The antibody anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) is associated to rapidly progressive ILD and poor overall survival. Rituximab (RTX) is becoming a drug of choice in management of refractory IIM-ILDs and rapidly progressive ILDs, despite its low level of evidence. We report the case of a 49-year-old man with new-onset clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) with severe respiratory symptoms and mixed radiologic pattern of non-specific interstitial and organizing pneumonia, refractory to high dose corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin and oxygen dependent. He was started on RTX 375mg/m2/week of which he completed 4 perfusions, with significant clinical improvement, and has been on maintenance to date with the rheumatology RTX standard protocol with no need for oxygen supplementation. RTX may represent a rescue therapy for patients with severe anti-MDA5-related CADM-ILD refractory to conventional immunotherapies. We identified reports of a total of 12 patients treated with RTX. Infection was the only reported adverse event (25%). Respiratory improvement (defined by symptoms, imaging or PFTs) was observed in 75% of patients, with 2 (17%) having achieved clinical remission. A total of three deaths occurred (25%), all resulting from ILD progression despite treatment. No therapeutic protocol with RTX seems to be more efficient nor associated with more adverse events than the others. Comparative studies are necessary.

A Rare Presentation of Multi-Organ Embolism in a Multifactorial Hypercoagulable State: Case Report

Paradoxical embolism is an uncommon phenomenon, accounting for only 2% of all cases of systemic arterial embolism. This condition suggests the presence of a patent foramen ovale, present in 20% - 25% of the adult population. The authors report the case of a 63-year-old male patient with a history of lung adenocarcinoma and hereditary thrombophilia admitted to hospital with acute onset of dyspnea, diplopia, confusion and decreased motor strength of the right limbs. Cranial computed tomography scan showed acute ischemic injury in the left posterior cerebral artery and computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism. A transesophageal echocardiogram confirmed the presence of patent foramen ovale. The patient was treated with anticoagulant therapy with progressive clinical improvement. Due to a high risk of recurrent thromboembolic episodes, the percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale was performed and anticoagulant therapy was maintained indefinitely.

Degradation of a series of fluorinated acrylates and methacrylates initiated by OH radicals at different temperatures

Rate coefficients for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with a series of fluorinated acrylates and methacrylates have been measured for the first time as a function of temperature in the range 290–308 K.

Thermal reduction to control the spacing in graphene oxide membranes: effect on ion diffusion and electrical conduction

Inter-layer spacing in reduced graphene-oxide membranes which modulates their ion-diffusion electrical and electrochemical characteristics is controlled by temperature of thermal reduction.

Ablation therapies for pancreatic cancer: an updated review

While impressive strides have been made in the detection and management of numerous somatic malignancies over the past two decades, safe and effective treatments for pancreatic cancer have remained elusive. However, a number of emerging new therapies hold the promise of improving survival and quality of life for those stricken with the disease. Ablative therapies in particular, including those utilizing radiofrequency waves, microwaves, thermal energy, photodynamic energy and focused ultrasound waves provide an opportunity to target neoplasms while sparing healthy surrounding tissue. Paired with endoscopic ultrasound, these therapies offer a safe, effective and minimally invasive means to care of patients with otherwise inoperable tumors.

Liver cirrhosis is reverted by urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene therapy

Liver cirrhosis represents a worldwide health problem and is a major cause of mortality. Cirrhosis is the result of extensive hepatocyte death and fibrosis induced by chronic alcohol abuse and hepatitis B and C viruses. Successful gene therapy approaches to this disease may require both reversal of fibrosis and stimulation of hepatocyte growth. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) may serve this function, as it is an initiator of the matrix proteolysis cascade and induces hepatocyte growth factor expression. In a rat cirrhosis model, a single iv administration of a replication-deficient adenoviral vector encoding a nonsecreted form of human uPA resulted in high production of functional uPA protein in the liver. This led to induction of collagenase expression and reversal of fibrosis with concomitant hepatocyte and improved liver function. Thus, uPA gene therapy may be an effective strategy for treating cirrhosis in humans.

[Development of a milk beverage based on pumpkin flakes]

Vitamin A deficiency is one of the majors public health problems in Brazilian Northeast, and among other causes may be concerned to precocious weaning. Aiming at reducing this problem, a dehydrated product based on powdered milk and pumpkin flakes was developed to act as a carotene source at weaning period. Pumpkin flakes were obtained by drum drying at a 6 atm steam pressure, 0.75 m2 contact surface and 1 rpm, and had their content of carotenoids, beta carotene, centesimal composition molds and yeast and faecal coliforms evaluated. The flakes were added to sugar and whole powdered milk according to FAO/WHO nutritional recommendation to 6-12 months old children and submitted to acceptability test by a 6 judges' panel. The results showed that the drying process had a 7% efficiency score and the flakes composition presented 4.84% moisture; 4.0% protein; 5.5% ash; 1.30% fat; 6.22% fiber; 78.14% carbohydrates; 115.08 micrograms/g total carotenois and 80.64 micrograms/g beta-carotene content. No coliforms were detected and molds and yeast content was 4.0 x 10(2) CFU/g. The powdered formulation properly diluted in water supports 45% of the RDA for children (calories, protein, carbohydrates and lipids) and 100% vitamin A and protein considering a 400 ml/day ingestion.

The effect of instituting an elective labor epidural program on the operative delivery rate

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate labor outcome as well as maternal and neonatal morbidity before and after the initiation of elective labor epidural capability.

METHODS

On October 1, 1993, a sudden change in military requirements mandated provision of elective labor epidural capability at our institution. Before this time, epidural provision had been primarily in response to urgent obstetrician requests. Pre-labor and labor characteristics and outcomes were reviewed for the year before this policy change (group 1, n = 373) and for the year after it (group 2, n = 421) in a population of nulliparous patients delivering singleton, vertex fetuses at 36-42 weeks' gestational age. In addition, the group of patients receiving labor epidurals before their ready availability (group 1E, n = 49) was compared with the group receiving them after ready availability (group 2E, n = 247).

RESULTS

Maternal labor characteristics showed a slight (10 minutes on average) prolongation of the second stage of labor in group 2. The incidence of diagnosed chorioamnionitis was higher in group 2. Patients receiving epidurals in each time frame were analyzed to identify epidural-related findings, as opposed to findings associated with intrinsically more problematic labors. Epidural-related factors included the slightly prolonged second stage of labor, increased use of oxytocin, and a higher incidence of diagnosed chorioamnionitis.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated no increase in the rate of operative deliveries in a population that suddenly received access to on-request labor epidurals. We believe this option should be offered to parturients without making them feel that they must choose between comfort and safety.

Biochemical, immunological, and biological characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi populations of the Andean north of Chile

Twenty-one Trypanosoma cruzi stocks isolated from Triatoma infestans and humans of the Chilean Andean highlands were studied at the genotypic level by schizodeme and molecular karyotype analyses, which allowed a clear distinction of the parasites from those hosts. A phenotypical characterization was performed by proteolytic activity after electrophoretic fractionation without discrimination among the stocks. Metacyclic trypomastigotes obtained in vitro proved to be infective to Swiss mice and the study of immune response and biological behavior was assessed. Of a total of 21 T. cruzi stocks, only 11 proved to be infective in mice due to difficulties in obtaining metacyclic trypomastigotes with the parasite populations isolated from humans. Western blot analysis revealed a complex immune response even in the first days postinfection with each T. cruzi strain studied. Antigenic recognition by each immune serum is characteristic, although several major and common antigens were detected. Lytic antibodies were studied by the in vitro complement-mediated lytic assay using purified metacyclic trypomastigotes as target cells. All the T. cruzi isolates tested induced lytic antibodies in this experimental model. Parasitemias were moderate and characteristic for each T. cruzi strain. Results are compared with metacyclic forms of the infective and pathogenic Tulahuen strain.