Generalist invertebrate predators contribute to pest management in agriculture, providing an important ecosystem service, particularly in organically managed fields. DNA-based methods to study food webs and feeding interactions in unrestricted field conditions have transformed dietary analysis of generalist predators. In this study, we used MiSeq next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and universal arthropod primers to investigate the diet of several generalist insect predators collected in commercial organic Florida strawberry fields from November 2017 to March 2018. Of 12 predator insect taxa, Geocoris spp. (Say) (Hemiptera: Geocoridae) was the most abundant early in the growing season (November) and was collected consistently until the end of the season (early March). DNA sequences from 105 predator samples were matched to 44 arthropod families, and of these, 17 were categorized as pest families, 10 as nonpest or nonpredator families, and 17 as predator families. Drosophilidae was the most detected pest family, and Dolichopodidae was the most detected predator family. Prey diversity differed among the predators. Chrysoperla spp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) consumed more prey earlier in the season than did other predators, whereas the other predators consumed a greater diversity of other predators regardless of month. Our results showed a high amount of intraguild predation, but also that predators are contributing to pest suppression in organic strawberries and providing an important biological control service in Florida organic strawberries.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa125 | DOI Listing |
mSystems
January 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Unlabelled: Marine protists form complex communities that are shaped by environmental and biological ecosystem properties, as well as ecological interactions between organisms. While all of these factors play a role in shaping protistan communities, the specific ways in which these properties and interactions influence protistan communities remain poorly understood. Fourteen years and 9 months of eukaryotic amplicon (18S-V4 rRNA gene) data collected monthly at the San Pedro Ocean Time-series (SPOT) station were used to evaluate the impacts that environmental and biological factors, and protist-protist interactions had on protistan community composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
January 2025
Unitat de Trastorns Cognitius, Cognition and Behavior Study Group, Hospital Universitari Santa Maria Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
Introduction: Changes in sleep physiology can predate cognitive symptoms by decades in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it remains unclear which sleep characteristics predict cognitive and neurodegenerative changes after AD onset.
Methods: Using data from a prospective cohort of mild to moderate AD (n = 60), we analyzed non-rapid eye movement sleep spindles and slow oscillations (SOs) at baseline and their associations with baseline amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau and with cognition from baseline to 3-year follow-up.
Results: Higher spindle and SO activity predicted significant changes in Aβ and tau at baseline, lower Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale (better cognitive performance) score, and higher Mini-Mental State Examination score from baseline to 36 months.
Diabetol Int
January 2025
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, NTT Medical Center Tokyo, 141-86255-9-22 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Japan.
A 73-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital with anorexia, weight loss, and fever. A few weeks prior to admission, she became aware of anorexia. She was leukopenic, complement-depleted, and positive for antinuclear antibodies and anti-double stranded DNA antibodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cardiovasc Med
January 2025
Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Background: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is an extremely rare type of vasculitis characterized by inflammation within small blood vessels or tissues that may cause damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, and other organs. Here, we present a rare case of EGPA with cardiac involvement that presented with acute heart failure.
Clinical Findings: A 44-year-old woman with a history of bronchial asthma and sinusitis presented with fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, unintentional weight loss, and polyarthritis.
Proc Biol Sci
January 2025
Nepal Zoological Society, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Understanding factors influencing the spatio-temporal patterns of apex predators is prerequisite for their conservation. We studied space use and diel activity of tigers () in response to prey availability and anthropogenic activities with trail cameras in Nepal during December 2022-March 2023. We used hierarchical occupancy models to evaluate how prey availability (space use of prey species) and anthropogenic activities (number of humans and livestock) contributed to the tigers' space use, while accounting for landscape effects on their detection probability.
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