Lygus rugulipennis on chrysanthemum: Supplemental prey effects and an evaluation of trap plants

The European tarnished plant bug, Lygus rugulipennis Poppius, is considered a major pest in chrysanthemum nurseries in The Netherlands. Adults puncture plant's apical meristem, after which the growing point splits and growth is inhibited. Flower buds and flowers can also be severely damaged. Both types of damage result in economic losses for growers. Despite the importance of this pest for chrysanthemum nurseries, there is only very limited information about L. rugulipennis development on chrysanthemum plants, Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat., and whether L. rugulipennis can be controlled using trap plants is not known. We investigated whether: (1) L. rugulipennis could develop from egg to adult on the vegetative and flowering stages of chrysanthemum; (2) their performance was enhanced when a supplemental prey source (Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs) or another common pest (the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer) was present; and (3) there were alternative plant species more attractive than chrysanthemum for use as trap plants for local pest control or monitoring of L. rugulipennis. L. rugulipennis developed on both vegetative and flowering chrysanthemum stages without any additional food source. Nonetheless, when chrysanthemum was supplemented with E. kuehniella eggs, L. rugulipennis achieved the best performance in terms of the number of adults developed and faster developmental time. Interestingly, L. rugulipennis developed faster on chrysanthemum infested with the aphid M. persicae compared to non-infested plants, however, there was no difference in the number of adults developed. In a trap plant experiment with 16 plant species in the vegetative stage, we found that white mustard, Sinapis alba L., was significantly more attractive than chrysanthemum to both adult and nymph L. rugulipennis. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential of S. alba as a trap plant for monitoring L. rugulipennis and how the presence of prey in the crop influences L. rugulipennis

Wantsen in komkommer, paprika en aubergine : een inventarisatie van nuttige en schadelijke soorten, verspreiding in Nederland en schadesymptomen

Kasteelten van komkommer, paprika en aubergine hebben jaarlijks te maken met invlieg van schadelijke wantsen. Daarnaast worden nuttige wantsen als Orius spp. of Macrolophus caliginosus uitgezet en kunnen nuttige roofwantsen een kas binnenvliegen en zich daar vestigen. In dit onderzoek is geïnventariseerd welke schadelijke en nuttige wantsen kunnen optreden. Dit is gedaan met behulp van een enquête onder voorlichters en met lichtvallen in eco-teelten en bezoeken aan bedrijven. Vervolgens zijn van de drie belangrijkste schadelijke wantsen de schade geprovoceerd op jonge planten van komkommer, paprika en aubergine om een goede omschrijving van de symptomen te kunnen maken. De drie besproken wantsen zijn de "behaarde wants" Lygus rugulipennis, "groene appelwants" Lygocoris pabulinus en de "brandnetelwants" Liocoris tripustulatus. Tevens is in literatuur gekeken naar mogelijkheden voor biologische bestrijding en signalering van wantsen. Deze publicatie is voorzien van vele afbeeldingen en kleurenfoto’s die het herkennen van wantsen en aantastingen kunnen vereenvoudige

Stump sensibility in children with upper limb reduction deficiency

Objectives: To compare stump sensibility in children with upper limb reduction deficiency with sensibility of the unaffected arm and hand. In addition, to evaluate the associations between stump sensibility, stump length and activity level.Design: Cross-sectional study.Subjects: Children and young adults aged 6-25 years with upper limb reduction deficiency.Methods: Threshold of touch was measured with Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, stereognosis was measured with the Shape-Texture Identification test and kinaesthesia and activity level was measured with the Child Amputee Prosthetics Project Functional Status Inventory and the Prosthetic Upper Extremity Functional Index.Results: A total of 31 children with upper limb reduction deficiency (mean age 15 years, 3 prosthesis wearers) were investigated. The threshold of touch of the stump circumference was lower (indicating higher sensibility) than of the unaffected arm (p=0.006), hand (p=0.004) and stump end-point (p=Conclusion: Threshold of touch, stereognosis and kinaesthesia of the affected sides were excellent. Threshold of touch of the stump circumference was lower (indicating higher sensibility) than of the unaffected arm and hand. High stump sensibility may clarify good functioning in the children without prostheses and contribute to prosthesis rejection.</p

Effect of early intervention on functional outcome at school age:Follow-up and process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial in infants at risk

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND: The long-term effect of early intervention in infants at risk for developmental disorders is unclear. The VIP project (n=46, originally) evaluated by means of a randomised controlled trial the effect of the family centred early intervention programme COPCA (Coping with and Caring for infants with special needs) in comparison to that of traditional infant physiotherapy (TIP). AIMS: To evaluate the effect of early intervention on functional outcome at school age. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Parents of 40 children (median age 8.3years) participated in this follow-up study. Outcome was assessed with a standardised parental interview (Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale) and questionnaires (Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, Child Behaviour Checklist, Utrechtse Coping List, and questions on educational approach). Quantified video information on physiotherapeutic actions during infancy was available. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Child functional outcome in the two randomised groups was similar. Process evaluation revealed that some physiotherapeutic actions were associated with child mobility and parental educational approach at follow-up: e.g., training and instructing were associated with worse mobility. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Functional outcome at school age after early intervention with COPCA is similar to that after TIP. However, some specific physiotherapeutic actions, in particular the physiotherapist's approach, are associated with outcome. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Early intervention is generally applied in infants at risk for developing disorders, with the aim of improving overall functional outcome. However, little is known on the long-term effect. The VIP project evaluated by means of a randomised controlled trial the effect of the family centred early intervention programme COPCA (Coping with and Caring for infants with special needs) in comparison to that of traditional infant physical therapy (TIP). Outcome at 18months corrected age was virtually similar. Process evaluation of the physiotherapy actions revealed that some characteristics of COPCA were associated with improved developmental outcome at 18months. This paper presents data on functional outcome at school age (median 8.3years) in 87% of the original participants. Outcome of infants who received three months of COPCA and that of infants who received three months of TIP was similar. Yet, parents of families who had received the COPCA intervention still more often used a trial and error approach when the child learned a new skill than parents of children who had received TIP. Process evaluation showed that more time spent on caregiver training and strict instructions during early intervention was associated with worse mobility. Four other physiotherapeutic actions were associated with parental educational approach. None of the neuromotor actions were associated with child outcome at school age. We conclude that long-term outcome after three months of COPCA or TIP is similar. However, our study does suggest that the professional approach of the physiotherapist can make a difference

LEARN2MOVE 0-2 years, a randomized early intervention trial for infants at very high risk of cerebral palsy:neuromotor, cognitive, and behavioral outcome

Contains fulltext : 229748.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Purpose: Evidence for efficacy of early intervention in infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) is limited. We compared outcome of infants at very high risk of CP after receiving the family centered program COPing with and CAring for infants with special needs (COPCA) or typical infant physiotherapy.Materials and methods: Forty-three infants were randomly assigned before the corrected age of 9 months to 1 year of COPCA (n = 23) or typical infant physiotherapy (n = 20). Neuromotor development, cognition, and behavior was assessed until 21 months corrected age. Video-recorded physiotherapy sessions were quantitatively analyzed for further process analyses. Outcome was evaluated with nonparametric tests and linear mixed effect models.Results: During and after the interventions, infant outcome in both intervention groups was similar [primary outcome Infant Motor Profile: COPCA 82 (69-94), typical infant physiotherapy 81 (69-89); Hodges Lehman estimate of the difference 0 (confidence interval -5;4)]. Outcome was not associated with contents of intervention.Conclusions: One year of COPCA and 1 year of typical infant physiotherapy in infants at high risk of CP resulted in similar neurodevelopmental outcomes. It is conceivable that combinations of active ingredients from different approaches are needed for effective early intervention.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONFor infants at very high risk of cerebral palsy, 1 year of intervention with the family-centred programme Coping with and Caring for infants with special needs resulted in similar infant outcome as 1 year of typical infant physiotherapy.Infant's neuromotor, cognitive, and behavioural outcome was not associated with specific interventional elements, implying that the various elements may have a similar effect on developmental outcome.We suggest that a specific mix of ingredients of different approaches may work best, resulting in comprehensive care including both infant and family needs

Changes in the Content of Pediatric Physical Therapy for Infants:A Quantitative, Observational Study

AIMS: The aim of our observational longitudinal study is to evaluate changes over time in standard pediatric physical therapy (PPT) for infants at risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. METHODS: Treatment sessions in two time periods (2003-2005 [n = 22] and 2008-2014 [n = 16]) were video recorded and analyzed quantitatively in five categories: neuromotor actions, educational actions, communication, position, and situation of treatment session. Differences in percentages of time spent on therapeutic actions between periods were tested with Mann-Whitney U and Hodges Lehmann's tests. RESULTS: No significant changes appeared in the main categories of neuromotor actions. Time spent on not-specified educational actions toward caregivers (median from 99% to 81%, p = .042) and not-specified communication (median from 72% to 52%, p = .002) decreased. Consequently, time spent on specific educational actions (caregiver training and coaching; median from 1% to 19%, p = .042) and specific communication (information exchange, instruct, provide feedback; median from 21% to 38%, p = .007) increased. Infant position changed only minimally: time spent on transitions-that is, change of position-decreased slightly over time (median from 7% to 6%, p = .042). Situation of treatment session did not change significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS: Neuromotor actions in PPT remained largely stable over time. Specific educational actions and communication increased, indicating larger family involvement during treatment sessions

Edge-control and surface-smoothness in sub-aperture polishing of mirror segments

This paper addresses two challenges in establishing a new process chain for polishing hexagonal segments for extremely large telescopes:- i) control of edge and corner profiles in small-tool polishing of hexagons, and ii) achieving the required smoothness of the bulk aspheric form. We briefly describe the performance of a CNC-grinding process used to create the off-axis asphere, which established the input-quality for subsequent processing. We then summarize processes for smoothing ground mid-spatials and pre- and corrective polishing using Zeeko CNC machines. The impact of two cases is considered; i) all processing stages are performed after the segment is cut hexagonal, and ii) final rectification of a hexagon after cutting from an aspherised roundel, as an alternative to ionfiguring. We then report on experimental results on witness samples demonstrating edges and corners close to the EELT segment specification, and results on a full-aperture spherical segment showing excellent surface smoothness. © 2012 SPIE

Deficit Irrigation Programs for Water Conservation in the Management of Bermudagrass Fairways in Texas

Golf course water use in Texas has become increasingly regulated in the past decade due to persistent drought conditions, diminishing water supplies, and rapidly a growing population. Many golf courses have been faced with considerable cutbacks in irrigation allocations, but information is limited regarding critical levels needed for maintaining adequate turf quality, persistence, and recovery from divots and traffic. Furthermore, the effects of irrigation water quality on minimal irrigation requirements has not been fully resolved. A series of field and greenhouse studies were conducted over the course of two years in College Station, TX, to determine the effects of continuous reference evapotranspiration (ET_(o))- based deficit irrigation levels on quality of bermudagrass fairway turf. Turf quality evaluations from both seasons showed that in the absence of traffic, irrigation levels of 0.3 x ET_(o) were sufficient to maintain acceptable turfgrass quality during summer months (at a 3-day per week irrigation frequency). Canopy temperatures increased considerably as irrigation was reduced; with up to a 20℃ increase detected between irrigated and unirrigated plots. Upon resumption of full irrigation levels in September, unirrigated and deficit-irrigated plots quickly recovered to ~90% green cover within 8 weeks in year 1. However, unirrigated plots were much slower to recover in the second season, only reaching ~30% green cover by 8 weeks. The delayed ability of unirrigated plots to rebound following successive years without irrigation suggests a cumulative effect of drought stress on bermudagrass health and vigor. Traffic treatments delayed recovery across all irrigation levels. Greenhouse investigations into irrigation water quality (reverse osmosis (RO), saline, and sodic) and plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl (TE) effects on bermudagrass evapotranspiraton and tolerance to deficit irrigation were also undertaken. Irrigation water quality failed to significantly influence minimal irrigation requirements, but turf irrigated with sodic irrigation did exhibit considerably higher evapotranspiration (ET) rates relative to those receiving saline or RO irrigation. TE improved bermudagrass quality and delayed leaf firing under the soil moisture stress from deficit irrigation. The findings from this research provide timely and practical information for turf managers who must increasingly utilize ET-based irrigation scheduling and/or low-quality water sources in the management of golf course turfgrass systems

Fast manufacturing of E-ELT mirror segments using CNC polishing

We report on the first-ever demonstration of grinding and polishing full-size, off-axis aspheric, mirror segments as prototypes for an extremely large telescope, processed entirely in the final hexagonal shape. We first describe the overall strategy for controlling form and mid spatial frequencies, at levels in the vicinity of <10nm RMS surface. This relies first on direct CNC grinding of the base-form of these 1.4m segments, using the Cranfield BoX™ machine. The segments are then mounted on a custom designed (Optic Glyndwr Optoelectronic Engineering Group) three segment hydraulic support, and CNC polished on a Zeeko IRP 1600 machine using a variety of custom tooling. We overview the fullaperture and sub-aperture metrology techniques used to close the process-loop and certify quality, all of which operate with the segment in-situ on the IRP1600. We then focus on the pristine edge-definition achieved by the combination of tool-lift and smoothing operations; results never previously demonstrated on full-size pre-cut hexagonal segments. Finally, the paper discusses the feasibility of scaling the process to deliver 931 segments in seven years, as required for the E-ELT project. © 2013 SPIE