Eight new metabolites (1-5 and 7-9) and one known compound were isolated from the acetone/methylene chloride (1:1)extracts of the Formosan soft coral Cespitularia hypotenta-culata. These compounds can be divided into five groups: cespitularin I (1), having the verticillane skeleton, cespitularin J (2), that possesses the norverticillane skeleton, cespitularin K (3)¡B6-acetoxycespitularin F (4) and cespitularin L (5), possessing the cespitularane skeleton, (24S)-3£],11-dihydroxy-5£],6£]-epoxy-24-methyl-9,11-secocholestan-9-one (6), 3£],11-dihydroxy-5£],6£]-epoxy-9,11-secocholestan-9-one (7), and 3£]-hydroxy-5£],6£]-epoxy-9-oxo-9,11-secogorgo-stan-11-ol (8) are secosterols, and xenia diterpene, cespolide A (9). All of these structures were elucidated by extensive spectral analysis, and their cytotoxicity against selected cancer cells was measured in vitro.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stony Brook University, 2008. / This official electronic copy is part of the DSpace Stony Brook theses & dissertations collection maintained by the University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives on behalf of the Stony Brook Graduate School. It is stored in the SUNY Digital Institutional Repository and can be accessed through the website. Presented to the Stony Brook University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology; as recommended and accepted by the candidate's degree sponsor, the Dept. of Sociology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-114).

Nel corso degli ultimi anni le problematiche legate al ruolo vettore delle zanzare stanno emergendo sia per quanto riguarda l’uomo che gli animali allevati e selvatici. Diversi arbovirus come West Nile, Chikungunya, Usutu e Dengue, possono facilmente spostarsi a livello planetario ed essere introdotti anche nei nostri territori dove possono dare avvio a episodi epidemici. Le tecniche di monitoraggio e sorveglianza dei Culicidi possono essere convenientemente utilizzate per il rilevamento precoce dell’attività virale sul territorio e per la stima del rischio di epidemie al fine dell’adozione delle opportune azioni di Sanità Pubblica. Io scopo della ricerca del dottorato è inserito nel contesto dei temi di sviluppo del Piano regionale sorveglianza delle malattie trasmesse da vettori in Emilia Romagna. La ricerca condotta è inquadrata prevalentemente sotto l’aspetto entomologico applicativo di utilizzo di dispositivi (trappole) che possano catturare efficacemente possibili insetti vettori. In particolare questa ricerca è stata mirata allo studio comparativo in campo di diversi tipi di trappole per la cattura di adulti di zanzara, cercando di interpretare i dati per capire un potenziale valore di efficacia/efficienza nel rilevamento della circolazione virale e come supporto alla pianificazione della rete di sorveglianza dal punto di vista operativo mediante dispositivi adeguati alle finalità d’indagine. Si è cercato di trovare un dispositivo idoneo, approfondendone gli aspetti operativi/funzionali, ai fini di cattura del vettore principale del West Nile Virus, cioè la zanzara comune, da affiancare all’unica tipologia di trappola usata in precedenza. Le prove saranno svolte sia in campo che presso il laboratorio di Entomologia Medica Veterinaria del Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli” di Crevalcore, in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroambientali della Facoltà di Agraria dell’Università di Bologna. / In recent years the issues related to the role of vector mosquitoes are emerging both for humans and animals reared and wild. Several arboviruses such as West Nile, Chikungunya, Dengue and Usutu, can easily move to global level and also be introduced in our territories where they can initiate outbreaks. The techniques for monitoring and surveillance of Culicidae can be conveniently used for the early detection of viral activity in the area and to estimate the risk of epidemics in order for ensuring appropriate actions of Public Health. Aim of the PhD research is included into the context of the issues of development of the Regional Plan surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Emilia-Romagna. The research is focused mainly into the aspect of entomological application using devices (traps) that can effectively capture potential insect vectors. In particular, this research was aimed at the comparative study in field of different kinds of traps to catch adult mosquito, trying to interpret the data to understand the potential value of effectiveness / efficiency in the detection of viral circulation as support for the planning of surveillance network from the operational point of view by means of suitable devices to the purposes of investigation. We tried to find a suitable device, deepening the operational / functional, for the purpose of capturing the main vectors of the West Nile Virus, to be joined to the only type of trap used previously. The tests will be carried out in the field and at the Laboratory of Medical and Entomology Veterinary of CAA "G. Nicoli " in collaboration with the Department of Agro-Environmental Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bologna.

Two Asian longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), commonly known as Citrus Longhorned Beetle (CLB), Anoplophora chinensis (Forster), and Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), A. glabripennis (Motschulsky), are considered the most destructive wood borers introduced in Lombardy (northern Italy). This research aimed at (1) improving laboratory rearing methods for the biological control agent Aprostocetus anoplophorae (Hym.: Eulophidae), an egg parasitoid specific to CLB, and defining release techniques allowing its establishment; (2) test the efficacy of the sentinel tree technique for the early detection of CLB; and (3) evaluating the efficacy of traps baited with artificial lures in attracting adults of ALB and possibly CLB. Several problems were faced while rearing the egg parasitoid in laboratory. It appeared that the rate of parasitism of the hosts could depend on the age of the host eggs and/or age of the laying parasitoid females. Data results from the field experiments about A. anoplophorae release-capture showed that the percentage of slits containing a CLB egg was particularly low on most sentinel trees and the percentage of CLB eggs that were killed, because of natural predators, was high. Only one egg amongst those exposed was attacked by the released parasitoid. These negative results were anyway very useful, since they provided evidence and information on the type of host plants to be used, the time necessary for the exposure of the plants to the egg-laying CLB females, the number of laying parasitoid females to be inserted per cage. The sentinel trees technique revealed to be not successful; signs and symptoms of CLB presence were not recorded during the two seasons of field observations (2012-2013). Extremely positive was instead the trial with artificial lures carried out during summer 2013. A total of 32 beetles were captured (4 ALB and 28 CLB) deploying 50 baited traps.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, provided a unique, though unfortunate, opportunity to study Americans' sleep reactions to a traumatic event. Questionnaires were distributed electronically to a web-based panel whose demographic distribution closely matched current U.S. census counts. Prior to 9/11/01, participants reported whether they had ever been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Two weeks following the terrorist attacks, they completed an acute stress questionnaire (SASRQ) which included questions about 9/11-related difficulty falling or staying asleep and nightmares. They later completed a posttraumatic stress symptom questionnaire at two time points: 2 months and 6 months post-9/11. This instrument, the IES-R, included questions about 9/11-related difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and dreams. A total of 782 adults (50.4% male; mean age = 49.6 years) responded.Two weeks following the terrorist attacks, 23% of the sample reported having 9/11-related difficulty falling or staying asleep; 9% reported 9/11-related nightmares. Two months following the attacks, 27% reported having at least some difficulty falling asleep related to 9/11, 33% reported having difficulty staying asleep, and 17% reported having 9/11-related dreams. When assessed again at 6 months post-9/11, levels of these three sleep issues dropped significantly to 14%, 15%, and 8%, respectively. Females reported higher levels of 9/11-related sleep difficulties than males both at 2 weeks and 2 months after the attacks. By 6 months post-9/11, this sex difference had all but disappeared. Older respondents were slightly less likely than younger ones to report nightmares 2 weeks post-9/11 and dreams 2 months post-9/11. Those with pre-9/11 diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and insomnia generally had higher rates of 9/11-related sleep difficulties at all time points assessed.When tested with a hierarchical regression model, difficulty falling or staying asleep at 2 weeks post-9/11 significantly predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced 6 months (but not 2 months) following the attacks. This was true even when taking into account the contribution of pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses and non-sleep-related acute stress symptoms. These findings raise the possibility that the experience of disturbed sleep soon after a trauma directly contributes to the eventual development and exacerbation of posttraumatic stress symptoms.

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