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Fourteen potato lines, including some indicating reduced susceptibility to zebra chip (ZC), were assessed in trials over three seasons at Pukekohe (New Zealand) under three insecticide regimes: FULL (pre-plant plus 14–15 foliar applications through the season), REDUCED (4–5 foliar applications) and NIL (no insecticide). In all three seasons there were consistent reductions in tuber yield, dry matter and tuber size from the FULL to the REDUCED to the NIL insecticide treatment. ZC severity recorded in crisp slices before and after frying tended to be highest in the NIL treatment and lowest in the FULL treatment. All lines had symptoms of ZC in both raw and fried crisp samples but there were clear differences between lines, with some showing significantly fewer symptoms of ZC than current widely grown potato lines in New Zealand. The potential of these ZC-symptom tolerant lines, both as parents in a breeding programme and for possible release, is discussed. CLso titre of individual tubers of three lines was also determined from the 2014 NIL plots using qPCR. There was little relationship between CLso titres and ZC scores in either raw or fried crisp slices both within and between lines.

Although Sequence-Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) markers linked to the potato H1 locus, which confers resistance to pathotypes Ro1 and Ro4 of the potato cyst nematode (PCN) Globodera rostochiensis, have been reported, robust markers that enable estimation of allele dosage would improve the quality of information obtained from genotyping parental accessions (cultivars/breeding lines) and progeny populations within breeding programmes. With this in mind, we have developed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based molecular markers flanking the H1 resistance gene, using genomic re-sequence data from five elite tetraploid accessions. The published TG689 and 57R primer sequences were used in a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) examination of the reference potato genome, and SNPs within the vicinity of these primer regions were identified and targeted for designing probe-based High Resolution Melting (HRM) SNP assays. Evaluation of the subsequently developed HRM markers, TG689_1P and 57R_1P, against the publicly available SCAR markers, TG689 and 57R, indicated that the HRM markers enabled more reliable marker-trait association than the SCARs. Additionally, allelic dosage estimates for the H1 locus were also derived using the TG689_1P marker, providing a tool to optimise parental and progeny selections in PCN resistance breeding.

Genetic evaluation aims to identify genotypes with high empirical breeding values (EBVs) for selection as parents. In this study, 2157 potato genotypes were evaluated for tuber yield using 8 years of early-stage trial data collected from a potato breeding programme. Using linear mixed models, spatial parameters to target greater control of localised spatial heterogeneity within trials were estimated and variance models to account for across-trial genetic heterogeneity were tested. When spatial components improved model fit, correlations of errors were mostly small and negative for marketable tuber yield (MTY) and total tuber yield (TTY), suggesting the presence of interplot competition in some years. For the analysis of multi-environment trials, a variance model with a simple correlation structure (with heterogeneous variances) was the most favourable variance structure fitted for TTY and PTY (per cent marketable yield). There was very little difference in model fit when comparing a factor analytic structure of order 2 (FA2) with either FA1 or simple correlation structures for MTY, indicating that simple variance models may be preferable for early-stage genetic evaluation of potato yield.

Bactericera cockerelli (tomato potato psyllid, TPP) is a serious pest of potato crops, causing feeding damage and also vectoring Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum, the causal agent of the Zebra Chip (ZC) disease in potatoes. The results of 6 years of early and main crop potato trials at Pukekohe, New Zealand, are summarised and damage caused by TPP is reported. Results show that spring-sown (early) potato crops do not require insecticides. In main crop summer trials we tested action thresholds based on 10 and 20 TPP nymphs per 100 middle leaves but the incidence of ZC damage was commercially unacceptable, ranging from 4 to 9 %. Subsequently we tested an action threshold of >3 TPP adults per yellow sticky trap per week that led to ZC damage ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 %. We also compared monitoring of TPP using sticky trap catches with a degree day model started in mid winter (1 July) for forecasting generation times of TPP. On the basis of the field trial results, we recommend that from early summer onwards, the timing of the first foliar application of insecticide needs to be applied early enough to protect main crop potatoes from the first generation of TPP that occurs after potato tubers have emerged (at Pukekohe, this is the third TPP generation from 1 July when using degree day modelling). Three years of main crop trials indicate that an action threshold of >3 TPP per trap per week provides effective TPP/ZC management in the Pukekohe region when used in conjunction with natural enemies and an insecticide programme that features the use of selective insecticides.

Field data and simulation were used to investigate replication within trials and the allocation of replicates across trial sites using partial replication as an approach to improve the efficiency of early-stage selection in a potato breeding programme. Analysis of potato trial data using linear mixed models, based on four-plant (clonal) plots planted as augmented partially-replicated (p-rep) designs, obtained genetic and environmental components of variation for a number of yield and tuber components. Heritabilities, trial-to-trial genetic correlations and performance repeatability of clonal selections in p-rep trials and in subsequent fully replicated trial stages were high, and selection was effective for the economically important traits of marketable tuber yield and tuber cooking quality. Simulations using a parameter-based approach, pertaining to the variance components estimated from the p-rep field trials, and the parametric bootstrapping of historic empirical data showed improved rates of genetic gain with p-rep testing over one and two locations compared with testing in fully replicated trials. This potato breeding study suggests that the evaluation and selection of a clonal field crop in fully replicated trials may not be optimal in the early stages of a breeding cycle and that p-rep designs offer a more efficient and practical alternative.

A main crop summer potato trial at Pukekohe assessed the damage caused by Bactericera cockerelli tomato potato psyllid (TPP) and investigated the use of action spray thresholds Five treatments were used infurrow insecticide and weekly blocks of foliar sprays; infurrow insecticide and one of three different thresholdbased foliar spray programmes; and no insecticides The thresholdbased spray programmes used either the number of TPP nymphs per middle leaf or the mean number of TPP adults per yellow sticky trap per week plus different modeofaction insecticide rotations Three treatments resulted in acceptable yield and specific gravity and a low incidence of zebra chip disease (ZC) These were the weekly treatment and two spray programmes based on a threshold of >3 TPP adults per trap per week where insecticide applications were reduced by 50 compared to the weekly applications

Tomato-Potato Psyllid (TPP) Bactericera cockerelli was first identified in New Zealand in 2006 and has caused major problems for the potato industry, particularly in the North Island. TPP and Zebra chip (ZC) resistance are now major priorities in Plant & Food Research’s potato breeding programme. ZC is caused by a liberibacter associated with the TPP. Twelve potato lines, including most of the more widely grown potato cultivars in New Zealand, were assessed in main-crop yield trials at Pukekohe under three insecticide levels: FULL (pre-plant plus 13–15 foliar insecticide applications through the season), REDUCED (4–5 foliar applications) and NIL (no insecticide), over two consecutive seasons’ harvest (2010 and 2011). In both years work there was a consistent substantial yield reduction from the FULL to the REDUCED insecticide to the NIL insecticide treatment. In most cases a similar trend was seen in dry matter and tuber size. ZC severity recorded in crisp slices before and after frying tended to be highest in the NIL insecticide treatment and lowest in the FULL insecticide treatment. The fresh market cultivar ‘Nadine’ had very little ZC in any raw tubers of any of the insecticide treatments in either season. Despite this the marketable yield of Nadine with NIL insecticide was almost half that of the FULL insecticide treatment in 2010 and about 60 % of the intensive insecticide level in 2011. There was no real indication that any of the other cultivars in the trial had any effective resistance to TPP or ZC.

An early season potato trial at Pukekohe assessed the damage caused by Bactericera cockerelli, tomato-potato psyllid (TPP), and investigated the need for insecticide treatment. Four treatments were used: insecticide drench at planting; insecticide drench and weekly foliar sprays; insecticide drench and threshold-based foliar sprays; and no insecticides. TPP and associated insects in the trial were monitored weekly using yellow sticky traps and sampling plants from mid-October until mid-December 2011. TPP adult catches remained very low, reaching 1.5 per trap per week in December, and egg and nymphal infestations were absent or very low. Other exotic psyllid species dominated trap catches in December. The predator, Micromus tasmaniae (brown lacewing) was the most common insect, present throughout the trial, peaking at a combined total of 6.6 eggs and adults per plant. No damage was caused by TPP in any treatments indicating that insecticides may not be required to produce healthy 'early crop' potatoes at Pukekohe.

The seasonality of Bactericera cockerelli, potato/tomato psyllid (PTP), a recently arrived pest of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) and other Solanum spp., was investigated in South Auckland, New Zealand. Yellow sticky traps showed that adult PTP activity began in October mainly in volunteer potatoes and remained below c. 2/trap per week until mid December. Over this period, plant sampling was less sensitive than sticky traps. Potato crops harvested before c. 20 December showed satisfactory yield and quality. Trap catches in potatoes increased in late December and exceeded 100/trap per week in February in 2008 and 2009. The presence of nymphs in plant samples was positively correlated with these increases and associated with unacceptable levels of “zebra chip” disease and the presence of Liberibacter. Late planting of crops delayed the build up of PTP populations by c. 1 month, but nymphal populations still exceeded 1/leaf and damaged late crops. Yellow sticky traps provided an indication of when dam...

A new mark-capture technique involving field applications of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) to study the dispersal of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was investigated as a tool to improve information on the potential impact of insect pest dispersal on crop infestation and insecticide resistance. The acquisition and persistence of Bt on moths were characterized and potential contamination of moths from naturally occurring Bts was examined. This mark-capture technique was developed to mark larger numbers of moths than had been previously achieved with laboratory marking using fluorescent dyes in mark-release-recapture experiments. Applications of commercial preparations of Bt to 0.3 and 1.0 ha potato fields were estimated to have marked ca. 50 000 moths in each experiment. Pheromone trap catches of potato tuber moths in the Bt-sprayed fields and in potato fields at distances of ca. 80, 200, 350, and 750 m were assayed for the Bt marker using selective microbiological media and identification of characteristic Bt crystal inclusions. Marking rates of moths were 78-100% in the sprayed fields and, compared with our previous mark-release-recapture studies, marking at ca. 200 m was increased by 15-18-fold to >3.0 moths per trap. This capture rate allowed the calculation of a dispersal curve that improved the reliability of estimates of movement at farm-scale distances. These estimates indicated that 10% of the population dispersed to 240 m in 3 days, and suggested that moths can potentially disperse throughout a typical potato-growing area in one growing season. This level of dispersal has implications for the spread and management of potato tuber moth populations, especially if insecticide resistance is present.

Ten potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars were assessed for resistance to bacterial soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica, and to blackspot bruising. Specific gravities of individual potato tubers varied within each cultivar and between cultivars. Within all 10 cultivars tested, as tuber‐specific gravity increased, the severity of bacterial soft rot decreased, and the severity of bruising increased. Among the seven New Zealand‐bred cultivars, mean soft rot susceptibilities lay along a continuum, with cultivars having higher mean soft rot losses as mean specific gravity increased. Two of the three overseas cultivars exhibited very different responses from those bred in New Zealand. In contrast, for blackspot bruising, six of the New Zealand‐bred cultivars and two overseas cultivars lay approximately on a continuum of increasing mean bruise score as mean specific gravity increased, similar to the within‐cultivar relationships. The remaining New Zealand‐bred cultivar and the overse...

‘Moonlight’ is a new early‐main to main crop potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivar with high yield potential that has been developed for both the fresh market and French fry production. Tubers are oval and have white flesh. ‘Moonlight’ has moderate resistance to the cream potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida) and has the H1 gene for resistance to G. rostochiensis. It also has moderately high resistance to powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) and bacterial soft rot (Erwinia sp.)

Noise exposure has been associated with increased catecholamine production and blood pressure elevation in laboratory studies and in human volunteers. Epidemiologic studies have given conflicting results. In order to determine whether noise-induced hearing loss predicts a rise in blood pressure, we reviewed occupational medicine records in an occupational health center serving three companies where noise exposure is commonly found. Height, weight, blood pressure, and screening audiometry are obtained as part of routine occupational health screening, and the results of the screening visit are abstracted from written clinical records. The results of pure tone screening audiometry are reported in nonstandardized fashion (Normal, WNL, NAD, for example, for normal). We reviewed records from 1990 and 1991 inclusive. One investigator, blind to blood pressure status, assigned each record to "no hearing loss," "not codable," or "hearing loss assumed to be due to noise" on the basis of the written audiometry report. Hearing loss due to causes other than noise was considered not codable. No attempt was made to quantify severity of hearing loss. Two hundred and sixteen charts were excluded as "not codable," 1,535 were classified as having no hearing loss, and 610 had some degree of hearing loss, most probably due to noise exposure. To adjust for confounding covariates, multiple regression analysis was used and indicated that hearing status improves the regression model for predicting diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.04), following age, nationality, body mass index (BMI), and month of testing, although the effect is small. Stratification by age and BMI revealed increased diastolic pressure in the group with hearing loss under age 45, regardless of obesity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Summary: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted between the period December 1991 and November 1992, to identify the extent of smoking among practising doctors and other health professionals in general hospitals and health clinics in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. The study population consisted of 300 health professionals (doctors, specialists both clinical and non-clinical, pharmacists and dentists). They were handed self-administered questionnaires adapted from the World Health Organization standard questionnaire on smoking among health professionals. Among the responding 268 (89%) health professionals 197 (73.5%) were men, and 71 (26.5%) women. Among the men health professionals 86 (43.7%) were current smokers, 24 (12.2%) were ex-smokers and 87 (44.2%) were non-smokers, while among the women health professionals 4 (5.6%) were smokers, 1 (1.4%) was an ex-smoker and 66 (93%) were non-smokers. Doctors were uniformly aware of the detrimental effects of smoking, particularly its association with lung cancer, coronary artery disease, chronic bronchitis, and laryngeal cancer, and this was the major reason for their abstaining or wanting to quit the habit. The relationship of smoking with bladder cancer, soft tissue lesion (mouth and lip) and neonatal death was not well appreciated. Counselling patients about the hazards of smoking was practised significantly less often by doctors who smoked. The majority (83.6%) expressed the need for specific training for counselling patients to stop smoking. The options favoured by the health professionals for preventing smoking included a ban on tobacco advertising, specific health warnings on cigarette packets and restriction on smoking in public places, particularly in hospitals and clinics.

‘Dawn’ is a new, high‐yielding, early‐maincrop potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar suited to the fresh market and crisp manufacture. Tubers are round‐oval in shape and have white flesh. This variety has moderate resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and to powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea).

Tubers of 23 potato cultivars and breeding lines were assessed for susceptibility to infection by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica (Eca) over five maincrop seasons between 1984 and 1989. Susceptibility to Eca-induced soft rot was determined by measuring the weight of rotted tissue in anaerobically incubated whole tubers 6 days after inoculation with Eca. Potato lines differed in susceptibility to soft rot. Lines ‘1463.1’, ‘Bison’, and ‘Rua’ were consistently very susceptible, and ‘Kaipara’, ‘064/18’, and ‘065/27’ were least susceptible to Eca-induced soft rot.

‘Pacific’ is a new mid‐season to main‐crop potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar suitable for both crisping and the fresh market. Tubers are round to round‐oval with light yellow flesh. ‘Pacific’ has partial resistance to the cream potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida).

‘Driver’ is a new early to mid‐season potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar developed mainly for the fresh market. Tubers are round–oval in shape and have white flesh. ‘Driver’ has moderate resistance to the cream potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida). It also has moderate resistance to powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) and to bacterial soft rot (Erwinia sp.).

‘Karaka’ is a new potato cultivar with high resistance to all populations of potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis) that occur in New Zealand. Its main market niche is as an early to early maincrop fresh market potato, and it has some potential for french fry production.

The smoking habit of physicians in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait were studied as first step towards surveying the habit among medical professionals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kuwait between January-June 1990. Out of the 300 physicians who were contacted 252 (84%) completed the questionnaires, 190 (75%) were males and 62 (25%) were females. Among male physicians, current smokers were 86 (45.3%), ex-smokers were 34 (17.9%) and non- smokers were 70 (36.8%), while among the female physicians 10 (16%) were smokers and 52 (84%) were non-smokers. Also, a cross-sectional study was conducted between De cember 1991-November 1992 to identify the extent of smok ing among physicians in UAE. Of the 300 physicians, 275 (91.6%) responded, 214 (77.8%) were males and 61 (22.2%) were females. Among the males, current smokers were 94 (43.9%), ex-smokers were 32 (14.9%) and non-smokers were 88 (41.2%), while among the females 5 (8.2%) were smokers, 3 (4.9%) were ex-smokers and 53 (86.9%) were non-smokers. Most important factors responsible for non-smoking doctors for not taking up smoking were: 'Protection of health', 'Self- discipline' and 'To set a good example to others'. The majority of physicians in UAE (91.3%) and Kuwait (75.6%) strongly agreed that smoking is hazardous to health. The results revealed that less than 50% of physicians provide information to over 70% of smoking patients. The majority of physicians and health professionals were aware of association between smoking and various diseases. The ill- effects of tobacco smoking particularly as a major cause in relation to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, coronary artery diseases, pulmonary emphysema, laryngeal cancer were widely and correctly known by all categories of doctors in both Gulf countries, UAE and Kuwait. The options favoured by doctors for preventing smoking included a ban on tobacco advertising, specific health waming on cigarette packs and restriction ofsmoking in public places, particularly hospitals and primary health clinics.

Bacterial soft rot of potato tubers in storage is an economically important postharvest disease worldwide Disease control measures include reduction of tuber damage at harvest provision of suitable storage conditions and breeding of resistant cultivars Tubers of 18 potato cultivars and breeding lines were assessed for susceptibility to infection by Erwinia carotovora subsp atroseptica (Eca) over three maincrop seasons between 2003 and 2007 Susceptibility to Ecainduced soft rot was determined by measuring the weight of rotted tissue in anaerobically incubated whole tubers 7 days after inoculation with Eca Potato lines differed in susceptibility to soft rot by a factor of >37 (weight of rotted tissue) Cultivars Crop 28 Ilam Hardy and 30975 were highly susceptible and 065/27 Crop 15 and Crop 16 were least susceptible to Ecainduced soft rot As a consequence of these trials several of these lines are now being used in Plant Food Researchs potato breeding programme in order to develop cultivars with lower soft rot susceptibility than cultivars currently grown

Symptoms resembling “zebra chip” disease (3) were observed in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers harvested from a breeding trial in South Auckland, New Zealand in May 2008. The tubers had necrotic flecking and streaking that became marked when the potatoes were fried. Affected plants generally senesced early, at the beginning of April. The mean yield was approximately 60% less than expected and harvested tubers had less dry matter (13%) than normal (19%). Large numbers of the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli were observed on the crop during the summer. Total DNA was extracted from the vascular tissue of five symptomatic tubers and seven volunteers collected from the affected field with a DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Samples were tested by PCR using primers OA2 (GenBank Accession No. EU834130) and OI2c (2). These primers amplify a 1,160-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA sequence of a ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species identified in tomato and capsicum in New Zealand. No fragment was amplified from healthy plants, but amplicons of the expected size were obtained from all symptomatic tubers and one plant. A 650-bp fragment of the β operon was also amplified from symptomatic tubers. The amplicons were directly sequenced (GenBank Accession Nos. EU849020 and EU919514). BLAST analysis showed 100% identity to the tomato/capsicum liberibacter (GenBank Accession Nos. EU834130 and EU834131). From a commercial potato field adjoining the breeding trial, groundkeeper tubers were collected and separated into those that were asymptomatic and those that exhibited a range of symptoms. Total DNA was extracted and tested by PCR using the OA2/OI2c primers. In the first category, 6 of 10 tubers tested positive, whereas the 10 tubers in the second category tested negative. Two phytoplasmas seem to be involved in the “zebra chip” disease complex (4) but were not detected in the samples in this study. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a liberibacter associated with disease in potato. From transmission electron microscope observations, previous researchers have hypothesized that a bacterium-like organism may cause “zebra chip” (1) and B. cockerelli is associated with the disease (3). “Zebra chip” was first reported in Mexico in 1994, since then it has caused significant economic damage in Guatemala, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The economic impact of the disease in New Zealand is yet to be determined. References: (1) S. H. De Boer et al. Page 30 in: New and Old Pathogens of Potato in Changing Climate. A. Hannukkala and M. Segerstedt, eds. Online publication. Agrifood Research Working Paper 142, 2007. (2) S. Jagoueix et al. Mol. Cell. Probes 10:43, 1996. (3) J. E. Munyaneza et al. J. Econ. Entomol. 100:656, 2007. (4) G. A. Secor et al. Plant Dis. 90:377, 2006.

Alpha is a 2450 crop heat unit soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) cultivar with good yield potential. Key words: Soybean, cultivar description

‘Red Rascal’ is an attractive, oval‐shaped, bright red‐skinned potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar with white flesh. It is mid‐late season maturing and is suitable for prepack/ fresh market sales. This cultivar has shown high resistance to powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) and late blight (Phytophthora infestans).

‘Kaimai’ is a new maincrop crisping potato with high resistance to the cream potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. It has round tubers with very high dry matter.

The ambiguity of low back pain diagnoses presently available proves detrimental to the patient's morale and impedes research into optimal treatment and prevention. This paper shows that the classification of patients into seven empirically derived groups clarifies problems in clinical diagnosis and can reveal differences in treatment responses otherwise undetected. The clinician is provided with sign and symptom patterns for each of the diagnoses and group specific response to treatment is discussed. The results are consistent with those found in clinical practice but further validation in different patient and observer populations is needed before the system can be adopted as a routine aid to clinical practice.

Considerable differences occurred between selectors in intensity of selection when selecting the same potato clones in S, C1 and C2 (seedling, first clonal and second clonal years). Comparing clones selected or discarded in one year with clones selected or discarded in previous years indicated the effectiveness of selection and large differences were shown between different selector combinations. In some cases a highly significant improvement in the population was obtained; in others selection gave no improvement. A high proportion of the clones selected in C2 would always have been discarded in S or C1.

A retrospective analysis pf the antenatal records of women who gave birth to live babies was conducted in the three Districts of the East Sussex Health Area in 1977. A high-risk group was identified and the antenatal care for them was compared with that given to mothers in general. Comparison was also made between Districts. Women in the high-risk group were similar to those in the general group with respect to the number of antenatal visits. Overall this was also found with respect to when the last visit was made, but there were differences among those with short or long gestations. Pregnant women at high risk were more likely to be supervised by the hospital team exclusively during the antenatal period than those in the general group. Maternal characteristics which might have been used to identify high-risk pregnancies were often not recorded. High-risk mothers more frequently had infants with Apgar scores of less than 5 at one minute and birth weights of 2500 g or less than did women in the general group. However, it would appear that District policy on health care varied significantly since various aspects of care were found to be more dependent on the District concerned than on the risk group involved.

A rapid clinical and epidemiological method of grading Capillary Resistance (CR) based on the appearance of petechiae following negative pressure on the skin of the forearm is described, and the results of testing 469 postmen aged 22 to 63 years are given. CR is shown to be increased in men who have had back pain within 24 hours of testing and no difference was found between men who had had back pain in the past and those who denied ever having had back pain. A separate series of 35 post-laminectomy patients examined at least 10 months after operation and who were shown to have disc disease at operation and/or on myelogram were found to have low CR. This work suggests that the changes involved in disc disease are not limited solely to the discs, but may involve collagen/elastic tissue or ground substance elsewhere as for example in this case when detectable in a test on the forearm. Secondly, it is suggested that CR grading could be a helpful discriminating test for 'disc disease' among those presenting with back pain of undetermined diagnosis.

In the U.K., rheumatic diseases account for 30 million man days lost to industry every year. The author reviews the evidence from surveys of the part played by occupational factors in the aetiology...

SUMMARY Six potato cultivars with different levels of resistance to the white potato cyst nematode (PCN) Globodera pallida Pa2 were grown for three seasons in field plots to which G. pallida Pa2 cysts had been introduced earlier. There were two planting times, corresponding to early and maincrop commercial planting times, and two initial PCN population densities, high and low. The effect of cultivar on PCN population density was far greater than the effect of planting time or initial nematode population. The final PCN populations for the cultivars Ilam Hardy, Wha, 4696A(2), Sovereign, D40/6 and V390 were 151, 74, 27, 1.4, 0.2 and 0.06 eggs per g of soil respectively. It is concluded that resistant potato cultivars can be very effective in controlling G. pallida Pa2 in the field.

The management of painful, upper-limb disorders by 34 general practitioners (GPs) was examined 3 months before and 3 months after personal instruction of GPs by a consultant rheumatologist. Tuition was conducted either in GP surgeries or a hospital out-patient department. Following instruction there were significant increases in the application of appropriate treatments (p less than 0.0005) and of local corticosteroid injections by GPs (p less than 0.005), fewer requests for investigations and less-frequent hospital referrals for consultant rheumatology opinions. Hospital out-patient instruction was associated with a significant reduction of patients' time off work (p less than 0.005) and, in general, differences of management appeared to be more pronounced amongst those GPs instructed in the hospital than in GP surgeries. The study showed that personal instruction of GPs by a consultant rheumatologist may result in modifications of practice, at least in the short term. The evidence indicates that such alterations of GP management may significantly reduce patient morbidity.

Measurements of intra-abdominal pressure and the surface electromyogram of back muscles have been used extensively to quantify and assess posture and spinal loading in both the laboratory and at the workplace, but only recently has equipment become available to monitor these responses within the framework of a continuous and remote strategy. This paper investigates the reproducibility of these measures within this framework and discusses the analysis of data obtained Findings show reproducibility of recorded data from a task-induced activity to be 80% within one individual's response sequence, and differences between individuals are reproducible up to 60%. The inter-individual variation amounts to approximately 15% of the total variation of the response. Sampling plans for workplace studies are derived for which differences in response between tasks within a job, between jobs and between different groups of workers can be detected within the 95% confidence regions.

Green peas (cv.‘Victory Freezer’) were grown at five plant densities (52, 90, 105, 182, 358 plants/m2) and three soil moisture treatments: natural rainfall, irrigation at flowering and pod swelling, and water stress at these periods. Both total green yield and green pea yield increased with increasing density, although green pea yield dropped slightly below 182 plants/m2. No significant differences occurred between natural rainfall and water stress treatments. Irrigation gave an 87% increase in total green weight and a 56% increase in green pea yield. There was no indication of maximum yield occurring at a higher population under irrigation than under dryland conditions. Dryland peas matured 5–7 days earlier than those irrigated, the highest density being 2–4 days earlier than the lowest. Total vine length, full pods per plant, ovule initials per pod, peas per pod, and percentage of peas and pods at higher nodes all increased with decreasing plant density and irrigation. Vine length to the first ...

SummaryInsurance data among United Kingdom males indicate an annual loss from back pain of 627 days per 1000 employed though detailed studies in cohorts of manual workers suggests that the loss from low back pain may be half as much again. In a sample of 2684 mixed manual workers, 151 (5.6%) were deemed to have long-term handicap using the criteria of: spells of absence in excess of 6 weeks; admission to hospital; continuous or increasingly severe pain lasting more than a year. A further study indicated that 16/10 000 employees obtained early retirement from the Post Office on grounds of low back pain. Limited evidence to support the theory that injury and heavy work loads contribute to the onset of back pain and the implications of this for prevention are discussed.ResumeLes donnees reunies par des compagnies d'assurances indiquent que parmi les hommes vivant au Royaume-Uni, le syndrome dorso-lombaire provoque annuellement une perte de 627 journees de travail par 1000 employes, alors que des etudes detai...