Conservation of arthropod natural enemies in broccoli with relay strip-cropping

Relay strip-cropping combines two vegetation management tactics, under-sowing and strip-management. In this study conducted from 1994 though 1997, a cover crop seed-mixture containing oats (Avena sativa L. var. "Monida"), common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), annual ryegrass (Lolium multflorum Lam.), and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) was broadcast over established broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) 32 days after planting. The broccoli was planted, under-sown, and harvested in sections alternated with strips of cover crop. The cover crop relay provided tillage and pesticide refuges for beneficial insects without taking land out of broccoli production. Relay strip-cropping increased the abundance and diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), spiders (Araneae), harvestmen (Opiliones: Phalangiidae), lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and damsel bugs (Heteroptera: Nabidae) in the cropping system; however, this did not always result in increased natural enemies in the broccoli. Arthropod species varied significantly in their propensity to leave the non-crop vegetation and move into the broccoli. Movement of the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata L. from the cover crop strips into the broccoli may have depressed aphid populations in 1996. The non-crop vegetation may have served as a sink rather than a source for Nabis species and appeared to reduce their density in the broccoli growing nearby. There was no evidence that background vegetation surrounding the broccoli reduced colonization by winged aphids. The density of the cabbage flea beetle Phyllotreta crucferae Goeze was lower in the broccoli relay compared with the clean-tilled broccoli. The number of third instar imported cabbage worm Pieris rapae (L.) and cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) was reduced on broccoli leaves and harvested buds in the relay strip-cropping system compared with the clean-tilled system. The number of diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.) pupae was higher in the clean-tilled broccoli; percent parasitism of the pupae was similar in the two cropping systems. Although reduction in broccoli contamination associated with relay strip-cropping was significant, the residual insect contamination was unacceptable for commercial broccoli production. Relay strip-cropping may be useful for preventing soil erosion and protecting water quality. Relay strip-cropping may be a useful component of an integrated pest management program

Fava bean (Vicia faba L.)

Fava bean is used as a winter or spring cover crop, green manure, silage, forage, hay, and vegetable. It is capable of producing large amounts of dry matter and accumulating large quantities of nitrogen (N), part of which is available to subsequent crops.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red clover is used successfully in Oregon as a fall-planted cover crop and green manure in rotations with vegetable crops.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Field pea (Pisum sativum L. or Pisum sativum L. ssp. arvense (L.) Poir.

Field pea can be used as a cover crop, green manure, forage, hay, and silage. Hay is good quality, but pea is more succulent than vetches and more difficult to cure. Regrowth after mowing or grazing is poor.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Barley, oats, triticale, wheat (Hordeum vulgare, Avena sativa, Triticosecale X, Triticum aestivum)

Cereal grains are grasses and may have a prostrate, semierect, or erect physical stature. All have fibrous root systems. Barley, oats, triticale, and wheat are each comprised of hundreds of varieties whose growth characteristics vary considerably.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.)

Cereal rye is an erect annual grass with greenish blue, flat blades and an extensive fibrous root system. It resembles wheat, but usually is taller (3–5 ft) and tillers less. Flowering is induced by 14 hours of light in spring.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Contribution of Chondroitin Sulfate A to the Binding of Complement Proteins to Activated Platelets

Exposure of chondroitin sulfate A (CS-A) on the surface of activated platelets is well established. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent CS-A contributes to the binding of the complement recognition molecule C1q and the complement regulators C1 inhibitor (C1INH), C4b-binding protein (C4BP), and factor H to platelets.Human blood serum was passed over Sepharose conjugated with CS-A, and CS-A-specific binding proteins were identified by Western blotting and mass spectrometric analysis. C1q was shown to be the main protein that specifically bound to CS-A, but C4BP and factor H were also shown to interact. Binding of C1INH was dependent of the presence of C1q and then not bound to CS-A from C1q-depleted serum. The specific interactions observed of these proteins with CS-A were subsequently confirmed by surface plasmon resonance analysis using purified proteins. Importantly, C1q, C4BP, and factor H were also shown to bind to activated platelets and this interaction was inhibited by a CS-A-specific monoclonal antibody, thereby linking the binding of C1q, C4BP, and factor H to exposure of CS-A on activated platelets. CS-A-bound C1q was also shown to amplify the binding of model immune complexes to both microtiter plate-bound CS-A and to activated platelets.This study supports the concept that CS-A contributes to the binding of C1q, C4BP, and factor H to platelets, thereby adding CS-A to the previously reported binding sites for these proteins on the platelet surface. CS-A-bound C1q also seems to amplify the binding of immune complexes to activated platelets, suggesting a role for this molecule in immune complex diseases

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

The IDENTIFY study: the investigation and detection of urological neoplasia in patients referred with suspected urinary tract cancer - a multicentre observational study

Objective To evaluate the contemporary prevalence of urinary tract cancer (bladder cancer, upper tract urothelial cancer [UTUC] and renal cancer) in patients referred to secondary care with haematuria, adjusted for established patient risk markers and geographical variation. Patients and Methods This was an international multicentre prospective observational study. We included patients aged ≥16 years, referred to secondary care with suspected urinary tract cancer. Patients with a known or previous urological malignancy were excluded. We estimated the prevalence of bladder cancer, UTUC, renal cancer and prostate cancer; stratified by age, type of haematuria, sex, and smoking. We used a multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression to adjust cancer prevalence for age, type of haematuria, sex, smoking, hospitals, and countries. Results Of the 11 059 patients assessed for eligibility, 10 896 were included from 110 hospitals across 26 countries. The overall adjusted cancer prevalence (n = 2257) was 28.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.3–34.1), bladder cancer (n = 1951) 24.7% (95% CI 19.1–30.2), UTUC (n = 128) 1.14% (95% CI 0.77–1.52), renal cancer (n = 107) 1.05% (95% CI 0.80–1.29), and prostate cancer (n = 124) 1.75% (95% CI 1.32–2.18). The odds ratios for patient risk markers in the model for all cancers were: age 1.04 (95% CI 1.03–1.05; P < 0.001), visible haematuria 3.47 (95% CI 2.90–4.15; P < 0.001), male sex 1.30 (95% CI 1.14–1.50; P < 0.001), and smoking 2.70 (95% CI 2.30–3.18; P < 0.001). Conclusions A better understanding of cancer prevalence across an international population is required to inform clinical guidelines. We are the first to report urinary tract cancer prevalence across an international population in patients referred to secondary care, adjusted for patient risk markers and geographical variation. Bladder cancer was the most prevalent disease. Visible haematuria was the strongest predictor for urinary tract cancer

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified