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We undertook a randomized controlled trial comparing VasoSeal, a collagen vascular hemostasis device (VHD), with manual compression to assess its role and potential cost savings in the PTCA population. Of 460 patients, 359 were excluded due to clinical instability (30%), groin problems (18%), suboptimal PTCA result (15%), and other reasons (37%). The remaining 101 patients were randomized to either VHD (51) or manual compression (50). Hemostasis time, time to ambulation, duration of hospital stay, and nursing time and intensity were significantly reduced in the VHD group. There were no major groin complications in either treatment arm but there was a trend toward more minor groin complications in the VHD patients. The application of VasoSeal reduced resource use in this randomized study and may translate into significant cost reductions in the general coronary angioplasty population.

Background: The N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a globally distributed bloom causing species that degrades water quality of fresh and marine water bodies. Overcoming phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the ecological advantages for bloom-forming cyanobacteria. It remains unclear to what extent can A. flos-aquae alleviate P deficiency by regulating P using strategies. Results: Based on in situ observations of extracellular alkaline phosphatase (APase) in A. flos-aquae via enzyme-labeled fluorescence in freshwater bodies in China, Poland and Czechia, we further investigated responses of isolated A. flos-aquae to different P supplies (dissolved inorganic P (Pi) as +DIP, dissolved organic α-glycerophosphate and β-glycerophosphate as +DOPα and +DOPβ, P-free condition as P-depleted). The significantly negative relationships between percentage of APase producing cells and soluble reactive P concentration in both fields and cultures suggested that the excretion of APase in cyanobacterium was regulated by ambient Pi supply. Suffering from P deficiency in the P-depleted treatments, A. flos-aquae showed the highest APase activity but a vigorous growth at the early culture stage, which might also benefit from the formation of polyphosphate body (PPB) and the decrease of cell P quota. In the +DOP treatments, the coordination of dissolved DOP mineralization and continuous prompt utilization of PPB might contribute to a maintenance but not reproduction of A. flos-aquae when relying on DOP, since the specific growth rate kept around 0 cells L−1 day−1 at the second half culture period and the highest cell density reached only 13.38% of that in +DIP treatments while photochemical efficiency was comparable during the whole experiment. Luxury uptake of phosphate as PPB in the +DIP treatments was consistent to the canonical view of polyphosphate as P storage. Conclusion: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae could achieve an instantaneous growth in response to P deficiency with the coordination of P utilization strategies, while it maintained a long-term sustainable growth but not reproduction under sole DOP supply. Persistent and active reproduction could only be achieved in high Pi supply, which implying that an effective consequence can be expected for combating the bloom of A. flos-aquae when controlling P supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural responses of wild and laboratory-culture females of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni ( Froggatt) ( Diptera: Tephritidae), to mineral oil deposits on tomato fruit dipped in aqueous oil emulsions were assessed in a no-choice test and three choice tests. The oils were two commercial products used to manage plant pests and diseases, Ampol D-C-Tron NR and SK EnSpray 99, one distillation fraction of the base oil of the former, and four distillation fractions of the base oil of the latter. The initial and final boiling points of the fractions were equivalent to those of n-alkanes with chain lengths of C20-22 (Ampol), and C21-C23, C22-23.5, C22-24, and C22-24.5 ( SK). For both fly types in the no-choice test, numbers of punctures and eggs per fruit declined strongly as concentrations of the nC20-22 Ampol fraction in emulsions rose from 0.25 to 2% (vol/vol). Fly type affected the extent of responses but there was no significant interaction for fly type*oil concentration. Responses of laboratory-culture females in the choice tests also declined as concentrations of SK and the four fractions of its base oil in emulsions rose from 0 to 0.25%. The SK nC22-24 and nC22-24.5 fractions had least impact. Responses of laboratory-culture flies to 0.5% emulsions of the nC20-22 Ampol fraction and the nC21-23 SK fraction in choice tests were not significantly different. Likewise, responses of laboratory-culture flies to 0.5% emulsions of the two commercial products were not significantly different. Emulsifier type did not affect numbers of punctures or eggs per fruit in choice responses of laboratory-culture flies to 0.5% emulsions of the Ampol nC20-22 fraction or 0.5% emulsions of the SK nC21-23 fraction. If the equivalence of no-choice and choice responses in the laboratory were to hold in the field, then unsprayed 'sacrificial' plants would not be necessary and oil emulsions could be used as cover sprays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important tendency over the past years in the conventional cultivation of crops is the reduced use of synthetic products. The experiment was carried out in the period 2014-2015 at the Institute of forage crops (Pleven) and aimed to study the biological performances of alfalfa after application of mineral oil Akarzin, either alone and in combination with reduced doses of synthetic insecticide (Eforia 045 ZC). The alone and combined use of Akarzin had no phytotoxic effect on the crop and influenced positively on the relative water content and dry mass productivity (an increase by 5.2 to 8.7% and by 10.1 to 29.2%, respectively). The treatment with the synthetic products also had a favorable effect on the phytosanitary status of the crop and restricted the attack by Pseudopeziza medicaginis. The combined application of Akarzin along with Eforia 045 ZC allowed reducing the applied dose of the insecticide up to 0.03 and 0.01%, as the same time the achieved effect in regard to the productivity exceeded the one of self-application of Eforia 045 ZC in the highest dose (0.05%). With a view to reducing the negative impact on environment a reduction of the application dose of the insecticide after combining it with the mineral oil is recommended as an environmentally friendly approach in conditions of conventional cultivation of alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnel construction in watershed area of urban lakes would accelerate eutrophication by inputting nutrients into them, while mechanisms underlying the internal phosphorus cycling as affected by construction events are scarcely studied. Focusing on two main pathways of phosphorus releasing from sediment (enzymatic mineralization and anaerobic desorption), spatial and temporal variations in phosphorus fractionation, and activities of extracellular enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, β-1,4-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, dehydrogenase, lipase) in sediment were examined, together with relevant parameters in interstitial and surface waters in a Chinese urban lake (Lake Donghu) where a subaqueous tunnel was constructed across it from October 2013 to July 2014. Higher alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) indicated phosphorus deficiency for phytoplankton, as illustrated by a significantly negative relationship between APA and concentration of dissolved total phosphorus (DTP). Noticeably, in the construction area, APAs in both sediment and surface water were significantly lower than those in other relevant basins, suggesting a phosphorus supply from some sources in this area. In parallel, its sediment gave the significantly lower iron-bound phosphorus (Fe(OOH)∼P) content, coupled with significantly higher ratio of iron (II) to total iron content (Fe/TFe) and dehydrogenase activities (DHA). Contrastingly, difference in the activities of sediment hydrolases was not significant between the construction area and other basins studied. Thus, in the construction area, subsidy of bioavailable phosphorus from sediment to surface water was attributable to the anaerobic desorption of Fe(OOH)∼P rather than enzymatic mineralization. Finally, there existed a significantly positive relationship between chlorophyll a concentration in surface water and Fe(OOH)∼P content in sediment. In short, construction activities within lakes may interrupt cycling patterns of phosphorus across sediment-water interface by enhancing release of redox-sensitive phosphate, and thereby facilitating phytoplankton growth in water column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As economic considerations become more important in healthcare reimbursement, decisions about the further development of medical innovations need to take into account not only medical need and potential clinical effectiveness, but also cost-effectiveness. Already early in the innovation process economic evaluations can support decisions on development in specific indications or patient groups by anticipating future reimbursement and implementation decisions. One potential concept for early assessment is value-based pricing.Methods: The objective is to assess the feasibility of value-based pricing and product design for a hypothetical vascular closure device in the pre-clinical stage which aims at decreasing bleeding events. A deterministic decision-analytic model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of established vascular closure devices from the perspective of the Statutory Health Insurance system. To identify early benchmarks for pricing and product design, three strategies of determining the product's value are explored: 1) savings from complications avoided by the new device; 2) valuation of the avoided complications based on an assumed willingness-to-pay-threshold (the efficiency frontier approach); 3) value associated with modifying the care pathways within which the device would be applied.Results: Use of established vascular closure devices is dominated by manual compression. The hypothetical vascular closure device reduces overall complication rates at higher costs than manual compression. Maximum cost savings of only about €4 per catheterization could be realized by applying the hypothetical device. Extrapolation of an efficiency frontier is only possible for one subgroup where vascular closure devices are not a dominated strategy. Modifying care in terms of same-day discharge of patients treated with vascular closure devices could result in cost savings of €400-600 per catheterization.Conclusions: It was partially feasible to calculate value-based prices for the novel closure device which can be used to inform product design. However, modifying the care pathway may generate much more value from the payers' perspective than modifying the device per se. Manufacturers should thus explore the feasibility of combining reimbursement of their product with arrangements that make same-day discharge attractive also for hospitals. Due to the early nature of the product, the results are afflicted with substantial uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian cotton industry is now dominated by transgenic (Bt) varieties, which provide a strong platform for integrated pest management ( IPM) of Helicoverpa spp. ( Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). New IPM-compatible tools are required to manage the development of resistance in Helicoverpa spp. and the control of other sucking pests. A 10-year study commenced in 2001 to identify short-range, non-volatile compounds on organ surfaces of plants that deter feeding or oviposition, or are toxic and do not support development of Helicoverpa spp. on cotton plants. The results of the initial study identified Clitoria ternatea L. ( Fabaceae) as non-preferred for Helicoverpa spp. oviposition and larval feeding. The study found that C. ternatea fractionalized extract mixture (fractions 2, 3, 4, and 6) caused oviposition and feeding deterrence as well as direct toxicity to Helicoverpa spp. This study has developed an oil-based semiochemical product from C. ternatea identified in the initial study into a potential commercial product. The application of 1-2% (vol/vol) of the oil-based formulation of the C. ternatea mixture against Helicoverpa spp. on commercial transgenic and conventional cotton crops resulted in Helicoverpa spp. oviposition and larval feeding deterrence, as well as caused direct mortality to larvae. No negative effect on beneficial insects was observed. In conclusion, the ability of the oil-based C. ternatea mixture to control Helicoverpa spp. infestations, while conserving beneficial insect populations, suggests its potential for use in supplementing IPM programs to reduce the use of synthetic insecticides on transgenic and conventional cotton crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Constipation is a very common entity. Despite the high prevalence, treatment of constipation remains problematic. Purpose Review the current literature on new and existing constipation treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psyllids produce saliva that gels to form a protective sheath around their stylets. This saliva can be visualized as stylet tracks, and we have used the presence of tracks to study the feeding behaviour of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama ( Hemiptera: Liviidae). Both single and branched tracks were produced by nymphs and adults, and the tracks made by males and females did not differ. Tracks dissipated from calamondin leaves within a 7-day post-feeding period after adults fed for 2 days and numbers of tracks declined with increasing maturity of calamondin leaves. In the six host plants studied, most psyllids fed abaxially from midribs and most probes traversed or terminated in the tissue (midrib, lateral vein, minor vein, or mesophyll) above which the stylets entered the leaf or leaflet. The number of tracks and landings were recorded on the six hosts in choice tests. More tracks were found in leaves or leaflets of orange jasmine, wampee, and trifoliate orange than in sour orange, calamondin, and lemon. Orange jasmine is considered a preferred host of D. citri, and this is in agreement with the number of tracks found in this study, but not the number of landings. Trifoliate orange is considered a poor host of D. citri, which, in this study, is reflected in the low number of landings, but not in the numbers of tracks. Our results indicate that the presence of adult psyllids on a plant may not reflect its host status, and that the presence of stylet tracks should also be determined in host preference studies. When calamondin leaves were paired with leaves of guava, billygoat weed, or greenleaf desmodium, the presence of volatiles from these plants reduced feeding by adults on calamondin and suggests that understoreys of billygoat weed or desmodium in orchards may also reduce feeding. A negative, exponential relationship between numbers of tracks per leaf and the concentrations of an agricultural mineral oil applied to leaf surfaces was found. This reduction in feeding, in conjunction with reductions in oviposition, has practical implications for suppressing psyllid populations in orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although mineral oil spray is one of the most effective ways to control the transmission of non-persistent aphid-borne viruses in the field, its mode of action is poorly understood. In this study, the effects of mineral oil treatment of potato plants on host selection behaviour, growth, and reproduction of potato aphids, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were investigated. The effects were assessed 30 min, 1 day, and 7 days after treatment, (1) on aphid orientation behaviour by using a Y-tube olfactometer, and (2) on aphid feeding behaviour by using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique. Olfactory experiments showed that the oil had a repulsive effect only 30 min after spraying. EPG experiments showed a slight modification of the aphid feeding behaviour mainly 7 days after treatment. The number of both salivation and sap ingestion events during the phloem phases were increased 7 days after treatment. In addition, irrespective of the time after treatment, xylem ingestion time was increased. Clip cage experiments were set up to assess potential effects of the oil treatment on aphid survival and population parameters. Nymphal mortality was increased on treated plants, whereas fecundity of surviving insects was enhanced. The antagonistic effects of oil treatment on aphids are discussed in a plant protection context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a percutaneous hemostatic device in patients to achieve immediate hemostasis at the vascular access site as well as early ambulation after vascular interventional procedures. In a randomized trial, a hemostatic device (Clo-Sur PAD, Medtronic AVE, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA, USA; n=60) was compared with manual compression (n=60) in patients after endoluminal intervention through an inguinal access (sheath sizes: 5-7 French). Device safety was evaluated by assessing complications within 24 h and 14 days. System efficacy was measured by the percentage of achieved immediate hemostasis and early ambulation. Device application was possible in 57 cases (95.0%), with 93.3% (56/60) of the patients rising 2 h after application. Hemostasis time was 10.15+/-1.96 min (control group: 16.20+/-1.79 min), with a pressure bandage time of 3.47+/-5.53 h (control group: 13.8+/-4.32 h). Ambulation was possible after 2.13+/-0.50 h (control group: 8.57+/-3.47 h). Complications encountered were access-site bleeding with hematoma (device: n=3; control: n=9). All complications were managed conventionally without blood transfusion or surgical intervention. The system is an easy to use device permitting early ambulation without additional pressure bandaging in the majority of patients. Preliminary data show that hemostasis does not depend on the level of anticoagulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural responses of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), females to fruit dipped in water and fruit dipped in 0.5% (vol/vol) aqueous emulsions of a mineral oil were determined and analysed. The mineral oil was an nC20–22 distillation fraction of the base oil used to produce an nC23 horticultural mineral oil. Females caged with oil-treated fruit had significantly longer prelanding intervals than females caged with water-dipped fruit. The latter was attacked immediately or shortly after being caged with flies whereas some oil-dipped fruit was not attacked within 180 min. The percentage of landings that led to oviposition on water- and oil-treated fruit were 58 and 13%, respectively, and the percentages ovipositing after probing were 74 and 25%, respectively. Likewise, average times spent probing were 7 vs. 31 s whereas average times spent ovipositing were 321 vs. 223 s. Females spent less than half as much time on oil-treated fruit than on water-treated fruit. Transition probabilities of rejection, when applied to the behaviour sequence indicated that oil-treated fruits are about nine times less likely to be infested with B. tryoni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of an nC24 horticultural mineral oil (HMO) and two synthetic insecticides (carbaryl and methidathion) on the abundance and species diversity of soil-dwelling arthropods were evaluated in two citrus orchards in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. In the first orchard, mature Valencia orange trees were sprayed in summer with one of HMO, carbaryl or methidathion delivered at low (2000 L/ha) or high (10 000 L/ha) volumes; the sprays were applied either once (February) or twice (December and February). HMO had no significant impact but the synthetic insecticides, irrespective of spray frequency or spray volume, significantly reduced the abundance and species diversity of the arthropods including springtails and generalist predators, such as spiders, staphylinid beetles and mesostigmatid mites. In the second orchard, blocks of Washington navel and Valencia orange trees were sprayed with either HMO or methidathion; sprays were applied twice, 2 weeks apart, in late summer (February), first at a rate of 6500 L/ha and second at 5500 L/ha. Results were similar to those in the first orchard, except that the effect of methidathion on carabid beetles and ants was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideally, integrated pest management should rely on an array of tactics. In reality, the main technologies in use are synthetic pesticides. Because of well-documented problems with reliance on synthetic pesticides, viable alternatives are sorely needed. Physical controls can be classified as passive (e.g., trenches, fences, organic mulch, particle films, inert dusts, and oils), active (e.g., mechanical, polishing, pneumatic, impact, and thermal), and miscellaneous (e.g., cold storage, heated air, flaming, hot-water immersion). Some physical methods such as oils have been used successfully for preharvest treatments for decades. Another recently developed method for preharvest situations is particle films. As we move from production to the consumer, legal constraints restrict the number of options available. Consequently, several physical control methods are used in postharvest situations. Two noteworthy examples are the entoleter, an impacting machine used to crush all insect stages in flour, and hot-water immersion of mangoes, used to kill tephritid fruit fly immatures in fruit. The future of physical control methods will be influenced by sociolegal issues and by new developments in basic and applied research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Two experiments showed that the effect of petroleum-derived spray oil residues on oviposition by citrus leafminer is related to the number of carbon atoms in oil molecules but not to aromaticity and emulsifier concentrations. An nC25 medicinal-oil fraction was more effective than nC17 and nC22 fractions. Efficacy of petroleum-derived spray oils used as oviposition deterrents to control citrus leafminer is therefore related to timing of spray application, the amount of oil deposited on sprayed surfaces (dose) and the persistence of oil molecules on sprayed surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]