Local European cultivars as sources of durable scab resistance in apple

The Vf resistance gene has been widely used in apple breeding programmes to control Venturia inaequalis, the causal agent of scab, the major apple disease. Since the appearance of new strains that are able to overcome this major gene, research in Europe has been focused on durable resistance. The objective of one task of the European DARE project was to find cultivars which show a broad spectrum of resistance to the different scab races. This collaborative work involved 6 partners who tested 36 cultivars with various local scab inocula collected in the participating countries and with 8 monoconidial strains belonging to known races or isolated and characterized in the frame of the DARE project. Tests were performed each year from 1998 to 2001. Symptoms were assessed using macroscopic scoring scales. Some microscopic observations were performed; these resulted in a better knowledge of the host/pathogen interaction. Very diverse and complex resistance behaviours were found: the cultivars which showed the widest range of resistance were mostly local cultivars and some newly selected hybrids combining major genes and partial resistance. It would be worthwhile to include these individuals as parents in apple breeding programmes to improve the durability of scab resistance. Some methodologies and strategies to reach this goal will be proposed

Apparent temperature and acute myocardial infarction hospital admissions in Copenhagen, Denmark: a case-crossover study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The influence of temperature on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not been investigated as extensively as the effects of broader outcomes of morbidity and mortality. Sixteen studies reported inconsistent results and two considered confounding by air pollution. We addressed some of the methodological limitations of the previous studies in this study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is the first study of the association between the daily 3-hour maximum apparent temperature (Tapp_max) and AMI hospital admissions in Copenhagen. The study period covered 1 January 1999-31 December 2006, stratified in warm (April - September) and cold (October - March) periods. A case-crossover epidemiology study design was applied. Models were adjusted for public holidays and influenza, confounding by PM₁₀, NO₂and CO was investigated, the lag and non-linear effects of Tapp_maxwas examined, effect modification by age, sex and SES was explored, and the results of the case-crossover models were compared to those of the generalised additive Poisson time-series and generalised estimating equation models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>14 456 AMI hospital admissions (12 995 people) occurred during the study period. For an inter-quartile range (6 or 7°C) increase in the 5-day cumulative average of Tapp_max, a 4% (95% CI:-2%; 10%) and 9% (95% CI: 3%; 14%) decrease in the AMI admission rate was observed in the warm and cold periods, respectively. The 19-65 year old group, men and highest SES group seemed to be more susceptible in the cold period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An increase in Tapp_maxis associated with a decrease in AMI admissions during the colder months.</p

A literature review of economic evaluations for a neglected tropical disease : human African trypanosomiasis ("sleeping sickness")

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a disease caused by infection with the parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or T. b. rhodesiense. It is transmitted to humans via the tsetse fly. Approximately 70 million people worldwide were at risk of infection in 1995, and approximately 20,000 people across Africa are infected with HAT. The objective of this review was to identify existing economic evaluations in order to summarise cost-effective interventions to reduce, control, or eliminate the burden of HAT. The studies included in the review were compared and critically appraised in order to determine if there were existing standardised methods that could be used for economic evaluation of HAT interventions or if innovative methodological approaches are warranted. A search strategy was developed using keywords and was implemented in January 2014 in several databases. The search returned a total of 2,283 articles. After two levels of screening, a total of seven economic evaluations were included and underwent critical appraisal using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Methodology Checklist 6: Economic Evaluations. Results from the existing studies focused on the cost-effectiveness of interventions for the control and reduction of disease transmission. Modelling was a common method to forecast long-term results, and publications focused on interventions by category, such as case detection, diagnostics, drug treatments, and vector control. Most interventions were considered cost-effective based on the thresholds described; however, the current treatment, nifurtomix-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT), has not been evaluated for cost-effectiveness, and considerations for cost-effective strategies for elimination have yet to be completed. Overall, the current evidence highlights the main components that play a role in control; however, economic evaluations of HAT elimination strategies are needed to assist national decision makers, stakeholder and key funders. These analyses would be of use, as HAT is currently being prioritized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) to reach elimination by 2020

[Does yoghurt gnaw at cardiac valves?]

A 22-year-old man with pre-existing aortic valve disease contracted acute lactobacillus endocarditis six weeks after a dental procedure despite adequate prophylaxis. We discuss the limitations of prophylaxis for infective endocarditis in use until the end of 2008 and describe the new updated guidelines. We also explain the treatment of lactobacillus endocarditis and speculate on possible health risks of the increasing use of lactobacillus-containing dairy products, especially in immune-compromised patients

Plötzliche Todesfälle an Schweizer Volksläufen 1978-1987: eine epidemiologisch-pathologische Studie

Between 1984 and 1987 there were 7 cases of sudden cardiac death during organized mass runs in Switzerland, and between 1978 and 1987 there were 3 cases during the nine largest mass running events (total 8 cases of sudden death during the race). Based on numbers of participants in all events 1984-1987, or in the nine largest events 1978-1987, an incidence of 1 sudden death per 129,500 hrs. of running (95% confidence interval 1/62,500-1/263,000 hrs.), or 1 sudden death per 117,000 hrs. of running (1/45,000-1/311,000 hrs.) respectively, was estimated. This estimate is higher than the rate of 1 sudden death per 396,000 hrs. of noncompetitive jogging found in a study from the United States (Thompson et al.: J. Amer. med. Ass. 1982; 247: 2535-2538). The Swiss incidence of sudden cardiac death during organized mass runs was 50 to 1000 times higher than the incidence expected by chance alone (as estimated from national death register data). All 8 cases of the study were men, the younger four aged 23 yrs. on average (range 20-31 yrs.), the older four aged 49 yrs. (46-53 yrs.). Autopsy in three of the younger men identified hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in one instance whereas in the two other cases no plausible cause of death could be found. The two autopsies performed in older men both showed severe coronary heart disease. Only in 1 case out of the 8 were possible prodromal symptoms of the subsequent death, such as fatigue and nausea, observed, and the average prevalence of known cardiovascular risk factors was low. None of the 8 runners dying suddenly was completely untrained, but 6 out of 8 had only modest running experience, i.e. a low number of years of running. This study confirms that there is probably a clearly increased risk of sudden death during running events with a competitive character, but this acute elevation of risk should probably not be overstated in view of both its very low population - attributable risk and the important potential of regular exercise for overall coronary risk reduction and health promotion