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Objective This study aimed to determine the association of health determinants, lifestyle and socioeconomic variables on healthcare use in people with diabetes in Europe. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the European Health Interview Survey wave 2 (ie, secondary analysis). Setting The sample included data from 25 European countries. Participants The sample included 16 270 patients with diabetes aged 15 years or older (49.1% men and 50.9% women). Results The survey data showed that 58.2% of respondents had seen their primary care physician in the past month and 22.6% had been admitted to the hospital in the past year. Use of primary care was associated with being retired (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.13, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.19) and having very poor self-perceived health (PR 1.80, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.15), long-standing health problems (PR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.24), high blood pressure (PR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.10) and chronic back pain (PR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.11). Hospital admission was associated with very poor self-perceived health (PR 3.03, 95% CI 2.14 to 4.31), accidents at home (PR 1.54, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.69), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (PR 1.34, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.47), high blood pressure (PR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.17), chronic back pain (PR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.98), moderate difficulty walking (PR 1.33, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.45) and severe difficulty walking (PR 1.67, 95% CI 1.51 to 1.85). Conclusions In the European diabetic population, the high cumulative incidences of primary care visits and hospital admissions are associated with labour status, alcohol consumption, self-perceived health, long-standing health problems, high blood pressure, chronic back pain, accidents at home, COPD and difficulty walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The defensive behavior of 52 hybrid honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies from four sets of crosses was studied and compared with that of European and Africanized bee colonies. Colonies containing F1 hybrid workers were obtained through reciprocal crosses between European and Africanized bees. The total number of stings deposited by workers in a moving leather patch in 1 min was recorded. In each of the four sets of crosses, bees from hybrid colonies of Africanized paternity left more stings in leather patches than bees from hybrid colonies of European paternity. Results strongly suggest paternal effects of African origin increasing the defensive behavior of hybrid colonies. Although some degree of dominance was observed for high-defensive behavior in one of the four sets of crosses involving European paternity, most of the dominance effects reported in the literature appear to be the result of paternal effects. Several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon, as well as the implications of these effects on the fitness and breeding of honeybees are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Rupatadine is an oral active antihistamine and platelet-activating factor antagonist indicated for the management of allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria in Europe. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of the concomitant administration of azithromycin and rupatadine on the pharmacokinetics of rupatadine and its metabolites after repeated doses. Methods: This was a multiple-dose, randomized, open-label, 2-way, crossover, Phase I study in which healthy male and female volunteers received rupatadine 10 mg once a day for 6 days either alone or with azithromycin 500 mg on day 2 and 250 mg from day 3 to day 6. Treatments were administered after a fasting period of 10 hours with 240 mL of water, and fasting conditions were kept until 3 hours postmedication. A washout period of at least 21 days between the 2 active periods was observed. Blood samples were collected and plasma concentrations of rupatadine and its metabolites desloratadine and 3-hydroxydesloratadine were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Tolerability was based on the recording of adverse events (AEs), physical examination, electrocardiograms, and laboratory screen controls at baseline and the final study visit. Results: Twenty-four healthy volunteers (15 males, 9 females; mean [SD] age, 25.67 [5.58] years; weight, 65.96 [8.57] kg) completed the study. Except for maximum observed concentration during a dosing interval (Cmax,ss) of 3-hydroxydesloratadine, on average, there were no statistically significant differences in mean plasma concentrations in any of the main pharmacokinetic parameters of rupatadine, desloratadine, and 3-hydroxydesloratadine when administered in combination with azithromycin or alone. The Cmax,ss ratio was 111 (90% CI, 91–136) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve during a dosing interval (AUC0-τ) ratio had a value of 103 (90% CI, 91–117). The corresponding ratios for the rupatadine metabolites were 109 (90% CI, 100–120) for Cmax,ss and 103 (90% CI, 96–110) for AUC0-τ for desloratadine and 109 (90% CI, 103–115) for Cmax,ss and 104 (90% CI, 100–108) for AUC0-τ for 3-hydroxydesloratadine. Point estimates for Cmax,ss ratios using paired data were 111% for rupatadine, 109% for desloratadine, and 109% for 3-hydroxydesloratadine. The 90% CIs were included in the interval 80% to 125% for desloratadine and 3-hydroxydesloratadine, whereas 90% CI for rupatadine was shifted to the right of the interval used for comparing bioavailability of the drugs. A total of 5 subjects reported 9 AEs; 5 of these were thought to be related to the drug administration and all were categorized as mild or moderate. The reported AEs were somnolence (1/24 in the rupatadine group and 1/24 in the rupatadine plus azithromycin group), diarrhea (1/24 in the rupatadine plus azithromycin group), and gastric discomfort (2/24 in the rupatadine plus azithromycin group). Four AEs were considered not to be related (2 episodes of headache, 1 anemia, 1 cheilitis). All were resolved spontaneously. No serious AEs were reported. Conclusions: The results of this study in these healthy volunteers found no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters other than Cmax,ss of 3-hydroxydesloratadine between rupatadine 10 mg administered alone or with azithromycin 500 mg on day 2 and 250 mg from day 3 to day 6. The administration of rupatadine compared with rupatadine plus azithromycin met the regulatory definition of bioequivalence in terms of exposure and rate parameters; however, Cmax,ss of rupatadine was outside the conventional confidence interval. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Honeybees have an age-based division of labour that is influenced by genetic variability for the tendency to perform specific tasks. Individuals in a honeybee colony comprise diverse genotypes and their interactions can influence task allocation. Colonies from an African race (Africanized honeybees, AHB, Apis mellifera scutellata Ruttner) usually produce a much stronger defensive response than do European races of honeybees (EHB), and these races may differ in how individuals are allocated to the tasks of guarding and stinging. We observed guarding behaviour in colony environments that varied in proportions of genotypes (AHB, EHB) and population size. In large colonies, AHB showed much greater guarding persistence (number of days guarding) than EHB; hybrids were intermediate. In another series of experiments, three families each of AHB and EHB were cofostered in colonies with different AHB: EHB ratios, then tested in large and small colonies. In colonies of both sizes, colony environment interacted with both famly and type (AHB or EHB) for propensity to guard. Individuals of both types guarded more persistently in large colonies, but family and type both interacted with environment. EHB were more likely to initiate guarding bouts in low-AHB colonies, but persistence did not change with environment. AHB were insensitive to effects of environment for the tendency to initiate guarding behaviour, but were more persistent in high-AHB environments. EHB and AHB may differ in how they allocate individuals to guarding. The positive reinforcement of behaviour that occurs in high-defensive environments and in large populations could cause a stronger stinging response through alarm pheromone recruitment. Copyright 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]