181 patients undergoing resection of the oesophagus for carcinoma were randomised to receive selective decontamination (test group) or conventional perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (controls). 114 patients were finally included in the study: 12 of 56 test patients had 18 infections, whereas 32 of 58 controls acquired 51 infections. Colonisation with aerobic gram-negative microorganisms, and...

Conservation biological control involves manipulation of the environment to enhance effectiveness natural enemies in controlling crop pests. In this study, we combined historical data, sticky trap sampling tomato greenhouses and beat adjacent vegetation identify which greenhouse characteristics, habitat management practices landscape features favour an early colonisation by key mirid predator M...

Aedes geniculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a container-breeding mosquito species widespread throughout Europe and adjacent regions. Similar to other container-breeding mosquitoes, this primarily mammophilic species could be a vector for several pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. We here report for the first time a laboratory colonisation of Ae. geniculatus. Eggs and larvae were colle...

BACKGROUND Asymptomatically colonised MRSA carriers serve as a substantial reservoir for person-to-person transmission of MRSA in the acute care setting. Although many studies have evaluated prognostic risk factors for MRSA colonisation on patient admission to an acute care setting, a comprehensive review of all the prognostic risk factors was not identified in a preliminary search of the liter...

BACKGROUND Prevention of serious infections in preterm infants is a challenge, since prematurity and low birth weight often requires many interventions and high utility of devices. Furthermore, the possibility to administer enteral nutrition is limited due to immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract in the presence of a developing immune system. In combination with delayed intestinal bacterial ...

Does wealth persist over time despite historical shocks like colonisation? One strand of literature suggests no: Acemoglu et al. argue that colonisation brought bad institutions to most of sub-Saharan Africa that caused a ‘reversal of fortune’. Another strand of literature suggests the opposite: despite several centuries of colonialism in Latin America, Valencia and Caicedo argue, ‘persistence ...