The changing role of pesticides in pest management

Significant changes have occurred in the role of pesticides in pest management programmes since the publication of Carson's book Silent Spring in 1962. This discourse addresses the multitude of factors which contributed to these changes including such factors as policy and legislation, the public's perception of associated risks, population pressures, the availability of practical integrated pest management programmes, and perhaps most importantly, the constraints to IPM in Third World countries. While reliable statistics are difficult to obtain, the changing patterns in pesticide use in the tropical regions are also discussed. Finally, the future of pesticide use in developing countries is projected, as is the necessity of their use and expected impact

Effects of infestation by cowpea aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) on different growth stages of resistant and susceptible cowpea cultivars

Field studies were conducted to characterise the effects of infestations by adult and nymphal stages of cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, on the growth and yield of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Seedling, flowering, and podding stage plants of aphid-resistant (cv. ICV-12) and aphid-susceptible (cv. ICV-1) cowpea cultivars were used in the studies. Four treatments (consisting of infestations with adult and nymphal aphids, caged controls and uncaged controls) were administered on plants for 22 days post-treatment. Eight parameters of crop success were measured: extended leaf heights (ELH); plant mortality; incidence of sooty mould; incidence and abundance of natural enemy species; crop growth parameters (net assimilation rate, [NAR] in g/ dm2/day, and crop growth rate [CGR] in g/dm2 land surface/day); and plant yields (seeds per pod, weight per seed). Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), orthogonal contrasts and 95% confidence intervals (C.I.). There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences between adult and nymphal infestations or between caged and uncaged controls, so the respective sets of data were combined for comparisons of aphid infestations with control treatments. Infestations caused severe plant stunting and other growth deformities, drastic yield reductions, higher plant mortality, greater incidence of natural enemies and abundance of Cheilomenes spp. on cv. ICV-1 than on cv. ICV-12, and on infested and uninfested plants. Aphid infestations did not significantly affect the incidence of sooty mould on plants of cv. ICV-12 or cv. ICV-

A Delphi Survey Study to Formulate Statements on the Treatability of Inherited Metabolic Disorders to Decide on Eligibility for Newborn Screening

The Wilson and Jungner (W&amp;J) and Andermann criteria are meant to help select diseases eligible for population-based screening. With the introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for newborn screening (NBS), more inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) can technically be included, and a revision of the criteria was attempted. This study aimed to formulate statements and investigate whether those statements could elaborate on the criterion of treatability for IMDs to decide on eligibility for NBS. An online Delphi study was started among a panel of Dutch IMD experts (EPs). EPs evaluated, amended, and approved statements on treatability that were subsequently applied to 10 IMDs. After two rounds of Delphi, consensus was reached on 10 statements. Application of these statements selected 5 out of 10 IMDs proposed for this study as eligible for NBS, including 3 IMDs in the current Dutch NBS. The statement: ‘The expected benefit/burden ratio of early treatment is positive and results in a significant health outcome’ contributed most to decision-making. Our Delphi study resulted in 10 statements that can help to decide on eligibility for inclusion in NBS based on treatability, also showing that other criteria could be handled in a comparable way. Validation of the statements is required before these can be applied as guidance to authorities.</p

Amelioration of Psychiatric Symptoms Through Exposure to Music Individually Adapted to Brain Rhythm Disorders - a Randomised Clinical Trial on the Basis of Fundamental Research

INTRODUCTION: This pilot study examined, whether long-term exposure of psychiatric patients to music that was individually adapted to brain rhythm disorders associated with psychoticism could act to ameliorate psychiatric symptoms. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with various psychiatric diagnoses were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to listen to CDs containing either music adapted to brain rhythm anomalies associated with psychoticism - measured via a specific spectral analysis - or standard classical music. Participants were instructed to listen to the CDs over the next 18 months. Psychiatric symptoms in both groups were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8 and 18 months, using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). RESULTS: At 18 months, patients in the experimental group showed significantly decreased BSI scores compared to control patients. Intriguingly, this effect was not only seen for symptoms of psychoticism and paranoia but also for anxiety, phobic anxiety and somatisation. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to the adapted music was effective in ameliorating psychotic, anxiety and phobic anxiety symptoms. Based on the theories of neuroplasticity and brain rhythms, it can be hypothesised that this intervention may be enhancing brain-rhythm synchronisation and plasticity in prefrontal-hippocampal circuits that are implicated in both psychosis/paranoia and anxiety/phobic anxiety

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging

Purpose: To develop a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible, versatile, easy-to-use, and low-cost device for refractive correction. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the application and practicability of the refractive correction in 110 subjects who had participated in various functional MR imaging (fMRI) studies with complex visual stimulation paradigms since the introduction of the MR-compatible lens frame at our site. The subjects consisted of 31 patients with Parkinson''s disease (age range, 40-85; mean age, 63.2 years) and 79 healthy volunteers (age range, 18-79; mean age, 46.7 years). Results: In volunteers, experimentally induced myopia caused a substantial (>20%) reduction of the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response to a flickering dartboard. Conclusion: Refractive errors (and the resulting optical blur) may play a nonnegligible role as a possible interfering factor in fMRI experiments with visual stimuli. The MR-compatible frame (fitted with appropriate lenses) used in this study affords full refractive correction at reasonable cost and preparation tim

Safety evaluation with respect to RF-induced heating of a new setup for Transcranial Electric Stimulation during MRI

Combining transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) with MRI offers various interesting research opportunities, but also introduces safety concerns. Coupling between the RF field and highly conductive TES leads can lead to skin burns. These safety issues are usually mitigated with the use of safety resistors and controlled lead paths that reduce the power absorbed by the leads. However, these methods introduce practical limitations for combined TES/MRI experiments, such as limited stimulation currents and cable stray fields corrupting MR current density imaging. We overcome these limitations by using low-conductivity silicone-rubber as TES leads. Simulations and temperature measurements are used for safety assessment