Molecular approaches for studying root herbivores

The use of molecular techniques in insect ecology has expanded rapidly, allowing ever more challenging questions to be addressed. Compared to their aboveground equivalents, root herbivore molecular ecology has received less attention, despite essentially the same ecological questions being of importance in both the above- and belowground ecosystems. Studies so far have concentrated on economically important taxa, using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing and a variety of markers to investigate the species identity and relationships, population dynamics and dispersal, distribution, feeding behaviour and interactions with other organisms. Although this has proved useful for elucidating these aspects of their ecology, there remains a need to focus on the functioning of root herbivores in the soil ecosystem. Application of new and emerging technologies developed for aboveground systems will increasingly be applied to those belowground, allowing a focus on root herbivore biology and ecology in the context of ecosystem processes and systems ecology. For the foreseeable future, however, the use of molecular techniques is likely to remain dominated by the need to address pragmatic research questions about specific taxa, notably pests. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

What has been researched in childhood obstructive sleep-disordered breathing: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Despite recent clinical guideline development, the best pathway of care for children with symptoms of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB) is still debated. This systematic review aims to map research in childhood oSDB conducted so far, to support further guideline development, identify evidence gaps and guide future research. METHODS: Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to 26 November 2015. All publications on childhood oSDB were included, irrespective of type and language. The annual number of publications in the field of oSDB was counted over all years; for those published since 1 January 2011 (i.e. date of latest literature search of American Academy of Pediatrics guideline), total and annual numbers of publications across main research themes and methodologies were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 7637 unique records retrieved, 5871 publications were eligible for inclusion. There is an increase in annual publications since 2000, with 46% published since 2011. Most (61%) publications focused on individual treatment modalities, incidence or prognosis. Few (2.7%) publications focused on health service delivery, outcomes and health economics. 78.5% of publications were observational, 2.4% were randomised controlled trials and 0.4% used a qualitative approach as their main methodology. CONCLUSIONS: A recent surge in research activity in childhood oSDB has improved the knowledge base for this condition; the lack of health services, health economics and outcomes research however impacts on the applicability of evidence informing current guidance and leaves important questions for future research

Marine macroalgae as food for earthworms: Growth and selection experiments across ecotypes

Historically, subsistence farmers around the Atlantic coast of NW Europe utilised marine algae as a fertiliser in agroecosystems, a practice that continued in small areas and is now considered to have real potential for re-establishing sustainable food production systems on marginal soils. Earthworms form a significant component of soil fauna and their ecosystem services are well documented. Therefore, palatability of marine organic amendments to faunal detritivores of terrestrial systems is of interest. This work aimed to assess the potential for growth of Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus rubellus and Aporrectodea longa fed with two common macroalgae (seaweeds), Laminaria digitata and Fucus serratus. In addition, choice chambers were constructed to permit earthworm selection of these macroalgae with more conventional organic materials, horse manure (HM) and birch leaves (BL). Over a period of two months, earthworm species showed significantly greater mass gain with conventional food (p<0.05). Laminaria outperformed Fucus, which in turn was superior to soil alone. Similarly, when given a choice, a significant preference (p<0.001) was shown for the more nitrogen-rich HM and BL over the seaweeds. No removal was recorded for A. caliginosa when offered seaweeds only. By contrast, L. rubellus and A. longa showed significant preferences (p<0.001) for Laminaria over Fucus and fresh material over degraded. These results underline an interest to profit from natural resources (seaweeds) to maintain or improve soil biological quality in marginal coastal areas

Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals for Monitoring Rare and Endangered Species

As global biodiversity declines, biodiversity and conservation have become ever more important research topics. Research in chemical ecology for conservation purposes has not adapted to address this need. During the last 10-15 years, only a few insect pheromones have been developed for biodiversity and conservation studies, including the identification and application of pheromones specifically for population monitoring. These investigations, supplemented with our knowledge from decades of studying pest insects, demonstrate that monitoring with pheromones and other semiochemicals can be applied widely for conservation of rare and threatened insects. Here, I summarize ongoing conservation research, and outline potential applications of chemical ecology and pheromone-based monitoring to studies of insect biodiversity and conservation research. Such applications include monitoring of insect population dynamics and distribution changes, including delineation of current ranges, the tracking of range expansions and contractions, and determination of their underlying causes. Sensitive and selective monitoring systems can further elucidate the importance of insect dispersal and landscape movements for conservation. Pheromone-based monitoring of indicator species will also be useful in identifying biodiversity hotspots, and in characterizing general changes in biodiversity in response to landscape, climatic, or other environmental changes