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From 2012 to 2015, 429,668Lilioceris cheniGressit and Kimoto (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) were released in Florida for biological control of air potatoDioscorea bulbiferaL. (Dioscoreaceae). In the fall of 2015, a state-wide survey was conducted at 113 randomly selected air potato infestations in order to determine the spatial distribution ofL. cheni. Damage due toL. cheniwas found at 86% of locations and was low in the Florida panhandle where air potato was relatively uncommon and fewer beetles had been released, and in far south Florida, despite high numbers of beetle releases. On average, beetles travelled 9.5 km from the nearest release site to survey sites from the date of release to the time of the survey, with a maximum distance of nearly 67 km. The rate of spread was estimated at 8.2 km/year under the assumption that beetles present at survey sites migrated or were moved from the nearest release site. Air potato vines produced fewer aerial tubers, the vegetative propagule of air potato, as foliar damage due toL. cheniincreased. The results suggest that future research efforts should focus on determining the biotic and abiotic factors that may be limiting establishment in some areas of Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Heavy metals, pesticides and a host of contaminants found in dust and soil pose a health risk to young children through ingestion. Dust/soil ingestion rates for young children can be estimated using micro-level activity time series (MLATS) as model inputs. MLATS allow for the generation of frequency and duration of children's contact activities, along with sequential contact patterns. Models using MLATS consider contact types, and transfer dynamics to assign mechanisms of contact and appropriate exposure factors for cumulative estimates of ingestion rates., Objective: The objective of this study is to describe field implementation, data needs, advanced field collection, laboratory methodologies, and challenges for integrating into and updating a previously validated physical-stochastic MLATS-based model framework called the Child-Specific Aggregate Cumulative Human Exposure and Dose (CACHED) model. The manuscript focuses on describing the methods implemented in the current study., Methods: This current multidisciplinary study (Dust Ingestion childRen sTudy [DIRT]) was implemented across three US regions: Tucson, Arizona; Miami, Florida and Greensboro, North Carolina. Four hundred and fifty participants were recruited between August 2021 to June 2023 to complete a 4-part household survey, of which 100 also participated in a field study., Discussion: The field study focused on videotaping children's natural play using advanced unattended 360 ° cameras mounted for participants' tracking and ultimately conversion to MLATS. Additionally, children's hand rinses were collected before and after recording, along with indoor dust and outdoor soil, followed by advanced mass analysis. The gathered data will be used to quantify dust/soil ingestion by region, sociodemographic variables, age groups (from 6 months to 6 years), and other variables for indoor/outdoor settings within an adapted version of the CACHED model framework., Significance: New innovative approaches for the estimation of dust/soil ingestion rates can potentially improve modeling and quantification of children's risks to contaminants from dust exposure., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Ferguson, Adelabu, Solo-Gabriele, Obeng-Gyasi, Fayad-Martinez, Gidley, Honan, Ogunseye and Beamer.)