Biological control of broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) with the generalist predator Amblyseius swirskii

The broad mite is a serious pest of a variety of crops worldwide. Several phytoseiid mites have been described to control these mites. However, broad mites are still one of the major pest problems on greenhouse pepper in South-eastern Spain. The generalist predatory mite A. swirskii is widely used against other pests of pepper plants such as thrips and whiteflies, the latter being a vector of broad mites. We assessed the potential of A. swirskii to control broad mites. The oviposition rate of A. swirskii on a diet of broad mites was lower than on a diet of pollen, but higher than oviposition in the absence of food. Population-dynamical experiments with A. swirskii on single sweet pepper plants in a greenhouse compartment showed successful control of broad mites

Optimizing Therapy to Prevent Avoidable Hospital Admissions in Multimorbid Older Adults (OPERAM): cluster randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of optimising drug treatment on drug related hospital admissions in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital. DESIGN Cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING 110 clusters of inpatient wards within university based hospitals in four European countries (Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Republic of Ireland) defined by attending hospital doctors. PARTICIPANTS 2008 older adults (≥70 years) with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic conditions) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs used long term). INTERVENTION Clinical staff clusters were randomised to usual care or a structured pharmacotherapy optimisation intervention performed at the individual level jointly by a doctor and a pharmacist, with the support of a clinical decision software system deploying the screening tool of older person's prescriptions and screening tool to alert to the right treatment (STOPP/START) criteria to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Primary outcome was first drug related hospital admission within 12 months. RESULTS 2008 older adults (median nine drugs) were randomised and enrolled in 54 intervention clusters (963 participants) and 56 control clusters (1045 participants) receiving usual care. In the intervention arm, 86.1% of participants (n=789) had inappropriate prescribing, with a mean of 2.75 (SD 2.24) STOPP/START recommendations for each participant. 62.2% (n=491) had ≥1 recommendation successfully implemented at two months, predominantly discontinuation of potentially inappropriate drugs. In the intervention group, 211 participants (21.9%) experienced a first drug related hospital admission compared with 234 (22.4%) in the control group. In the intention-to-treat analysis censored for death as competing event (n=375, 18.7%), the hazard ratio for first drug related hospital admission was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.77 to 1.17). In the per protocol analysis, the hazard ratio for a drug related hospital admission was 0.91 (0.69 to 1.19). The hazard ratio for first fall was 0.96 (0.79 to 1.15; 237 v 263 first falls) and for death was 0.90 (0.71 to 1.13; 172 v 203 deaths). CONCLUSIONS Inappropriate prescribing was common in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital and was reduced through an intervention to optimise pharmacotherapy, but without effect on drug related hospital admissions. Additional efforts are needed to identify pharmacotherapy optimisation interventions that reduce inappropriate prescribing and improve patient outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02986425

Optimizing therapy to prevent avoidable hospital admissions in multimorbid older adults (OPERAM): cluster randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of optimising drug treatment on drug related hospital admissions in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital.DESIGNCluster randomised controlled trial.SETTING110 clusters of inpatient wards within university based hospitals in four European countries (Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Republic of Ireland) defined by attending hospital doctors.PARTICIPANTS2008 older adults (>= 70 years) with multimorbidity (>= 3chronic conditions) and polypharmacy (>= 5 drugs used long term).INTERVENTIONClinical staff clusters were randomised to usual care or a structured pharmacotherapy optimisation intervention performed at the individual level jointly by a doctor and a pharmacist, with the support of a clinical decision software system deploying the screening tool of older person's prescriptions and screening tool to alert to the right treatment (STOPP/START) criteria to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing.MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREPrimary outcome was first drug related hospital admission within 12 months.RESULTS2008 older adults (median nine drugs) were randomised and enrolled in 54 intervention clusters (963 participants) and 56 control clusters (1045 participants) receiving usual care. In the intervention arm, 86.1% of participants (n=789) had inappropriate prescribing, with a mean of 2.75 (SD 2.24) STOPP/START recommendations for each participant. 62.2% (n=491) had >= 1 recommendation successfully implemented at two months, predominantly discontinuation of potentially inappropriate drugs. In the intervention group, 211 participants (21.9%) experienced a first drug related hospital admission compared with 234 (22.4%) in the control group. In the intention-to-treat analysis censored for death as competing event (n=375, 18.7%), the hazard ratio for first drug related hospital admission was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.77 to 1.17). In the per protocol analysis, the hazard ratio for a drug related hospital admission was 0.91 (0.69 to 1.19). The hazard ratio for first fall was 0.96 (0.79 to 1.15; 237 v263 first falls) and for death was 0.90 (0.71 to 1.13; 172 v 203 deaths).CONCLUSIONSInappropriate prescribing was common in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital and was reduced through an intervention to optimise pharmacotherapy, but without effect on drug related hospital admissions. Additional efforts are needed to identify pharmacotherapy optimisation interventions that reduce inappropriate prescribing and improve patient outcomes.Algorithms and the Foundations of Software technolog

Diet of intraguild predators affects antipredator behavior in intraguild prey

In two-predator, one-prey systems with intraguild predation and patchily distributed prey, the intraguild prey may face a choice between prey patches with and without intraguild predators. To minimize falling victim to intraguild predation, intraguild prey are expected to perceive cues specifically associated with the presence of intraguild predators. We investigate whether intraguild prey avoided intraguild predators and which cues triggered this behavior in a system composed of plant-inhabiting arthropods. We found that intraguild prey recognized intraguild predators from a distance, based on their diet: they avoided odors of intraguild predators that had consumed shared prey but did not avoid odors of intraguild predators that had fed on other diets, including a diet of conspecifics. When intraguild prey were foraging on a patch, detection of intraguild predators led to longer periods of immobility and to fewer captures of the shared prey. However, intraguild predators that were either starved or had previously consumed intraguild prey posed a higher risk to intraguild prey than did intraguild predators that had consumed the shared prey. We conclude that the cues used by intraguild prey to avoid intraguild predators are associated with the circumstances under which they encounter intraguild predators in the field and not to different degrees of danger. Copyright 2005.food webs; intraguild predation; predator avoidance; predator diet

Sleep in children with asthma: results of the PIAMA study

Children with asthma are thought to have impaired sleep quality and quantity. In this study, we investigated which of the many sleep aspects are associated with asthma. Our sample consisted of 2529 children (aged 11 years) who participated in the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort study. Parents reported about asthma symptoms (wheezing, dyspnoea, prescription of inhaled corticosteroids and asthma diagnosis) and children reported about different aspects of sleep (bedtime, rise time, sleep quality and daytime sleepiness/tiredness). Results were analysed with (logistic) regression analysis. Children with frequent asthma symptoms significantly more often reported that they felt sleepy or tired during the day (34.4% experienced daytime sleepiness/tiredness at least once a week) than children without asthma symptoms (22.2%) and children with infrequent asthma symptoms (21.9%). This association was not confounded by sex, age of the child, parental educational level or smoking inside the house; the effect was also not modified by sex. There were no associations between asthma and bedtime, time spent in bed or sleep quality. Children with frequent asthma symptoms experienced daytime sleepiness/tiredness more often than children with infrequent or no asthma symptoms. Otherwise, children with asthma did not differ much from children without asthma with regard to slee

Sleep in children with asthma:results of the PIAMA study

<p>Children with asthma are thought to have impaired sleep quality and quantity. In this study, we investigated which of the many sleep aspects are associated with asthma.</p><p>Our sample consisted of 2529 children (aged 11 years) who participated in the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort study. Parents reported about asthma symptoms (wheezing, dyspnoea, prescription of inhaled corticosteroids and asthma diagnosis) and children reported about different aspects of sleep (bedtime, rise time, sleep quality and daytime sleepiness/tiredness). Results were analysed with (logistic) regression analysis.</p><p>Children with frequent asthma symptoms significantly more often reported that they felt sleepy or tired during the day (34.4% experienced daytime sleepiness/tiredness at least once a week) than children without asthma symptoms (22.2%) and children with infrequent asthma symptoms (21.9%). This association was not confounded by sex, age of the child, parental educational level or smoking inside the house; the effect was also not modified by sex. There were no associations between asthma and bedtime, time spent in bed or sleep quality.</p><p>Children with frequent asthma symptoms experienced daytime sleepiness/tiredness more often than children with infrequent or no asthma symptoms. Otherwise, children with asthma did not differ much from children without asthma with regard to sleep.</p>