Differences in Executive Functions in Minors Suffering Physical Abuse and Neglect.

This research analyzes the executive functions in minors between 7 and 16 years of age who have suffered physical abuse and neglect, as well as minors in residential care centers with other measures of protection. Most studies focus on the neurobiological consequences of the abuse, and mainly at an early age. However, there are very few studies that analyze the executive functions of victims of child abuse, while also taking into account the type of abuse suffered.

Iflavirus Covert Infection Increases Susceptibility to Nucleopolyhedrovirus Disease in .

Naturally occurring covert infections in lepidopteran populations can involve multiple viruses with potentially different transmission strategies. In this study, we characterized covert infection by two RNA viruses, Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 1 (SeIV-1) and Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 2 (SeIV-2) (family Iflaviridae) that naturally infect populations of , and examined their influence on susceptibility to patent disease by the nucleopolyhedrovirus Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) (family Baculoviridae). The abundance of SeIV-1 genomes increased up to ten-thousand-fold across insect developmental stages after surface contamination of host eggs with a mixture of SeIV-1 and SeIV-2 particles, whereas the abundance of SeIV-2 remained constant across all developmental stages.

Covert Infection of Insects by Baculoviruses.

Baculoviruses () are occluded DNA viruses that are lethal pathogens of the larval stages of some lepidopterans, mosquitoes, and sawflies (phytophagous Hymenoptera). These viruses have been developed as biological insecticides for control of insect pests and as expression vectors in biotechnological applications. Natural and laboratory populations frequently harbor covert infections by baculoviruses, often at a prevalence exceeding 50%.

Iflavirus increases its infectivity and physical stability in association with baculovirus.

Virus transmission and the prevalence of infection depend on multiple factors, including the interaction with other viral pathogens infecting the same host. In this study, active replication of an iflavirus, Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 1 (order Picornavirales) was observed in the offspring of insects that survived following inoculation with a pathogenic baculovirus, Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. Tracking the origin of the iflavirus suggested the association of this virus with the occlusion bodies of the baculovirus.

Baculovirus-Induced Climbing Behavior Favors Intraspecific Necrophagy and Efficient Disease Transmission in Spodoptera exigua.

Shortly prior to death, many species of Lepidoptera infected with nucleopolyhedrovirus climb upwards on the host plant. This results in improved dissemination of viral occlusion bodies over plant foliage and an increased probability of transmission to healthy conspecific larvae. Following applications of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus for control of Spodoptera exigua on greenhouse-grown sweet pepper crops, necrophagy was observed by healthy S.

Natural populations of Spodoptera exigua are infected by multiple viruses that are transmitted to their offspring.

Sublethal infections by baculoviruses (Baculoviridae) are believed to be common in Lepidoptera, including Spodoptera exigua. In addition, novel RNA viruses of the family Iflaviridae have been recently identified in a laboratory population of S. exigua (S.

Simultaneous occurrence of covert infections with small RNA viruses in the lepidopteran Spodoptera exigua.

Viral covert infections in invertebrates have been traditionally attributed to sublethal infections that were not able to establish an acute infection. Recent studies are revealing that, although true for some viruses, other viruses may follow the strategy of establishing covert or persistent infections without producing the death of the host. Recently, and due to the revolution in the sequencing technologies, a large number of viruses causing covert infections in all type of hosts have been identified.

Gender-mediated differences in vertical transmission of a nucleopolyhedrovirus.

With the development of sensitive molecular techniques for detection of low levels of asymptomatic pathogens, it becoming clear that vertical transmission is a common feature of some insect pathogenic viruses, and likely to be essential to virus survival when opportunities for horizontal transmission are unfavorable. Vertical transmission of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) is common in natural populations of S. exigua.

Intra- and intergenerational persistence of an insect nucleopolyhedrovirus: adverse effects of sublethal disease on host development, reproduction, and susceptibility to superinfection.

Sublethal infections by Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) are common in field populations of the beet armyworm (S. exigua, Hübner) in the Almerian horticultural region of Spain. Inoculation of second, third, and fourth instars with occlusion bodies (OBs) of an isolate (VT-SeAl1) associated with vertically transmitted infections resulted in 15 to 100% of sublethal infection in adult survivors, as determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) detection of viral DNA polymerase transcripts, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeted at the DNA polymerase gene.

Evidence for covert baculovirus infections in a Spodoptera exigua laboratory culture.

A laboratory culture of Spodoptera exigua was examined to assess covert (latent or persistent) baculovirus infections and spontaneous disease outbreaks. Two nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) species were found to be reactivated from a covert state in a laboratory culture of S. exigua to fully lethal forms.

Application of the PCR-RFLP method for the rapid differentiation of Spodoptera exigua nucleopolyhedrovirus genotypes.

Quality control during mass production of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV), and studies on environmental fate following the use of this virus as a biological pesticide, would be facilitated by a rapid method for the detection and identification of isolates. A molecular biology tool was developed that combined the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to differentiate SeMNPV isolates. Oligonucleotide primers were designed to amplify five variable SeMNPV genomic regions (V01, V02, V03, V04, V05).

Effect of tinopal LPW on the insecticidal properties and genetic stability of the nucleopolyhedrovirus of Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The influence of an optical brightener, Tinopal LPW, on the activity of a purified genotype of the nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), was determined in second to fifth instar (L2-L5) S. exigua. When mixed with viral occlusion bodies (OB) 1% Tinopal LPW significantly reduced the median lethal dose (LD50) of the virus in all instars compared with insects treated with SeMNPV alone.