Effects of SmartWater,a fluorescent mark,on the dispersal,behavior, and biocontrol efficacy of Phytoseiulus persimilis

New marking methods for studying small biocontrol agents (especially predatory mites) are needed because many current techniques are expensive, ineffective or not applicable to small organisms. The objective of this study was to determine whether SmartWater, a liquid and permanent fluorescent dye, can be used to mark Phytoseiulus persimilis for experimentation without any deleterious effects on its dispersal, behavior, reproduction, and biocontrol efficacy. Our results show that there were no significant differences in movement, inter-plant dispersal, feeding behavior, survivability, and reproduction between marked P. persimilis and control individuals sprayed with water. We also found that the SmartWater mark lasted for the duration of the mites’ life, indicating strong durability over time. Marking efficacy may be reduced, due to a trade-off between batch marking efficacy and the possibility of drowning study organisms. However, we feel future research could improve liquid marking techniques that would reduce this risk. Overall, this study concludes that SmartWater could be a useful marking tool for predatory mites in both laboratory and field studies.

     

Methodological inconsistencies define thermal bottlenecks in fish life cycle: a comment on Dahlke et al. 2020

Evolutionary Ecology - Comparative analyses require researchers to not only ensure data quality, but to also make prudent and justifiable assumptions about data comparability. A failure to do so...     

The influence of wastewater pretreatment,attachment material,and inoculation strategy on the growth of target algal species in cultivated biofilms

Journal of Applied Phycology - Microalgal biofilms are promising sources of sustainable biofuels and bioproducts because of their minimal growth requirements, ability to sequester CO2, and high...     

Correction to: Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Group Sleep and Pathogen-Vector Avoidance: Experimental Support for the Encounter-Dilution Effect

International Journal of Primatology - The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the authorgroup section.     

Roadkill distribution at the wildland-urban interface

The growing wildland-urban interface is a frontier of human-wildlife conflict worldwide. Where natural and developed areas meet, there is potential for negative interactions between humans and wild animals, including wildlife-vehicle collisions. Understanding the environmental and anthropogenic factors leading to these collisions can inform transportation and habitat planning, with an objective of reducing animal mortality and human costs. We investigated spatial, temporal, and species-specific patterns of roadkill on Interstate-280 (I-280) in California, USA, and examined the effects of land cover, fencing, lighting, and traffic. The highway is situated just south of San Francisco, dividing a large wildlife refuge to the west from dense residential areas to the east, and therefore presents a major barrier to wildlife movement. Areas with a higher percentage of developed land east of I-280 and areas with more open space on the west side of I-280 were associated with an increase in overall roadkill, suggesting that hard boundaries at the wildland-urban interface may be zones of high risk for dispersing animals. This pattern was especially strong for raccoons (Procyon lotor) and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The presence of lighting correlated with increased roadkill with the exception of coyote (Canis latrans). Contrary to our expectations, we found weak evidence that fencing increases roadkill, perhaps because animals become trapped on roadways or because fencing is not sufficient to block access to the road by wildlife. Finally, we found strong evidence for roadkill seasonality, correlated with differences in movement and dispersal across life-history stages. We highlight the value of citizen-science datasets for monitoring human-wildlife conflict and suggest potential mitigation measures to reduce the negative effects of wildlife-vehicle collisions for people and wildlife. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

Geography,seasonality, and host‐associated population structure influence the fecal microbiome of a genetically depauparate Arctic mammal

The Canadian Arctic is an extreme environment with low floral and faunal diversity characterized by major seasonal shifts in temperature, moisture, and daylight. Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are one of few large herbivores able to survive this harsh environment. Microbiome research of the gastrointestinal tract may hold clues as to how muskoxen exist in the Arctic, but also how this species may respond to rapid environmental changes. In this study, we investigated the effects of season (spring/summer/winter), year (2007–2016), and host genetic structure on population‐level microbiome variation in muskoxen from the Canadian Arctic. We utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the fecal microbial communities of 78 male muskoxen encompassing two population genetic clusters. These clusters are defined by Arctic Mainland and Island populations, including the following: (a) two mainland sampling locations of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and (b) four locations of Victoria Island. Between these geographic populations, we found that differences in the microbiome reflected host‐associated genetic cluster with evidence of migration. Within populations, seasonality influenced bacterial diversity with no significant differences between years of sampling. We found evidence of pathogenic bacteria, with significantly higher presence in mainland samples. Our findings demonstrate the effects of seasonality and the role of host population‐level structure in driving fecal microbiome differences in a large Arctic mammal.     

Exploring neuropeptide signalling through proteomics and peptidomics

Introduction: Neuropeptides are neuro-endocrine signaling molecules capable of signaling as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators or neurohormones. Studying how neuropeptide signaling is integrated in endocrine pathways and how neuropeptides regulate endogenous processes is crucial to understanding how multicellular organisms respond to environmental and internal cues.

Areas covered: This review will cover proteomics and peptidomics approaches used in researching peptide signaling systems and breakthroughs that were achieved in this field. Both differential mass spectrometry and reverse genetic approaches are commonly used to study neuropeptidergic signaling. The field of proteomics quickly developed in the past decades and expanded from gel-based approaches to include advanced liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. We explore how proteomics is used to reveal neuropeptide maturation and identify downstream targets of neuropeptide signaling pathways. We show how peptidomics differs from standard proteomics approaches and how it is used to study both neuropeptide processing and signal pathway identification.

Expert commentary: Thanks to recent advancements in isolation techniques and increased sensitivity of equipment, proteomics and peptidomics studies of neuropeptide signaling are contributing increasingly to elucidating functional implications of endocrine signaling. Further technical progress should allow for full peptidomic profiling of single neurons, eventually providing us with a complete comprehension of endocrine signaling.     

Perceived challenges in the informed consent process: Mismatches between enrollers and researchers at a South African clinical research site

Enrollers play a critical yet often overlooked role in clinical research, particularly in informed consent processes. Study retention may depend in part on how complex information is conveyed to potential participants. This qualitative study aimed to assess communicative barriers during consent and enrolment in two South African TB/HIV clinical studies. In particular, we compared our own perceptions of potential challenges to consent with that of thirteen enrollers, gained via reflective journaling and focus group discussions. Some overlap of identified challenges was evident, including terminology, jargon and consent document format. However there were mismatches to identified challenges. Enrollers provided further insights into potential challenges to consent, in particular, blood withdrawal, discussion of sexual issues and misunderstanding of study participation. Enrollers also reported feeling ill‐equipped to provide counselling when participants became distressed. We offer several recommendations for strengthening the inclusion of enrollers in the development of clinical research protocols and consent documents.