Life tables

Seven Italian centers reported data on survival, causes of death and appearance of complications in patients with thalassemia major. The interactions between gender, birth cohort, complications, and ferritin on survival and complications were analyzed. Survival after the first decade was studied for 977 patients born since 1960 whereas survival since birth and complication appearance was studied for the 720 patients born after 1970. Better survival was demonstrated for patients born in more recent years (p<0.00005) and for females (p=0.0003); 68% of the patients are alive at the age of 35 years. In the entire population 67% of the deaths were due to heart disease. There was a significant association between birth cohort and complication-free survival (p<0.0005). The prevalence of complications was: heart failure 6.8%, arrhythmia 5.7%, hypogonadism 54.7%, hypothyroidism 10.8%, diabetes 6.4%, HIV infection 1.7%, and thrombosis 1.1%. Lower ferritin levels were associated with a l...

Background. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori leads to faster ulcer healing and a significant decrease in ulcer recurrence. Clarithromycin is the most effective monotherapy for eradicating H . pylori from the gastric mucosa, and oineprazole frequently is used for the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease, prompting the interest to investigate rigorously the combination of clarithromycin and omeprazole for eradicating H. pylori. Materials and Methods. The aim of this double-blind, randomized, multicenter (n = 30), multinational (n = 10) study was to compare clarithromycin and omeprazole with omeprazole monotherapy for the eradication of H. pylovi from the gastric mucosa, endoscopic healing, and reduction of symptoms and ulcer recurrence in patients with active duodenal ulcer. Patients with active duodenal ulcer associated with H. pylovi infection were randomized to receive omeprazole, 40 mg every morning for 14 days, with either clarithromycin, 500 mg, or placebo three times daily, which was followed by omeprazole, 20 mg every morning for 14 days. Patients underwent endoscopy before enrolling in the study, immediately after finishing treatment, and at 4to 6-week and 6-month follow-up evaluations or at the recurrence of symptoms. Results. Two hundred and eight patients with active duodenal ulcer associated with confirmed H. pylori infection were randomized to treatment with either clarithromycin and omeprazole (n = 102) or omeprazole and placebo (n = 106). Four to six weeks after treatment was completed, H. pylori was eradicated in 74% (95% confidence interval, 63.0%-82.4%) of patients receiving clarithromycin and omeprazole, compared with 1 % (0.0%-6.2%) of patients receiving omeprazole monotherapy ( p < .001). Clarithromycin resistance developed in eight patients treated with clarithromycin and omeprazole and in none given omeprazole and placebo. Ulcers, which were healed following treatment in more than 95% of study patients, recurred by the 6-month follow-up visit in 10% (50/-19%) of dual therapy recipients, compared with 50% (39%-61%) of those who took omeprazole alone ( p < .001).

Purpose: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a distinct disease with specific clinical and pathologic features that may affect diverse organs. We analyzed our recent experience with Stage I/II MALT lymphoma presenting in the stomach and other organs to assess the outcome following involved field radiation therapy (RT). Patients and Methods: Seventy patients with Stage IE (62) and IIE (8) disease were treated between 1989 and 1998. Patients with transformed MALT were excluded. The median age was 62 years (range, 24 -83 years), M:F ratio 1:2.2. Presenting sites included stomach, 15; orbital adnexa, 19; salivary glands, 15; thyroid, 8; lung, 5; upper airways, 3 (nasopharynx, 2; larynx, 1); urinary bladder, 3; breast, 1; and rectum, 1. Staging included site-specific imaging, CT abdomen in 66 patients (94%) and bone marrow biopsy in 54 (77%). Sixty-two patients received radiation therapy: 52 received RT alone, 7 received chemotherapy and RT, and 3 received antibiotics followed by RT. Median RT dose was 30 Gy (range, 17.5-35 Gy). Most frequently used RT prescriptions were 25 Gy (26 patients-18 orbit, 6 stomach, and 2 salivary glands), 30 Gy (23 patients), and 35 Gy (8 patients). Five patients had complete surgical excision of lymphoma and no other treatment (stomach 1, salivary 2, lung 2), whereas 2 patients with gastric lymphoma received antibiotics only. One patient refused treatment and was excluded from the analysis of treatment outcome, leaving 69 patients with a median follow-up of 4.2 years (range, 0.3-11.4 years). Results: A complete response was achieved in 66/69 patients, and 3 patients had partial response (2 lung, 1 orbit). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 76%, and the overall survival was 96%. No relapses were observed in patients with stomach and thyroid lymphoma. The 5-year DFS for these patients was 93%, in contrast to 69% for patients presenting in other sites (p ‫؍‬ 0.006). Among the 5 patients treated with surgery only, 2 relapsed locally (lung, and minor salivary gland). Among 62 patients who received RT, 8 relapsed (2 salivary, 3 orbit, 1 nasopharynx, 1 larynx, 1 breast). Three patients relapsed in the nonirradiated contralateral paired organ, 4 in distant sites, and 1 in both local and distant sites. The overall local control rate with radiation was 97% (60/62 patients). Conclusion: Localized MALT lymphomas have excellent prognosis following moderate-dose RT. Gastric and thyroid MALT lymphomas have better early outcome, as compared to the other sites where distant failure is more common. Relapses were observed in nonirradiated paired organs or distant sites. Further follow-up is required to assess the impact of failure on survival.

 ABSTRACT  Biology of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) was studied in laboratory, on tomato plants grown under conditions of 25 ± 1 ° C, 70 ± 2% RH and Photoperiod (14 L: 10 D) hours (light : darkness). The parameters were calculated using TwoSex-MSChart. Results showed the following values: net reproductive rate R 0 = 31.89±4.32 Female / female / generation, the intrinsic rate of increase (r) = 0.1266±0.0052 Female / female / day, mean generation time (GT) = 27.343±0.23 days, (DT) = 5.473 days, gross reproductive rate (GRR) = 46.58±6.58 individuals / offspring, Survival rate (lx) = 0.9988, fecundity (F) = 66.78±3.055 eggs / female, total developmental times of immature mean= 22.75±0.084 days, Adult pre-oviposition period of female adult (APOP) = 0.22±0.0868, Mean length Adult female age = 33.22±0.36 days. The Mean age of the adult male is 32.04±0.37 days. Results of this study are useful to understand the Dynamic numbers in cotton whitefly.

Background: Palliative sedation therapy (PST) is indicated for and used to control refractory symptoms in cancer patients undergoing palliative care. We aimed to evaluate whether PST has a detrimental effect on survival in terminally ill patients.

h o striking contributions of BienaymC to mathematical statistics: (1) a completely correct statement of the Criticality Theorem for simple branching processes in 1845; and (2) the derivation of the Bienaymb Chebyshev Inequality, are revisited on the 200th anniversary of his birth. We use writings and archival materials available since the note of Heyde & Seneta (1972) to present a fuller biographical picture. BienaymC's connections with Buniakovsky and Chebyshev are elucidated, and his role in furthering Chebyshev's international contacts outlined. A concluding section illuminates Bienaymk's understanding of the linear regression of one random variable on another in an actuarial context of random shocks.

To analyze whether two dietary weight loss interventions--the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) program and a low-fat diet program--would be cost-effective in Australia, and to assess their potential to reduce the disease burden related to excess body weight. We constructed a multi-state life-table-based Markov model in which the distribution of body weight influences the incidence of stroke, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, post-menopausal breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer and kidney cancer. The target population was the overweight and obese adult population in Australia in 2003. We used a lifetime horizon for health effects and costs, and a health sector perspective for costs. We populated the model with data identified from Medline and Cochrane searches, Australian Bureau of Statistics published catalogues, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and Department of Health and Ageing. Disability ad...

This paper presents the demographic changes that followed the transition from a hunting-gathering way of life (Natufian) to an agricultural, food-producing economy (Neolithic) in the southern Levant. The study is based on 217 Natufian (10,500 -8,300 BC) skeletons and 262 Neolithic (8,300 -5,500 BC) skeletons. Age and sex identification were carried out, and life tables were constructed. A five-parameter competing hazard model developed by Siler ([1979] Ecology 60:750 -757) was used to smooth life-table data. No indication of increased mortality with the advent of agriculture was noted. On the contrary, both life expectancy at birth (24.6 vs. 25.5 years) and adults' mean age at death (31.2 vs. 32.1 years) in-creased slightly from the Natufian to the Neolithic period (assuming stationary populations). Yet the transition to agriculture affected males and females differently: mean age at death in the Natufian was higher for adult females compared to adult males, while in the Neolithic, it was the reverse. One interpretation given to the distribution of female ages at death is that with the onset of the Neolithic period, maternal mortality increased as a result of a concomitant increase in fertility. If the adoption of agriculture in the Levant increased the rate of population growth at the beginning of the Neolithic, expectation of life may have increased dramatically. Am

A question of interest in the demographic and actuarial fields is the estimation of the age-specific mortality pattern when data are given in age groups. Data can be provided in such a form usually because of systematic fluctuations caused by age heaping. This is a phenomenon usual to vital registrations related to age misstatements, usually preferences of ages ending in multiples five. Several techniques for expanding an abridged life table to a complete one are proposed in the literature. Although many of these techniques are considered accurate and are more or less extensively used, they have never been simultaneously evaluated. This work provides a critical presentation, an evaluation and a comparison of the performance of these techniques. For that purpose, we consider empirical data sets for several populations with reliable analytical documentation. Departing from the complete sets of q x -values, we form the abridged ones. Then we apply each one of the expanding techniques considered to these abridged data sets and finally we compare the results with the corresponding complete empirical values.

One of the major issues confronting the contemporary dental clinician is the treatment decision between extracting a tooth with placement of a dental implant or preserving the natural tooth by root canal treatment. The factors that dictate the correct selection of one procedure over the other for each particular case are not yet established by randomized controlled studies. The aim of this review is to evaluate key factors allowing the clinician to make clinical decisions on the basis of the best evidence and in the patient's best interests. General considerations are discussed that will help the reader analyze clinical studies focused on this problem. Importantly, the major studies published to date indicate that there is no difference in long-term prognosis between single-tooth implants and restored root canaltreated teeth. Therefore, the decision to treat a tooth endodontically or to place a single-tooth implant should be based on other criteria such as prosthetic restorability of the tooth, quality of bone, esthetic demands, cost-benefit ratio, systematic factors, potential for adverse effects, and patient preferences. It can be concluded that endodontic treatment of teeth represents a feasible, practical, and economical way to preserve function in a vast array of cases and that dental implants serve as a good alternative in selected indications in which prognosis is poor. (J Endod 2008;34: 519 -529)

Thin, bonded, posterior occlusal veneers constitute a conservative alternative to traditional complete coverage crowns. Information regarding selection of the appropriate material and its influence on fatigue resistance, which may affect the longevity of the restoration, is missing.

Objectives: Narrow diameter implants (NDIs; diameter >3.75 mm) are useful in replacement of missing incisor teeth and when the bucco-lingual width of the edentulous crest is insufficient. The present study evaluated the success and survival rates, peri-implant parameters, mechanical and prosthetic post-loading complications of NDIs followed over a 10-year period.Material and methods: Three hundred and sixteen NDIs were inserted into 139 patients and restored with 120 prostheses. Clinical and radiographic assessment data were collected during recall visits. Implant success (SC), cumulative survival rate (CSR), marginal bone loss (MBL), peri-implant conditions and prosthetic complications were assessed. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival curves with the log-rank test and life table analysis were used to evaluate the outcome of NDIs within comparable subgroups. MBL and peri-implant parameters measured annually were further analyzed.Results: The mean follow-up time was 9.1 years (range: 60–124 months). Twelve implants were lost in the healing phase and two during function. The mean MBL in the maxilla and the mandible was 1.32 ± 0.13 and 1.28 ± 0.3 mm, respectively, after 10 years. SC and CSR were 91.4% and 92.3%, respectively, after 124 months. Smoking and posterior localization were associated with an increased risk of failure. Cement loosening (16.8%) was the most common prosthetic complication. No implants were fractured.Conclusions: NDIs can be used with confidence where a regular diameter implant is not suitable. MBL around NDIs occurred predominantly within 2 years of loading and was minimal thereafter. Further studies are required to clarify the possible risks associated with smoking and posterior placement.To cite this article: Arιsan V, Bolukbasι N, Ersanlι S, Ozdemir T. Evaluation of 316 narrow diameter implants followed for 5–10 years: a clinical and radiographic retrospective study. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21, 2010; 296–307. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0501.2009.01840.x

The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate the medium- to long-term prognosis of short implants in partially and totally edentulous patients with mandibular bone atrophy. The study involved 109 patients with 280 implants placed in the mandible. The implants were 7 or 8.5 mm long and 3.75 or 4 mm in diameter. The implant surfaces were machined (M; n = 176) or rough (R; n = 104). Patients were asked to attend a radiographic and clinical follow-up, and their previous clinical records and radiographs were assessed. Implant-related and prosthetic failures and complications were recorded. The mean follow-up was 9 years (range of 5 to 16 years). The survival rate (SSR) and success rate (SR) were calculated using life-table analysis for both M and R short implants. The M implants had a 16-year SSR of 95.7% and a corresponding SR of 93.9%, whereas the 16-year SSR and SR for the R implants were 97.2% and 95.2%, respectively. The mean ± SD bone resorption for all implants was 1.37 ± 0.5 mm. For marginal bone loss, there was no statistically significant difference between the two implant lengths (P = 0.38) or diameters (P = 0.34) or between the M and R implant surfaces (P = 0.47). Different implant lengths, diameters, and surface treatments do not appear to influence the prognosis of the implant. Within the limitation that most of the short implants were splinted to longer implants, the reduced length of the fixtures did not worsen the long-term survival of the implant-supported fixed prostheses.

: Le total des implants postérieurs survivants était de 94 %. Aucun facteur dans les antécédents des patients n'avait nui à la survie de l'implant. Conclusions : Cette mise à jour clinique permet de penser que l'utilisation d'implants Brånemark pour la réhabilitation des patients souffrant d'édentement postérieur partiel est extrêmement efficace et que la survie des implants est excellente. Mots clés MeSH : dental implants; denture, partial, fixed; jaw, edentulous, partially/surgery © J Can Dent Assoc 2002; 68(2):118-24 Cet article a fait l'objet d'une révision par des pairs.

Background: Evaluation of jaw bone quality at implant placement is mainly based on preoperative radiographic assessments and subjective hand registrations during implant site preparation. An objective technique with cutting torque measurements has been introduced, presenting an objective bone quality or bone hardness value of individual implant sites.

Background. Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with Marfan syndrome. Many patients with presumed Marfan syndrome do not meet current diagnostic criteria. This study reviews the surgical aspects of aortic disease in 300 patients referred with the diagnosis of Marfan syndrome.

The estimate of life expectancy following a personal injury is probably one of the most important factors in determining the final quantum of damages. It is a calculation fraught with difficulties. This article endeavours to outline some general factors that aid prediction of life expectancy, and also discusses the evidence from the few long-term studies currently available.

With adult smoking prevalence rates declining too slowly to reach national objectives, opinion leaders are considering policies to improve tobacco-related outcomes by regulating the composition of cigarettes to be (1) less harmful and/or (2) less addictive. Because harm reduction efforts may actually encourage higher cigarette consumption by promoting a safer image, and addictiveness reduction may increase the harmfulness of cigarettes by encouraging compensatory smoking behaviors, policymakers must consider the tradeoffs ...

Camlog tube-in-tube implants were introduced several years ago. This multicenter retrospective analysis evaluated the success rate of Root-Line and Screw-Line tube-in-tube implants in daily use. A total of 201 implants were placed in 96 patients with different indications and implantation procedures. Implants were analyzed retrospectively after a functional loading period of 12 to 78 months. At the end of the observation period, all but 1 implant fulfilled the success criteria, resulting in an implant survival rate of 99.5%. Individual case analysis of implants in special indications, such as immediate loading, short implants, and tilted implants, did not indicate any increased risk of implant failure.

Background-Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) is currently used as an alternative to conventional "on-pump" surgery, but there are very little data available on long-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to review our long-term experience with the use of systematic OPCAB. Methods and Results-1000 consecutive OPCAB surgeries were systematically performed between 1996 and 2004, representing 95% of all coronary revascularization during that same time frame, with a 97% complete follow-up.

In sub-Saharan African countries, the chance of a child dying before the age of five years is high. The problem is similar in Ethiopia, but it shows a decrease over years. The 2000; 2005 and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey results were used for this work. The purpose of the study is to detect the pattern of under-five child mortality overtime. Indirect child mortality estimation technique is adapted to examine the under-five child mortality trend in Ethiopia. From the result, it was possible to see the trend of under-five child mortality in Ethiopia. The under-five child mortality shows a decline in Ethiopia. From the study, it can be seen that there is a positive correlation between mother and child survival which is almost certain in any population. Therefore, this study shows the trend of under-five mortality in Ethiopia and decline over time.

Purpose: The aims of this prospective study were to assess the treatment outcome of immediately loaded full-arch fixed bridges anchored to both tilted and axially placed implants for the rehabilitation of the mandible and to compare the outcome of axial versus tilted implants.

Estudio demográfico de la esperanza de vida en Hispania a través del análisis de las edades reflejadas en las inscripciones funerarias catalogadas en la base de datos Claus/Slaby. Se describe la metodología de selección, descarga y análisis de las inscripciones por medio de un software escrito con el lenguaje de programación R. Posteriormente se elaboran las gráficas y tablas de distribución de edades documentadas y la esperanza de vida para distintas poblaciones (hombres, mujeres, libertos y esclavos). Los datos obtenidos se comparan con la población de distintas provincias del Imperio Romano así como con las de la ciudad de Roma, en total unas 40.000 inscripciones, concluyendo que la distribución de edades en la ciudad sigue una tendencia distinta a las de las provincias. Se refleja una alta mortandad infantil, se interpreta que la real fue aún mayor, y finalmente se documenta un mayor número de inscripciones de hombres que de mujeres.

Background. Optimal operative decision making in thoracic aortic aneurysms requires accurate information on the risk of complications during expectant management. Cumulative and yearly risks of rupture, dissection, and death before operative repair increase with increasing aortic size, but previous work has not addressed the impact of relative aortic size on complication rates.

The dental records of 638 patients treated with 788 posts and cores were studied to analyze failure rate and failure characteristics for two post designs. Frequency of the technical failures, loss of retention, root fracture, and post fracture were recorded 4 to 5 years after post cementation. There were two types of posts: custom-cast tapered posts and parallel-sided serrated posts. The cumulative failure rate was 15% for 456 tapered posts and 8% for 332 Para-Post posts. Loss of retention was the most frequent reason for failure for both types of posts, whereas root fractures had the most serious consequences, and all resulted in extraction. A significantly higher success rate was recorded for parallel-sided serrated posts, compared with custom-cast posts, regarding the total failure rate and the severity of the failure (p &amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05).

We propose a regression method that studies covariate effects on the conditional quantiles of residual lifetimes at a certain followup time point. This can be particularly useful in cancer studies, where more patients survive cancers initially and a patient's residual life expectancy is used to compare the efficacy of secondary or adjuvant therapies. The new method provides a consistent estimator that often exhibits smaller standard error in real and simulated examples, compared to the existing method of . It also provides a simple empirical likelihood inference method that does not require estimating the covariance matrix of the estimator or resampling. We apply the new method to a breast cancer study (NSABP Protocol B-04, Fisher et al. (2002)) and estimate median residual lifetimes at various followup time points, adjusting for important prognostic factors.

Aim To examine the success of the one-appointment pulpotomy technique with three different medicaments on primary molar teeth. Methods The study was conducted on 104 primary molars in 104 children with an indication for pulpotomy treatment on at least one primary molar. Primary teeth were treated with either formocresol (FC) (34 teeth), calcium hydroxide (CA) (33 teeth) or ferric sulphate (FS) (37 teeth) using standardised criteria for the pulpotomy procedures. Teeth were clinically and radiographically evaluated during the examination period of 18 months. Results The clinical success rate at 18 months for the FC and FS groups was 90.9% and 89.2%, respectively. The CA showed an overall clinical success rate of 82.3%, with no statistical difference compared with either the FC or FS groups. The overall radiographic success for each technique was: FC 84.8%, CA 76.5%, and FS 81.1%. The presence of a dentine bridge above the pulp amputation site was observed radiographically for CA (47%), and FS (40.5%) pulpotomies without any statistical difference. Radiographic examination did not reveal the presence of a dentine bridge for any of the teeth treated with FC pulpotomy. Conclusion Favourable clinical and radiographic success rates of ferric sulphate pulpotomy, comparable to formocresol were obtained. Therefore, ferric sulphate can be recommended as a pulpotomy medicament.

174 of a total of 2304 carotid reconstructions (7.5%) were performed in 166 patients for stenotic coiling or kinking of the internal carotid artery. There was a 1.4 male predominance and the mean age of the patients was 66.3 _+ 9.6 years (range 38 to 91 years). Seventeen patients (9.8%) were asymptomaticl 54 (31%) were symptomatic because of a previous stroke, and 103 (59.2%) had had transient ischemic attacks. The symptoms were hemispheric in 108 (62.1%) cases, ocular in 19 (10.9%), and vertebrobasilar in 30 (17.2%). The stenotic coiling or kinking was isolated in 35 (20.1%) cases and associated with other lesions of the internal carotid artery in 139 (79.9%). These included 119 atherosclerotic stenoses, 14 aneurysms, and six stenotic lesions due to fibromuscular dysplasia. Angioptasty of the carotid bifurcation was performed in 102 (58.6%) patients, associated with endarterectomy in 84 (48.3%) cases and with dilatation of dysplastic lesions in six (3.5%) cases. A bypass graft and resection and anastomosis of the carotid artery were performed in 36 (20.7%) patients each. There were four postoperative deaths (2.3%): two were due to neurologic causes, one to heart disease, and one to complications of an associated surgical procedure. Five patients (2.9%) had postoperative strokes and eight (4.6%) had transient ischemic attacks. At postoperative follow-up investigations four (2.3%) patients had carotid occlusions and 10 (5.7%) had morphologic abnormalities. At 5 years, actuarial survival was 80.97 _ 8.8%, patency was 96.12 _+ 2.95%, and the ipsilateral stroke-free rate was 93.12 _+ 4.49%. Treatment of stenotic coiling or kinking of the internal carotid artery yields satisfactory results, comparable to those of endarterectomy, for isolated atherosclerotic carotid stenoses and is effective in the prevention of ipsilateral ischemic stroke. (Ann Vasc Surg 1993;7:530-540.) Excessive length of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is observed on 10% to 43% of arteriograms. Elongation can take the form of a coil, single or multiple bends, or kinking. These lesions are stenotic in 4% to 16% of cases. H° Although their prevalence has never been specifically studied within the normal population, it is likely that

Fifty-nine allografts were placed in 43 patients with renal failure from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS): 27 allografts were put into 16 children aged less than 15 years, and 32 allografts into 27 adolescents and adults. Recurrence of FSGS was noted histologically in 13 allografts, 10 in 8 children and 3 in adults. None of the 9 children and 24 adults who never developed an allograft nephrotic syndrome showed FSGS in their allograft biopsies. The age of onset was a strong risk factor for recurrence: recurrent FSGS developed in 8 of 16 children (50%) but only in 11% of adolescents and adults (3 of 27 patients). Although the time from apparent onset to renal replacement treatment was shorter in those with recurrence than those without in the children, there was no difference in the time spent on dialysis prior to transplantation. Mesangial prominence was observed in the original biopsy in 12 of 13 patients with recurrence, and recurrence rate was similar in living and cadaver donor allografts; class I MHC matching was similar in those with and without recurrence. Three allografts treated with cyclosporin A as well as 9 with azathioprine showed recurrence. Of 9 second or subsequent allografts placed in those with recurrence in the first allograft, only 3 showed further recurence. rence. In 3 re-grafted after 13, 11 and 5 years, normal function was seen.

The snails Lymnaea columella and Lymnaea cousini have both been reported as intermediate hosts of Fasciola hepatica in Colombia. The eVect of the exposure to the parasite on survival, fecundity and size of these snails was evaluated by means of experimental infections and the life history traits of control and exposed groups were compared. Infection rates were 82.2 and 34% for L. columella and L. cousini, respectively. A reduction in Wtness was observed in both species when exposed to the parasite: fecundity alone was reduced in L. columella whereas in L. cousini there was also a decline in survival rate. Unlike other studies, increased size was not observed in either species. On the contrary, a reduction in growth rate was observed in L. columella.

Background: Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is characterized by the tissue deposition of monotypical immunoglobulin light chains (LCs). The aim of this study was to investigate its clinical characteristics and prognostic factors. Methods: Multicenter study of LCDD with renal and patient survival analyses. Results: Sixty-three cases were studied (age: 58 ؎ 14.2; males: 63.5%; / deposition: 68/32%; underlying disorders: multiple myeloma [MM] 65%, lymphoproliferative disorders 3%, idiopathic 32%). Ninety-six percent presented with renal insufficiency (acute, 52%; chronic, 44%), and 84% with proteinuria >1 g/d. During the follow-up, 36 patients reached uremia (incidence rate: 23.7/100 patient-years) and 37 died (17.5/100 patient-years). The factors independently associated with a worse renal prognosis were age (relative risk [RR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.009 to 1.086) and serum creatinine at presentation (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.5). Those independently associated with a worse patient survival were age (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.1), MM (RR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.22 to 6.2), and extrarenal LC deposition (RR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.15 to 4.35). While -LC deposition was more frequently associated with nodular sclerosing glomerulopathy, histological parameters were not predictors of renal/patient prognosis. The survival of the uremic patients undergoing dialysis was similar to that of patients not reaching uremia. Conclusion: LCDD is characterized by renal insufficiency with proteinuria and has a severe prognosis. Apart from age, the prognostic factors identified were degree of renal insufficiency at presentation affecting the renal prognosis, underlying hematologic disorder and extrarenal LC deposition affecting the patient prognosis. Dialysis is worth performing in uremic LCDD patients. Am J Kidney Dis 42:1154-1163.

The tomato red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi, is reported as a severe pest of tomato and other solanaceous crops from Africa, from Atlantic and Mediterranean Islands, and more recently from the south of Europe (Portugal, Spain and France). A population of the predaceous mite Phytoseiulus longipes has been recently found in Brazil in association with T. evansi. The objective of this paper was to assess the development and reproduction abilities of this strain on T. evansi under laboratory conditions at four temperatures: 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. The duration of the immature phase ranged from 3.1 to 15.4 days, at 30 and 15°C, respectively. Global immature lower thermal threshold was 12.0°C. Immature survival was high at all temperatures tested (minimum of 88% at 30°C). The intrinsic rate of increase (r m) of P. longipes ranged from 0.091 to 0.416 female/female/day, at 15 and 30°C, respectively. P. longipes would be able to develop at a wide range of temperatures feeding on T. evansi and has the potential to control T. evansi populations.