Response of the European Ladybird Adalia bipunctata and the Invasive Harmonia axyridis to a Neonicotinoid and a Reduced-Risk Insecticide.

The spread of the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Europe coincided with the decline of the native Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Both species are predators of aphids in orchards, and differential susceptibility to insecticides used to control fruit pests may contribute to explain the competitive advantage of the invasive over the native species. In this study, the insecticidal activity of imidacloprid and spinetoram was tested on third instars and adults of both ladybird species under laboratory conditions. Insects were exposed to insecticide residues on potted peach plants that were sprayed with the maximum recommended field doses (100 mg/liter for imidacloprid and 66.67 mg/liter for spinetoram). Mortality was scored after short (2 d for both stages) and long (7 and 10 d for adults and larvae, respectively) exposure periods. The susceptibility to the insecticides was very similar for H. axyridis and A. bipunctata. Imidacloprid caused a significant increase in the mortality of both stages of the two species for every exposure period. On the other hand, when exposed to spinetoram residues, larvae and adults of both ladybirds did not show higher mortality than controls after short and long exposure periods. The pest suppression provided by ladybirds, which could be severely hampered by the applications of nonselective pesticides, might be enhanced by the adoption of reduced-risk insecticides, selective for these beneficial insects.

Organic vs. organic - soil arthropods as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in greenhouse system experiment under Mediterranean conditions.

Organic greenhouse (OGH) production is characterized by different systems and agricultural practices with diverse environmental impact. Soil arthropods are widely used as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in open field studies, while there is a lack of research on organic production for protected systems. This study assessed the soil arthropod abundance and diversity over a 2-year crop rotation in three systems of OGH production in the Mediterranean. The systems under assessment differed in soil fertility management: SUBST - a simplified system of organic production, based on an input substitution approach (use of guano and organic liquid fertilizers), AGROCOM - soil fertility mainly based on compost application and agroecological services crops (ASC) cultivation (tailored use of cover crops) as part of crop rotation, and AGROMAN - animal manure and ASC cultivation as part of crop rotation. Monitoring of soil fauna was performed by using pitfall traps and seven taxa were considered: Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Opiliones, Isopoda, Myriapoda, and Collembola. Results demonstrated high potential of ASC cultivation as a technique for beneficial soil arthropod conservation in OGH conditions. SUBST system was dominated by Collembola in all crops, while AGROMAN and AGROCOM had more balanced relative abundance of Isopoda, Staphylinidae, and Aranea. Opiliones and Myriapoda were more affected by season, while Carabidae were poorly represented in the whole monitoring period. Despite the fact that all three production systems are in accordance with the European Union regulation on organic farming, findings of this study displayed significant differences among them and confirmed the suitability of soil arthropods as bioindicators in protected systems of organic farming.

Clinical characteristics of patients in a case control study of sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis may be affected by sex, race, and age. A Case Control Etiologic Study of Sarcoidosis (ACCESS) enrolled 736 patients with sarcoidosis within 6 mo of diagnosis from 10 clinical centers in the United States. Using the ACCESS sarcoidosis assessment system, we determined organ involvement for the whole group and for subgroups differentiated by sex, race, and age (less than 40 yr or 40 yr and older). The study population was heterogeneous in terms of race (53% white, 44% black), sex (64% female, 36% male), and age (46% < 40 yr old, 54% > or = 40 yr old). Women were more likely to have eye and neurologic involvement (chi(2) = 4.74, p < 0.05 and chi(2) = 4.60, p < 0.05 respectively), have erythema nodosum (chi(2) = 7.28, p < 0.01), and to be age 40 yr or over (chi(2) = 6.07, p < 0.02) whereas men were more likely to be hypercalcemic (chi(2) = 7.38, p < 0.01). Black subjects were more likely to have skin involvement other than erythema nodosum (chi(2) = 5.47, p < 0.05), and eye (chi(2) = 13.8, p < 0.0001), liver (chi(2) = 23.3, p < 0.0001), bone marrow (chi(2) = 18.8, p < 0.001), and extrathoracic lymph node involvement (chi(2) = 7.21, p < 0.01). We conclude that the initial presentation of sarcoidosis is related to sex, race, and age.

Familial aggregation of sarcoidosis. A case-control etiologic study of sarcoidosis (ACCESS).

Despite reports of familial clustering of sarcoidosis, little empirical evidence exists that disease risk in family members of sarcoidosis cases is greater than that in the general population. To address this question, we estimated sarcoidosis familial relative risk using data on disease occurrence in 10,862 first- and 17,047 second-degree relatives of 706 age, sex, race, and geographically matched cases and controls who participated in the multicenter ACCESS (A Case-Control Etiology Study of Sarcoidosis) study from 1996 to 1999. Familial relative risk estimates were calculated using a logistic regression technique that accounted for the dependence between relatives. Sibs had the highest relative risk (odds ratio [OR] = 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1-15.9), followed by avuncular relationships (OR = 5.7; 95% CI = 1.6-20.7), grandparents (OR = 5.2; 95% CI = 1.5-18.0), and then parents (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.2-11.3). In a multivariate model fit to the parents and sibs data, the familial relative risk adjusted for age, sex, relative class, and shared environment was 4.7 (95% CI = 2.3-9.7). White cases had a markedly higher familial relative risk compared with African-American cases (18.0 versus 2.8; p = 0.098). In summary, a significant elevated risk of sarcoidosis was observed among first- and second-degree relatives of sarcoidosis cases compared with relatives of matched control subjects.

Near-fatal pulmonary embolism.

A case of a 79-year-old female admitted to the hospital with a hip fracture and suffering a near-fatal embolism, is presented. The article then reviews the epidemiology of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the setting of hip fracture and orthopedic surgery and outlines the diagnostic approach to a critically ill patient with pulmonary embolism. The use of thrombolysis as an adjunct to usual heparin therapy is examined, as are the potential benefits versus the absolute risks of thrombolysis. Finally, practical recommendations outlining a reasonable approach to this group of patients, based on available evidence, are proposed.

Recurrent pulmonary sarcoidosis in HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

HIV infection and sarcoidosis occur in the same age group, but there are only a few reports of the coexistence of the two disorders in the same individual. This infrequent occurrence has been attributed to the paucity of functioning CD4(+) lymphocytes required for granuloma formation in patients with HIV infection. We report two patients with a history of remote sarcoidosis who later in life contracted HIV infection and developed recurrent, progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis while receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis should be added to the differential diagnosis in patients receiving HAART for HIV infection who develop diffuse lung disease with recovery of CD4(+) lymphocyte population.

Impact of transrenal aortic endograft placement on endovascular graft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

PURPOSE: Successful endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) requires the creation of a hemostatic seal between the endograft and the underlying aortic wall. A short infrarenal aortic neck may be responsible for incomplete aneurysm exclusion and procedural failure. Sixteen patients who had an endograft positioned completely below the lowest renal artery and 37 patients in whom a porous portion of an endograft attachment system was deliberately placed across the renal arteries were studied to identify if endograft positioning could impact on the occurrence of incomplete aneurysm exclusion. METHODS: Fifty-three patients underwent aortic grafting constructed from a Palmaz balloon expandable stent and an expandable polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft implanted in an aorto-ilio-femoral, femoral-femoral configuration. Arteriography, duplex ultrasonography and spiral CT scans were performed in each patient before and after endografting to evaluate for technical success, the presence of endoleaks, and renal artery perfusion. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in patient demography, AAA size, or aortic neck length or diameter between patients who had their endografts placed below or across the renal arteries. However, significantly more proximal aortic endoleaks occurred in those patients with infrarenal endografts (P < or = .05). Median serum creatinine level before and after endografting was not significantly different between the 2 patient subgroups, with the exception of 2 patients who had inadvertent coverage of a single renal orifice by the endograft. Median blood pressure and the requirement for antihypertensive therapy remained the same after transrenal aortic stent grafting. Significant renal artery compromise did not occur after appropriately positioned transrenal stents as shown by means of angiography, CT scanning, and duplex ultrasound scan. Mean follow-up time was 10.3 months (range, 3 to 18 months). Patients who had significant renal artery stenosis (> or =50%) before aortic endografting did not show progression of renal artery stenosis after trans-renal endografting. Two patients with transrenal aortic stent grafts had inadvertent coverage of 1 renal artery by the endograft because of device malpositioning, which resulted in nondialysis dependent renal insufficiency. In addition, evidence of segmental renal artery infarction (<20% of the kidney), which did not result in an apparent change in renal function, was shown by means of follow-up CT scans in 2 patients with transrenal endografts. CONCLUSION: Transrenal aortic endograft fixation using a balloon expandable device in patients with AAAs can result in a significant reduction in the risk of proximal endoleaks. Absolute attention to precise device positioning, coupled with the use of detailed imaging techniques, should reduce the risk of inadvertent renal artery occlusion from malpositioning. Long-term follow-up is essential to determine if there will be late sequelae of transrenal fixation of endografts, which could adversely effect renal perfusion.

Excessive thoracic computed tomographic scanning in sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical value of computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the chest in the initial assessment of sarcoidosis was investigated. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients referred to the sarcoidosis outpatient services of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York from 1990 to 1992 with a presumptive diagnosis of sarcoidosis were studied. The diagnosis was subsequently confirmed in all by a positive tissue biopsy sample or the Kveim-Siltzbach test. Clinical and laboratory data of each patient were reviewed. Chest radiographs were classified according to the classical stages of sarcoidosis. Thirty five of the 100 patients had a CT scan of the chest performed before presentation. The CT scans were compared with the presenting clinical data and standard chest radiographs in order to determine if they yielded useful additional information regarding diagnosis or treatment. RESULTS: The chest CT scan revealed no additional clinically relevant information compared with conventional chest radiographs in any of the 35 studies performed. In two patients mediastinal adenopathy was detected by CT scan which was not seen on standard radiographs. Two patients thought to exhibit hilar adenopathy and pulmonary infiltrations by standard radiography had no parenchymal disease on the CT scan. Bilateral parenchymal infiltrates were seen in one patient which were interpreted as unilateral infiltrates by standard radiographs. The variance between conventional radiographs and CT scans in these five patients was not clinically valuable. CONCLUSIONS: CT scans of the chest do not add clinically useful information to the standard chest radiographs in the initial assessment of sarcoidosis in patients presenting with the typical standard radiological patterns. CT scanning of the thorax is indicated in patients with proven or suspected sarcoidosis when the standard chest radiographs are normal or not typical of sarcoidosis, when signs or symptoms of upper airway obstruction are present, when the patient has haemoptysis, if there is a suspicion of a complicating second intrathoracic disease, or the patient is a candidate for lung transplantation.

Up-regulation of angiotensin II receptors by in vitro differentiation of murine N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells.

In vitro differentiation of murine neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells induced by low serum (0.5%) and dimethyl sulfoxide (1.5%) increased the uptake of 45Ca2+ as well as basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Associated with these biochemical indices of differentiation was an increase in the density of binding sites for the angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor agonist 125I-[Sar1]-Ang II and the antagonist 125I-[Sar1,Ile8]-Ang II (125I-SARILE). This up-regulation was apparent within 24 hr and was maximal at 72 hr. Other manipulations that independently increased intracellular cAMP or Ca2+ levels produced a qualitatively similar up-regulation of Ang II receptors. In vitro differentiation did not diminish the specificity of these receptors for Ang-II related peptides. Sarcosine-substituted Ang II receptor antagonists such as [Sar1,Gly8]-Ang II, [Sar1,Thr8]-Ang II, or SARILE itself competed for 125I-SARILE in a monophasic fashion, whereas the competition displayed by the agonists Ang II, angiotensin III, and Crinia-Ang II for 125I-SARILE-labeled sites was biphasic, consisting of distinct high and low affinity components. Moreover, in vitro differentiation predominantly increased the density of high affinity sites for angiotensin III and Crinia-Ang II, but the lower affinity site for Ang II, and in all three cases the majority of this increased binding was insensitive to guanine nucleotides. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the expression of Ang II receptors on neuron-like cells is regulated by the biochemical events accompanying differentiation and suggest that the biphasic nature of the binding of some angiotensin agonists may be indicative of multiple receptor subtypes.

A human airway smooth muscle cell line that retains physiological responsiveness.

We report the development of a nontransformed line of human airway smooth muscle cells retaining smooth muscle-specific contractile protein expression and physiological responsiveness to agonists implicated in inflammatory airway diseases. Specific responses to histamine, leukotrienes, bradykinin, platelet-activating factor, substance P, and thromboxane analogues are demonstrated as well as functional coupling to beta-adrenergic receptors. The cell line was characterized using indirect immunofluorescence, as well as electrophoretic separation and immunoblot analysis of smooth muscle-specific actin. Functional responses were assessed by measurements of cytosolic calcium and stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate production. The cells retain their responsiveness over many population doublings and should be a useful model to examine specific receptor-effector mechanisms, as well as the effects of neurohumoral agents on the regulation of airway smooth muscle growth and differentiation.

Epidermal growth factor-induced stimulation of epidermal growth factor-receptor synthesis in human cytotrophoblasts and A431 carcinoma cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-receptor is a transmembrane glycoprotein whose intracellular degradation is known to be enhanced by EGF. We tested whether the receptor is replenished during this process by an enhanced rate of synthesis. Human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells and primary cultures of human placental cytotrophoblasts were used in these studies. Cells were labeled with [35S]methionine, and EGF-receptor biosynthesis was quantitated by immunoprecipitation using a monoclonal anti-EGF-receptor antibody. EGF stimulated receptor biosynthesis at concentrations of 0.1 to 1 nM. The effect was seen within 2 h of EGF addition. At high EGF concentrations the stimulatory effect was diminished. In contrast, the effect of EGF on receptor degradation in these cells was negligible at low nanomolar concentrations and was pronounced only at saturating concentrations (greater than or equal to 10 nM). These results show that occupation of the cell surface EGF-receptor by its ligand can lead to the production of more receptor protein, thus counterbalancing the negative effect on receptor degradation. At low nanomolar concentrations of EGF the stimulatory effect on receptor synthesis predominates over degradation, indicating a positive regulatory role of EGF in receptor action.