Diagnostic PCR assays to unravel food web interactions in cereal crops with focus on biological control of aphids

Successful biological control of agricultural pests is dependent on a thorough understanding of the underlying trophic interactions between predators and prey. Studying trophic interactions can be challenging, particularly when generalist predators that frequently use multiple prey and interact with both pest and alternative prey are considered. In this context, diagnostic PCR proved to be a suitable approach, however at present, prey-specific PCR primers necessary for assessing such interactions across trophic levels are missing. Here we present a new set of 45 primers designed to target a wide range of invertebrate taxa common to temperate cereal crops: cereal aphids, their natural enemies such as carabid beetles, ladybeetles, lacewings, and spiders, and potential alternative prey groups (earthworms, springtails, and dipterans). These primers were combined in three 'ready to use' multiplex PCR assays for quick and cost-effective analyses of large numbers of predator samples. The assays were tested on 560 carabids collected in barley fields in Sweden. Results from this screening suggest that aphids constitute a major food source for carabids in cereal crops (overall DNA detection rate: 51 %), whereas alternative extraguild and intraguild prey appear to be less frequently preyed upon when aphids are present (11 % for springtails and 12 % for earthworms; 1 % for spiders and 4 % for carabids). In summary, the newly developed molecular assays proved reliable and effective in assessing previously cryptic predator-prey trophic interactions, specifically with focus on biological control of aphids. The diagnostic PCR assays will be applicable manifold as the targeted invertebrates are common to many agricultural systems of the temperate region

Einfluss von Habitatmanagement auf die Reduktion von Schadlepidopteren im Kohl

Beneficials can prevent or reduce outbreaks of pest species. To strengthen the populations of beneficials, their food sources must be improved in cultivated areas. The effects of habitat management for augmenting beneficial population on parasitism and predation rates of three lepidopteran pest species were investigated on two organic fields in Alten (Switzerland). The aim was to improve pest regulation through wild flower strips along fields and by planting Centaurea cyanus as companion plant within the crop. Strips of Centaurea cyanus and Fagopyrum esculentum increased parasitsm on the lepidopteran pests. C. cyanus planted as companion plant furthermore increased predation on the eggs and parasitism of the larvae of Mamestra brassicae. Several technical and methodological aspects still need to be improved before the approach is ready for practical use

In Defense of Public Opinion Polling by Kenneth F. Warren

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96742/1/798144.pd

Ethical Conflicts in Healthcare Chaplaincy: Results of an Exploratory Survey Among Protestant Chaplains in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria

The paper reports the results of an exploratory online survey among German, Austrian, and Swiss hospital chaplains (n = 158, response rate 17%) to identify the ethical conflicts they encounter in their work. Respondents indicated that questions surrounding end-of-life care are predominant among the conflicts faced. Chaplains get involved with these conflicts most often through the patients themselves or through nursing staff. Most encounters occur during pastoral care visits rather than in structured forms of ethics consultation such as clinical ethics committees. The results add to the ongoing discussion of chaplains as agents in ethics consultation within healthcare systems as well as their specific role and contribution

Special issue on Drosophila suzukii: from global invasion to sustainable control

n/

Resilience of ecosystem processes: a new approach shows that functional redundancy of biological control services is reduced by landscape simplification

Functional redundancy can increase the resilience of ecosystem processes by providing insurance against species loss and the effects of abundance fluctuations. However, due to the difficulty of assessing individual species' contributions and the lack of a metric allowing for a quantification of redundancy within communities, few attempts have been made to estimate redundancy for individual ecosystem processes. We present a new method linking interaction metrics with metabolic theory that allows for a quantification of redundancy at the level of ecosystem processes. Using this approach, redundancy in the predation on aphids and other prey by natural enemies across a landscape heterogeneity gradient was estimated. Functional redundancy of predators was high in heterogeneous landscapes, low in homogeneous landscapes and scaled with predator specialisation. Our approach allows quantifying functional redundancy within communities and can be used to assess the role of functional redundancy across a wide variety of ecosystem processes and environmental factors

Public evaluations of the presidential nomination process

The evaluation of presidential nomination reforms has been the topic of elite discussion and debate, with little attention paid to popular evaluations. Public attitudes toward a number of reforms to the presidential nomination process were evaluated through survey data collected in 1988. The evaluations included campaign costs, debates, the influence of consultants, and the role of the media. The analysis suggests that there is a relatively high level of popular satisfaction with these dimensions of the current system. Popular concern about the nomination process is focused in two areas—the roles of money and the media. There is a strong suggestion that the movement toward regionalization of the calendar was responsive to partisan concerns in different regions of the country.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45483/1/11109_2005_Article_BF01002141.pd

Renardus: cross-browsing European subject gateways via a common classification system (DDC)

This paper presents the approach and first results of the classification mapping process in the EU project Renardus. The outcome in Renardus is a cross-browsing feature based on the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and improved subject searching across distributed and heterogeneous European subject gateways. The paper presents the project's initial experiences and decisions, e.g. an investigation of the use of classification systems by Renardus partners' gateways, general mapping approaches and issues, the definition of mapping relationships and some information on technical solutions and the mapping tool. There is also a demonstration of the use of the mapping information in Renardus and the presentation of several features that have been implemented to aid end-user navigation in a large and deep browsing structure like the DDC. Classification mapping for crossbrowsing is a labour intensive and complex effort which at the moment raises many open questions and leaves many more future potential work tasks than completed useful solutions