Objectives A discrepancy in crown-rump length (CRL) and/or nuchal translucency thickness (NT) between monochorionic twins has been found to be associated with an increased risk of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS TTTS of 11.86 (95% CI,

No abstract

The ability of subterranean termites to digest lignocellulose relies not only on their digestive tract physiology, but also on the symbiotic relationships established with flagellate protists and bacteria. The objective of this work was to test the possible effect of different cellulose‐based diets on the community structure (species richness and other diversity metrics) of the flagellate protists of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei. Termites belonging to the same colony were subjected to six different diets (natural diet, maritime pine wood, European beech, thermally modified European beech, cellulose powder and starvation), and their flagellate protist community was evaluated after the trials. All non‐treated sound woods produced similar flagellate protist communities that were more diverse and of high evenness (low dominance). On the contrary, flagellate protist communities from cellulose‐fed termites and starving termites were considered to be significantly different from all non‐treated woods; they were less diverse and some morphotypes became dominant as a consequence of flagellate protist communities having suffered major adaptations to these diets. The flagellate protist communities of untreated beech and thermally modified beech‐fed termites were considered to be significantly different in terms of abundance and morphotype diversity. This may be caused by a decrease in lignocellulose quality available for termites and from an interference of thermally treated wood with the chemical stability of the termite hindgut. Our study suggests that as a consequence of the strong division of labour among these protists to accomplish the intricate process of lignocellulose digestion, termite symbiotic flagellate protist communities are a dynamic assemblage able to adapt to different conditions and diets. This study is important for the community‐level alteration approach, and it is the first study to investigate the effects of thermally modified wood on the flagellate protist communities of subterranean termites.

Tribolium castaneum can survive in extremely dry environments and be one of the major insect pests of broken and processed grains or other stored dried foods. Additionally, this species has demonstrated resistance to some classes of insecticides. The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritional and chemical composition of T. castaneum, reared on maize flour, and compare protein, lipids and fatty acids profile, amino acids and mineral contents, of different developmental stages: larvae, pupae and adults. In general all stages were rich in protein (15.3% for larvae and 17.0% for adults, wet body weight).Disparities among developmental stages regarding amino acids and fatty acids content were found. Essential amino acids were most abundant in T. castaneum; a different essential amino acid was prevalent on each developmental stage: larvae -valine; pupae -lysine; adults -histidine. Tribolium castaneum is rich in phosphorus, potassium and sulphur; larvae had a significantly higher content of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and zinc, while adults showed significantly lower content of potassium and zinc. Larvae and pupae showed higher values of SFA (heptadecanoic and stearic acid) and PUFA (α-linolenic and linolenic acids), while MUFA showed the reverse tendency, with adults having the highest contents of hypogeic, palmitoleic and oleic acids. The nutritional differences among different developmental stages identified are due to specificities of each stage (level of chitinization, motility, energy requirements and food intake habits), as the diet offered to the insects was the same. This study can thus be considered a first step towards future directions of investigation, to a better understanding of this pest nutritional preferences and alternatives to achieve a more sustainable management of infested stored products.

The majority of thermal modification processes are at temperatures greater than 180 °C, resulting in a product with some properties enhanced and some diminished (e.g., mechanical properties). However, the durability of thermally modified wood to termite attack is recognised as low. Recent attempts at combining thermal modification with chemical modification, either prior to or directly after the thermal process, are promising. Buffers, although not influencing the reaction systems, may interact on exposure to certain conditions, potentially acting as promoters of biological changes. In this study, two zwitterionic buffers, bicine and tricine, chosen for their potential to form Maillard-type products with fragmented hemicelluloses/volatiles, were assessed with and without thermal modification for two wood species (spruce and beech), with subsequent evaluation of their effect against subterranean termites (Reticulitermes grassei Clément) and their symbiotic protists. The effect of the wood treatments on termites and their symbionts was visible after four weeks, especially for spruce treated with tricine and bicine and heat treatment (bicine HT), and for beech treated with bicine and bicine and heat treatment (bicine HT). The chemical behaviour of these substances should be further investigated when in contact with wood and also after heat treatment. This is the first study evaluating the effect of potential Maillard reactions with zwitterionic buffers on subterranean termite symbiotic fauna.