Prevalence and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea in young children with Down syndrome

BackgroundChildren with Down syndrome (DS) are vulnerable to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) because of their unique craniofacial anatomy and hypotonia. Understanding the predictors of OSA in DS may enable targeted screening.MethodsChildren with DS (n = 202) aged from six months to below six years (110 boys) were recruited from three UK children's hospitals. The clinical assessment included height, weight and tonsillar size. The parents either set up cardiorespiratory polygraphy at home or chose laboratory studies. Studies with less than four hours of interpretable data were repeated where possible. American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 2012 scoring criteria were used to derive an obstructive apnoea/hypopnoea index (OAHI). Predictors of moderate to severe OSA were examined.ResultsIn total, 188/202 (93%) participants were successfully studied. Of these, 169 studies were completed at home and 19 in a sleep laboratory. Moderate to severe OSA, defined by an OAHI of &gt;5/h, was found in 14% and mild to moderate OSA (1/h≥OAHI &lt;5/h) was found in 59% of the children. Male gender and habitual snoring predicted OSA but did not have independent predictive power in the presence of the other factors. Age in months, body mass index (BMI) centile and tonsillar size did not predict OSA.ConclusionsModerate to severe OSA is common in very young children with DS. Examination of tonsillar size did not predict OSA severity. Population-based screening for OSA is recommended in these children, and domiciliary cardiorespiratory polygraphy is an acceptable screening approach. Further research is required to understand the natural history, associated morbidity, optimal screening methodology and treatment modality for OSA in these children.</p

Observation: Botanical and other characteristics in Arctic salt-affected coastal areas

This study was designed to provide information on cover, botanical composition, and frequency of major plant species in a brood-rearing area used by migratory geese south of Howe Island on the Sagavanirktok River Delta near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The area is split by the Endicott road and the information was also used to gain preliminary information concerning the effect of the road on goose and caribou activity. Transects on the east and west sides of the access road at the base of the Endicott causeway were established to evaluate occurrences of vegetation, goose fecal pellets, caribou tracks, and coastal debris. The point intercept method characterized plant cover, species frequency, and botanical composition. The recorded occurrence of fecal pellets and tracks on the transects were used as estimates of the presence of geese and caribou. Vegetative cover was 21% west and 38% east of the road near the Endicott causeway base in 1991. The 3 species most prominent west of the road were Carex sub-spathacea Wormsk., Salix spp., and Puccinellia phryganodes (Trin.) Scribn. & Merr. (botanical composition of 26, 23, and 21%, respectively). East of the road, Salix spp. (43%) dominated botanical composition followed by Carex aquatilis Wahlenb. (13%) and Dryas integrifolia M. Vahl (11%). The west and east sides differed botanically. Caribou tracks were observed in 60% of the transects on both sides of the road and goose fecal pellets were more prevalent on the west side (86%) than on the east side (48%). Geese pellets and caribou tracks occurred in different locations in the study area. Goose fecal pellets were from all goose species and may have included more than 1 year.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Pollen Composition Significantly Impacts the Development and Survival of the Native Small Carpenter Bee, Ceratina Calcarata

As native bee populations decrease, there is a need to better understand their nutritional requirements to sustain healthy pollinator populations. A common native bee to eastern North America is the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata. Previous studies have shown that the primary pollen sources for C. calcarata consist of clover and rose. • The aim of this study is to compare the effects of diet composition on body size, development and survival. Artificial pollen diets were created using five different ratios of commercially available clover and rose pollen. • Diets containing higher ratios of clover pollen produced larger individuals with increased survival rates and faster development times. To examine this further, the macronutrient profiles of clover and rose pollen were characterised comparing: protein, sugar, fatty acid, and amino acid content. Results indicated that rose pollen contained significantly higher protein and sugar content, while clover pollen had higher concentrations of essential amino acids. These are crucial to bee health and development, which helps to explain the increased survivorship observed on high clover diet treatments. • Taken together, these results show that clover pollen provides a higher quality diet for larval development and survival of the native small carpenter bee. This research indicates that diet has a significant effect on the health of the native pollinator community and more research is needed to further explore the balance between pollen quality and availability, including essential macronutrients and the availability of these floral sources for wild bees

Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restoration

Soil and litter arthropods represent a large proportion of tropical biodiversity and perform important ecosystem functions, but little is known about the efficacy of different tropical forest restoration strategies in facilitating their recovery in degraded habitats. We sampled arthropods in four 7‐ to 8‐year‐old restoration treatments and in nearby reference forests. Sampling was conducted during the wet and dry seasons using extractions from litter and pitfall samples. Restoration treatments were replicated in 50 × 50‐m plots in four former pasture sites in southern Costa Rica: plantation – trees planted throughout the plot; applied nucleation/islands – trees planted in patches of different sizes; and natural regeneration – no tree planting. Arthropod abundance, measures of richness and diversity, and a number of functional groups were greater in the island treatment than in natural regeneration or plantation treatments and, in many cases, were similar to reference forest. Litter and pitfall morphospecies and functional group composition in all three restoration treatments were significantly different than reference sites, but island and plantation treatments showed more recovery than natural regeneration. Abundance and functional group diversity showed a much greater degree of recovery than community composition. Synthesis and applications: The less resource‐intensive restoration strategy of planting tree islands was more effective than tree plantations in restoring arthropod abundance, richness, and functional diversity. None of the restoration strategies, however, resulted in similar community composition as reference forest after 8 years of recovery, highlighting the slow rate of recovery of arthropod communities after disturbance, and underscoring the importance of conservation of remnant forests in fragmented landscapes