Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lola Welsch, Brigitte L. Kieffer
Summary: The release of opioid peptide in the brain affects the reward value of food for mice, leading food-deprived mice to consume more sugar than well-fed mice.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amir Haluts, Sylvia F. Garza Reyes, Dan Gorbonos, Robert Ian Etheredge, Alex Jordan, Nir S. Gov
Summary: Competition among animals for resources is common at all levels of life. It is often resolved through contests, where outcomes depend on decision-making by individuals. By studying simple systems, a theoretical framework can be constructed to understand animal contest behaviors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jack A. Brand, Winston K. W. Yee, Ian J. Aitkenhead, Jake M. Martin, Giovanni Polverino, Steven L. Chown, Bob B. M. Wong, Damian K. Dowling
Summary: Temperature is a crucial factor that affects organismal fitness and has significant ecological implications. The influence of temperature on behavioral variation among individuals and between sexes in ectotherms is still not well understood. This study investigates the effects of temperature on behavioral variation and metabolism in adult male and female Drosophila melanogaster. The results show that males are more responsive to temperature change in mean activity levels, but no sex differences were found in thermal metabolic plasticity. Higher temperatures increased variation in male locomotor activity, but not in females. Further research is needed to explore whether sex differences in behavioral variation in response to temperature change may lead to sex-specific vulnerabilities to a warming climate.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Irene Gaona-Gordillo, Benedikt Holtmann, Alexia Mouchet, Alexander Hutfluss, Alfredo Sanchez-Tojar, Niels J. Dingemanse
Summary: A major question in behavioural ecology is why behaviour, physiology and morphology are often integrated into syndromes. In great tits, explorative males are larger and leaner compared to less explorative individuals. However, there is considerable debate on whether these patterns are replicable.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Peter J. Hansen
Summary: Graduate education is crucial for academic scientists as it carries the responsibility of guiding students towards their career and life goals. Being a good mentor involves developing an education framework and adapting it to each student's needs based on experience, advice, and individual personality. Most importantly, mentors should be invested in the success and well-being of their students.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amir Haluts, Alex Jordan, Nir S. Gov
Summary: We propose a general theoretical model for the spatio-temporal dynamics of animal contests, inspired by interactions between physical particles. The model uses effective interaction potentials to map contest behavior into empirically verifiable rules of contestant motion, allowing simulation of observable dynamics in various realistic scenarios. Assessment strategies and fighting costs can be described as variations in model parameters, and contest duration trends can be derived and understood within the model. The framework enables exploration of spatio-temporal properties of asymmetric contests, such as the emergence of chase dynamics.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Senthil Kumar Hariom, Akshara Ravi, Gokul Raj Mohan, Harani Devi Pochiraju, Sulagna Chattopadhyay, Everette Jacob Remington Nelson
Summary: Gravity has a profound impact on biological properties and can induce adaptive responses in physiological functions. Astronauts in microgravity environment often suffer from various physiological issues. Studies suggest that artificial gravity simulation could be a potential solution to space-incurred physiological disturbances.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eoghan M. Cunningham, Amy Mundye, Louise Kregting, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Andrew Crump, Gillian Riddell, Gareth Arnott
Summary: Microplastics have been shown to impair shell selection and contest behavior in hermit crabs, affecting their survival and adaptability. Exposed defenders required higher raps per bout and longer durations to be evicted in contests when attackers were pre-exposed to different conditions, indicating broader deleterious effects on marine biota.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Miriam A. Zemanova
Summary: Safeguarding animal welfare in research is crucial for ethical and legislative compliance as well as the integrity of scientific data. However, very few universities offer specific courses on animal welfare, and these courses are often optional rather than required. There is a need for universities to provide more formal and mandatory education on animal welfare to better prepare future researchers studying and managing wildlife.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maggie Creamer, Kristina Horback
Summary: Research on human-animal interactions with beef cattle often occurs during stress-inducing contexts, potentially skewing behavioral and physiological responses. Future studies should consider conducting experiments in low stress contexts to better understand how animal personality and previous experience influence cattle production and welfare. By adapting methods used for wildlife response research, researchers may gain insights into improving the quality and outcomes of human-cattle interactions on rangelands.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sarah M. Lane, Tomas O. Cornwell, Mark Briffa
Summary: Skill is an important determinant of success and is influenced by motor control and traits. Interference from opponents may affect the translation of potential technique into skill. The study on European hermit crabs shows that technique exhibited during a "training" fight predicts the level of skill displayed in a real contest. Winners adapt their striking targeting progressively when faced with functional opponents.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Max Norman, Lewis J. Rowden, Guy Cowlishaw
Summary: Studies on primate personality have increased in recent years, with a focus on health, welfare, and conservation implications. While there is a strong taxonomic bias in the research, there is progress in integrating personality data into animal management practices. The assessment of personality may benefit social group management, enrichment practices, training protocols, health and welfare monitoring, and conservation planning for endangered species.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ana L. Patricio Silva, Joana C. Prata, Catherine Mouneyrac, Damia Barcelo, Armando C. Duarte, Teresa Rocha-Santos
Summary: The use of disposable face masks has become essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, but improper disposal has led to a new form of environmental contamination and adverse effects on wildlife. Effective remediation strategies are needed to address this issue.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Isaac Planas-Sitja, Jean-Louis Deneubourg, Adam L. Cronin
Summary: Planas-Sitja, Deneubourg and Cronin use a theoretical approach to examine the importance of personality and feedback in the emergence of collective movement decisions in animal groups. Using a simulation of Capuchin monkey data they show that variation in personality dramatically influences collective decisions as well as replaces feedback depending on the directionality of relationships among individuals.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Gonzalo Haefner, Janosch Schobin, Antje Risius
Summary: Prior research has found that personality traits are related to meat consumption, although the relationship varies across different types of meat. This study examines the role of animal-related ethical values as a mediator in explaining the differential meat consumption patterns associated with certain personality traits. The results suggest that animal-related ethical values play a mediating role in the consumption of beef and poultry based on specific personality traits.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oki Hayasaka, Kazuhiko Anraku, Yuya Akamatsu, Yung-Che Tseng, Miguel Vazquez Archdale, Tomonari Kotani
Summary: A new analytical method was proposed for determining the response threshold in electroretinogram, showing quick and reliable objective assessment through template wave matching. ERG recordings in response to different stimuli showed similarities in waveform but differences in amplitude and time lag under varying intensity conditions.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Garett Joseph Patrick Allen, Min-Chen Wang, Yung-Che Tseng, Dirk Weihrauch
Summary: Emersion affects water-breathing animals’ ability to regulate respiratory gas exchange, acid-base balance, and nitrogenous waste excretion. Helice formosensis mitigates these effects by altering urine and branchial water, but prolonged emersion may result in overcompensatory metabolic alkalosis. During emersion, ammonia can be temporarily converted to alanine, indicating a unique adaptation mechanism in these crustaceans. Additionally, Helice formosensis can actively suppress desiccation by producing hyperosmotic urine.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Joan Tang Xiao Joe, Yung-Che Tseng, Jen-Leih Wu, Ming-Wei Lu
Summary: The intestinal microbiota communities in grouper infected with pathogens show decreased microbial diversity and increased microbial richness. Pathogen-infected grouper have higher levels of harmful genera in their intestines, while beneficial genera predominate in the intestines of the control group. In addition, immune-related genes such as immunoglobulin T and proinflammatory cytokines show increased expression levels in the intestine after pathogen infection.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min-Chen Wang, Mao-Ting Hsu, Ching-Chun Lin, Shao-Chun Hsu, Ruo-Dong Chen, Jay-Ron Lee, Yi-Lin Chou, Hua-Pin Tseng, Fumiya Furukawa, Sheng-Ping L. Hwang, Pung-Pung Hwang, Yung-Che Tseng
Summary: This study found that tropical tilapia demonstrate adaptive trade-off mechanisms in response to thermal perturbations through transgenerational metabolic adjustments. However, global warming may lead to reduced thermal variation and lower energy deposits in tropical tilapia. Lack of cold exposure across multiple generations of fish may also decrease the native cold-tolerance traits of subtropical/tropical organisms.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Wen-Chien Huang, Hong-Ming Chen, Yung-Che Tseng, Te-Yu Liao
Summary: This study examines phenovariant in three species pairs of sympatric morays from Taiwanese waters, revealing the natural hybridization of marine eel taxa for the first time and providing insights into the diverse evolutionary process among the morays.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min-Chen Wang, Fumiya Furukawa, Ching-Wei Wang, Hui-Wen Peng, Ching-Chun Lin, Tzu-Hao Lin, Yung-Che Tseng
Summary: This study explores the transgenerational plasticity in tilapia under global warming scenario and finds that parental cold-experience may affect energy provision during reproduction and early life stages of the offspring. Metabolomics-based profiling reveals potential metabolic traits that help tilapia cope with temperature perturbations. The study also applies feature rescaling and UMAP to visualize metabolic dynamics.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Mei Wang, Lin Chen, Zhixiong Zhou, Junzhu Xiao, Baohua Chen, Peihong Huang, Chengyu Li, Yaguo Xue, Ruoting Liu, Yulin Bai, Mengzhen Yan, Shuimu Hu, Yinru Dai, Chenyu Yang, Xiaoqing Zou, Zou Jiang, Jianxin Feng, Tao Zhou, Peng Xu
Summary: The present study provides insights into the genetic network and underlying mechanisms of early sex determination and gonadal differentiation in C. carpo. Differential expression genes related to sex differentiation and gonadal development were identified, and key time periods for sex determination and differentiation were determined. Functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction analysis further revealed the role of these genes in sex differentiation and gonadal development. The study also showed sexual dimorphism in plasma 17 beta-estradiol and 11-Keto-testosterone levels in C. carpo.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zeyidan Jiapaer, Lingying Zhang, Wanli Ma, Haoqiang Liu, Chengyu Li, Weidong Huang, Shuxuan Shao
Summary: This study presents a novel therapeutic nanoplatform, DSF@CuS, which encapsulates DSF in hollow CuS NPs to achieve in situ chemoselective activation of DSF and hyperthermal amplified chemotherapy. The combination of DSF@CuS and photothermal therapy significantly promotes apoptosis of CT26 colorectal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cheng-Yu Li, Karli Lawrence, John Merlo-Coyne, Scott A. Juntti
Summary: Pheromones, such as PGF(2 alpha), are vital in reproductive processes in multiple species. The hormones are necessary for pheromone signaling, however, the specific signaling pathways can be different across species. Our study using Astatotilapia burtoni found that adult males strongly prefer odors of fertile females and the attractiveness is mediated through a yet-undiscovered pheromone derived from PGF(2 alpha) metabolism. Unlike zebrafish, A. burtoni males do not exhibit sensitivity to PGF(2 alpha), but prefer females injected with PGF(2 alpha), indicating a different signaling mechanism.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Cheng-Yu Li, Chun-Ying Pan, Yuying Hsu
Summary: The outcomes of recent fights can affect individuals' contest decisions and their fighting ability in relation to their growth rate. This study focused on the variation of winner-loser effects in individuals of a species based on their age-dependent growth rates. It was found that fast-growing individuals were less likely to detect winner-loser effects and the effects decayed more quickly. Additionally, fast-growing individuals displayed stronger winner effects but not loser effects. These findings suggest that individuals respond to their contest experiences in a way that reflects the value of the information obtained, consistent with the predictions.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Yusan Yang, Eleanor Grant, Andres Lopez-Sepulcre, Swanne P. Gordon
Summary: Sexual harassment is a common outcome of sexual conflict, and females often change their behaviors to avoid unwanted attention. In Trinidadian guppies, males use either sneak mating behavior or courtship displays as reproductive tactics. In low-predation habitats, males use courtship more and sneak behavior less, and female foraging strategy coevolves with less severe male harassment. Our study found that both sneak behavior and courtship display reduced female foraging, but sneak behavior had a greater effect, particularly on high-predation females.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Jessica M. Bowers, Cheng-Yu Li, Coltan G. Parker, Molly E. Westbrook, Scott A. Juntti
Summary: Pheromones are chemical signals used by animals for communication, particularly in reproduction and social behavior. Understanding the mechanisms and physiological regulation of pheromone sensing provides insight into how animals process these important cues. This review focuses on hormones that regulate pheromonal communication across vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, and rodents, and explores their effects on peripheral olfactory organs and the brain. While the primary focus is on fish, other systems are discussed to provide a broader understanding of how hormonal mechanisms function across different taxa.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yi-Chien Lee, Huei-Mien Ke, Yu-Ching Liu, Hsin-Han Lee, Min-Chen Wang, Yung-Che Tseng, Taisei Kikuchi, Isheng Jason Tsai
Summary: Obtaining sufficient genetic material from limited biological sources is a major challenge in biodiversity and genome evolution studies. In this study, we successfully amplified nanograms of DNA and mRNA from individual Caenorhabditis elegans using multiple displacement amplification (MDA) and Smartseq2 techniques. We generated long-read sequences with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and achieved high genome coverage. Through genome and transcriptome sequencing of multiple nematode species, we discovered genome diversity and phylogenetic relationships within the phylum Nematoda. This study demonstrates the robustness of MDA and ONT for studying genome diversity.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Zoology
Y. Yang, E. Grant, L. E. Johnson, E. Urquhart, S. Rosenbloom, Z. Walker, K. Hsiao, S. P. Gordon
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alex R. Quijada-Rodriguez, Pou-Long Kuan, Po-Hsuan Sung, Mao-Ting Hsu, Garett J. P. Allen, Pung Pung Hwang, Yung-Che Tseng, Dirk Weihrauch
Summary: Anthropogenic CO2 dissolution is leading to chronic acidification in aquatic ecosystems, impacting marine life at both the organism and ecosystem levels. Freshwater acidification, although less studied, can have negative consequences as well. Research on the Chinese mitten crab as a model organism indicates that future freshwater acidification can result in energetic trade-offs, affecting metabolism, calcification, locomotion, and survival rates, ultimately impacting the fitness and mortality of the species.
