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Since its recent introduction into the Mediterranean area, Tuta absoluta ( Meyrick) has become widespread and an important pest throughout the region, including in Tuscany, where it was first recorded in 2009. Although several studies have been conducted within controlled environments on the ecology and management of T. absoluta, limited information is currently available on the importance of this pest in open-field cultivations, which may lead to ineffective management strategies. This study was carried out to monitor fluctuations in adult populations of T. absoluta in organic and conventional cultivations of processing tomatoes using pheromone lures, and to collect inter-annual data on direct yield loss and fruit damage from larval feeding in two separate trials in Grosseto ( Tuscany). The first trial included eight conventionally managed fields; the second trial was carried out in four organically managed fields. Results show relatively higher crop damage for tomatoes transplanted later in the season and harvested towards the end of August to early September, and limited fruit damage from this pest during the second year of the study for both conventional and organically managed fields. Finally, biological and chemical pest management strategies for the control of T. absoluta adopted by farmers within the region are reviewed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 incidence and mortality in Europe have shown wide variation. Northern Italy in particular the Lombardy region, north-eastern French regions, Switzerland and Belgium were amongst the hardest hit, while the central and southern Italian regions, all the Balkan countries from Slovenia to Greece and the Islands of Malta and Cyprus had much fewer cases and deaths per capita, and deaths per number of cases. Differences in public health measures, and health care delivery, in the author's opinion, can only partly explain the difference. The geographical distribution of Phlebotomus sand-flies and the relative distribution of arthropod borne diseases Leishmaniasis and Phlebovirus infections especially the Sicilian Sandfly fever group corresponds to most areas of low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. A hypothesis is proposed whereby repeated arthropod or sandfly vector infection of humans by novel viruses of zoonotic origins carrying bat or mammalian RNA/DNA, such as phleboviruses may have resulted in the development of an effective evolutionary immune response to most novel zoonotic viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 by means of survival of the fittest possibly over many generations. This process probably ran in parallel and concurrent with the progressive evolution of novel coronaviruses which spread from one mammalian species to another. Other possible, but less likely mechanisms for the role of sandfly meals within a much shorter time frame may have led to, (i) previous exposure and infection of humans with the SARS-Cov-2 virus itself, or a closely related corona virus in the previous decades, or (ii) exposure of human populations to parts coronavirus protein namely either S or more likely N protein carried mechanically by arthropods, but without clinical disease causing direct immunity or (iii) by causing infection with other arthropod borne viruses which could carry bat DNA/RNA and have similar functional proteins resulting in an immediate cross-reactive immune response rather than by natural selection. The Evidence possibly supporting or disputing this hypothesis is reviewed, however the major problem with the hypothesis is that to date no coronavirus has ever been isolated from arthropods. Such a hypothesis can only be supported by research investigating the possible biological relationship of arthropods and coronaviruses where paradoxically they may be promoting immunity rather than disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cigarette smoke is the main source of indoor chemical and toxic elements. Cadmium (Cd), Thallium (Tl), Lead (Pb) and Antimony (Sb) are important contributors to smoke-related health risks. Data on the association between Rare Earth Elements (REE) Cerium (Ce) and Lanthanum (La) and domestic smoking are scanty. To evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoke, indoor levels of PM 2.5 and heavy metals, 73 children were investigated by parental questionnaire and skin prick tests. The houses of residence of 41 "cases" and 32 "controls" (children with and without respiratory symptoms, respectively) were evaluated by 48-h PM 2.5 indoor/outdoor monitoring. PM 2.5 mass concentration was determined by gravimetry; the extracted and mineralized fractions of elements (As, Cd, Ce, La, Mn, Pb, Sb, Sr, Tl) were evaluated by ICP-MS. PM 2.5 and Ce, La, Cd, and Tl indoor concentrations were higher in smoker dwellings. When corrected for confounding factors, PM 2.5 , Ce, La, Cd, and Tl were associated with more likely presence of respiratory symptoms in adolescents. We found that: i) indoor smoking is associated with increased levels of PM 2.5 , Ce, La, Cd, and Tl and ii) the latter with increased presence of respiratory symptoms in children., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)