Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Javier Plaza, Carlos Palacios, Jose Alfonso Abecia, Jaime Nieto, Mario Sanchez-Garcia, Nilda Sanchez
Summary: This study used GPS collars to monitor the behavior of free-grazing sheep and found that their activity is regulated by circadian rhythmicity. Sheep exhibited an earlier peak in activity during the summer, potentially influenced by day length and temperature. The flock was more active during the day and least active at night, with higher activity at dawn in the summer. The preferred grazing direction of the sheep was influenced by the contour of the land and grazing area boundaries.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christine A. Ribic, David J. Rugg, Kevin Ellison, Nicola Koper, Pamela J. Pietz
Summary: The study found that the fledging time of grassland birds is not solely influenced by predation risk, with different species showing varying preferences. Further research is needed to understand the impact of species ecology and physiology on the fledging behavior of grassland birds.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Qin, Marc Amyot, Andrea Bertolo
Summary: The production of highly toxic monomethylmercury (MeHg) is unevenly distributed in the water column. The role of water column heterogeneity, especially zooplankton grazers, in mercury (Hg) cycling is still not well understood. This study found a significant association between the presence of zooplankton and the concentrations of dissolved total Hg (DTHg) and total Hg (THg) in the water. Results suggest that the heterogeneity of biotic factors, including phytoplankton and zooplankton, plays a key role in the cycling of total Hg and MeHg in boreal lakes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Shotaro Shiratsuru, Emily K. Studd, Stan Boutin, Michael J. L. Peers, Yasmine N. Majchrzak, Allyson K. Menzies, Rachael Derbyshire, Thomas S. Jung, Charles J. Krebs, Rudy Boonstra, Dennis L. Murray
Summary: The study found that the activity patterns of snowshoe hares and Canada lynx are not necessarily related to predation risk, and lynx can still prey on hares during the daytime when hares are inactive. This suggests that the overlap of predator-prey activity may not always be a reliable proxy for predation risk, highlighting the need to examine the spatio-temporal behavior of predator and prey to improve our understanding of predation risk.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Chunmei You, Zelin Li, Yuanzhi Yin, Naretuya Na, Xiwu Gao
Summary: Both insecticide susceptibility and metabolic detoxification enzymes in house flies exhibit diel rhythmicity. This finding is important for controlling the widespread disease vector, the house fly.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Martin Sladecek, Katerina Brynychova, Esmat Elhassan, Miroslav E. Salek, Veronika Janatova, Eva Vozabulova, Petr Chajma, Veronika Firlova, Lucie Peskova, Aisha Almuhery, Martin Bulla
Summary: Predation of nest is a common cause of failure in birds, but the timing of predation within a day is not well understood. A study on red-wattled lapwings found a daily predation rate of 0.95% with 70% of nests hatching successfully. Predation events were evenly distributed between day and night, with a tendency for increased predation around sunrise.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guilherme Duarte Ferreira, Joana Figueira, Sonia Cotrim Marques, Per Juel Hansen, Albert Calbet
Summary: The Live Fluorescently Labelled Algae (LFLA) technique is effective in tracking diel ingestion and digestion rates and detecting new mixoplanktonic predators, but caution is needed when using it in the field due to potential biases in ingestion rates caused by feeding mechanisms and selectivity.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Schwarz, Carsten F. Dormann, Diego P. Vazquez, Jochen Fruend
Summary: This study investigates the temporal dynamics of plant-pollinator interactions within a network, with a focus on the closure of flowers on Cichorieae plants driving the diel network dynamics. Availability of Cichorieae flowers in the afternoon attracts both generalist and specialist pollinators, leading to reduced turnover between morning and afternoon interactions in the network.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Margaret M. Doyle, Terrence E. Murphy, Margaret A. Pisani, Henry K. Yaggi, Sangchoon Jeon, Nancy S. Redeker, Melissa P. Knauert
Summary: This study introduces SAS macros for cosinor analysis, allowing for the analysis of biological rhythms data. The macros can generate datasets, output fitted and observed values, and plot the resulting curve for summarizing periodic data.
COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Gabrielle T. Petito, Jeremy Housekeeper, Jason Buroker, Craig Scholle, Brian Ervin, Clayton Frink, Hansel M. Greiner, Jesse Skoch, Francesco T. Mangano, Thomas J. Dye, John B. Hogenesch, Tracy A. Glauser, Katherine D. Holland, Ravindra Arya
Summary: This study investigates the diurnal rhythms and sleep-wake cycle variation of intracranial high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) in drug-resistant epilepsy patients. The results show that HFO density exhibits a significant diurnal rhythm overall and both within and outside the seizure-onset zone (SOZ). The study suggests that the difference in HFO density within and outside SOZ can serve as a potential biomarker for preferential times of pathological cortical excitability.
SEIZURE-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPILEPSY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Myung-Bae Park, Ju Mee Wang, Bernard E. Bulwer
Summary: Our study revealed significant seasonality in global search interest for dieting and weight loss, with the peak in January and the lowest in December. The Arab and Muslim countries showed less remarkable seasonal trends, while South Korea demonstrated strong seasonality on the Naver platform.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eric D. Huber, Bayley Wilmoth, Jorden R. McKenna, William D. Hintz, Leslie L. Hintz, Alexander D. Horvath
Summary: Contaminants in human-dominated landscapes are altering ecological interactions. The increase in freshwater salinity globally is expected to impact predator-prey interactions due to the interplay between predatory stress and salt stress. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of predation and elevated salinity on zooplankton abundance and vertical movement rate. The results showed antagonism between predatory stress and salinity on zooplankton abundance, with a significant reduction at certain salt concentrations designed to protect freshwater organisms. Masking effects were observed between salinity and predation on zooplankton movement rate, with elevated salinity reducing it. The study highlights the consequences of elevated salinity and predatory stress on fish-zooplankton interactions in salinized lakes.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Damianos Chatzievangelou, Nixon Bahamon, Sevenne Martini, Joaquin del Rio, Giorgio Riccobene, Michael Tanghenini, Roberto Danovaro, Fabio C. De Leo, Benoit Pirenne, Jacopo Aguzzi
Summary: The deep sea is a dynamic environment where benthic ecosystems are connected with the water column above, and organisms rely on external signals to synchronize their biological clocks. Diel Vertical Migrations (DVMs) play a major role in providing food to deep seafloor communities through active downward transport of carbon and nutrients. The integration of bioluminescence studies into monitoring programs using deep-sea neutrino telescopes can enhance our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity and the connection between pelagic and benthic compartments.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Margaret M. Doyle, Terrence E. Murphy, Brienne Miner, Margaret A. Pisani, Elizabeth R. Lusczek, Melissa P. Knauert
Summary: The use of GZLM-gamma model in cosinor models improves the fit and efficiency in detecting circadian rhythms, enhancing the study's power.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosie S. Williams, David J. Curnick, Andrew Brownlow, Jonathan L. Barber, James Barnett, Nicholas J. Davison, Robert Deaville, Mariel Ten Doeschate, Matthew Perkins, Paul D. Jepson, Susan Jobling
Summary: The study finds that PCB exposure is associated with reduced testes weights in animals with good body condition, while the impact is diminished in animals with poor body condition, possibly due to nutritional stress limiting testes weights. As testes weight is a key indicator of male fertility in seasonally breeding mammals, it is suggested to include these effects in population level impact assessments involving PCB exposures. This finding has significant global implications for the reproductive health of coastal cetacean species.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beate Zein, Benno Woelfing, Michael Daehne, Tobias Schaffeld, Stefan Ludwig, Jacob Hansen Rye, Johannes Baltzer, Andreas Ruser, Ursula Siebert
Article
Biology
Julia Nowack, Iris Tarmann, Franz Hoelzl, Steve Smith, Sylvain Giroud, Thomas Ruf
Article
Acoustics
Tobias Schaffeld, Andreas Ruser, Benno Woelfing, Johannes Baltzer, Jakob H. Kristensen, Josefin Larsson, Joseph G. Schnitzler, Ursula Siebert
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Acoustics
Tobias Schaffeld, Joseph G. Schnitzler, Andreas Ruser, Benno Woelfing, Johannes Baltzer, Ursula Siebert
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Thomas Ruf, Claudia Bieber
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Ruf, Sebastian G. Vetter, Johanna Painer, Gabrielle Stalder, Claudia Bieber
Summary: Female wild boars have high reproductive costs early in the year, adapting to cold temperatures by adjusting body temperature and gaining solar energy passively; their broad diet and omnivorous lifestyle contribute to high energy metabolism.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ursula Siebert, Julian Sturznickel, Tobias Schaffeld, Ralf Oheim, Tim Rolvien, Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff, Peter Wohlsein, Jan Lakemeyer, Simon Rohner, Luca Aroha Schick, Stephanie Gross, Dominik Nachtsheim, Christa Ewers, Paul Becher, Michael Amling, Maria Morell
Summary: Harbour porpoises are facing pressure from increasing human activities, including detonation of wartime ammunition. A study found evidence of blast injuries in porpoises following the clearance of WWII mines. The data highlights the importance of systematic investigations into the effects of blast and acoustic trauma in these marine mammals.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Magdalena Spiessberger, Franz Hoelzl, Steve Smith, Sebastian Vetter, Thomas Ruf, Julia Nowack
Summary: The study found that under conditions of high food availability, wild boar piglets with heavier birth weights may have shorter telomeres at birth, but this does not affect later body weight or postnatal growth rate. An increase in telomere length during postnatal development was observed during the study period, potentially due to alternative mechanisms or short pulses of telomerase activity that were missed.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Thomas Ruf, Kristina Gasch, Gabrielle Stalder, Hanno Gerritsmann, Sylvain Giroud
Summary: The duration of torpor in hibernating mammals is highly influenced by oxygen consumption and body temperature, while the oxygen consumption during arousal is correlated with the previous torpor body temperature. This suggests the presence of an "hourglass" mechanism for correcting metabolic imbalance during arousal, without the need for non-temperature-compensated circadian rhythms.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biology
Oivind Toien, Brian M. Barnes, Thomas Ruf
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Zoology
Thomas Ruf, Claudia Bieber
Summary: This article examines the ultimate selective advantages of hibernation, focusing on the edible dormouse. The study finds that predator avoidance is one of the primary reasons for hibernation in this species.
Article
Physiology
Thomas Ruf, M. Michel, F. Frey-Roos, S. Flatz, F. Tataruch
Summary: Organ mass in alpine marmots is significantly correlated with basal metabolic rate (BMR), suggesting that the digestive system and organs involved in digestion are metabolically expensive. The mass of abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) and the remaining carcass are also correlated with BMR, indicating that even low metabolic rate tissues such as WAT can be costly to maintain. The uptake of fat by marmots prior to hibernation enables them to hibernate without food intake and reproduce in spring but at the expense of an elevated BMR.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Sylvain Giroud, Marie-Therese Ragger, Amelie Baille, Franz Hoelzl, Steve Smith, Julia Nowack, Thomas Ruf
Summary: Garden dormice hibernating in warmer temperatures have increased food intake, reduced hibernation time, and decreased body mass loss, resulting in better survival.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ortal Mizrahy-Rewald, Natalie Winkler, Frederik Amann, Katharina Neugebauer, Bernhard Voelkl, Herwig A. Grogger, Thomas Ruf, Johannes Fritz
Summary: The position and shape of biologging devices significantly influence flight distance, heart rate, and energy expenditure of birds. Unfavorable shape and positioning increase the effort required during flapping flight and impair the ability to glide or soar. The position of the devices also affects the length of flight stages. Optimizing the shape and position of the devices can reduce detrimental effects on bird performance and behavior.
ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander Riek, Anna Stoelzl, Rodolfo Marquina Bernedo, Thomas Ruf, Walter Arnold, Catherine Hambly, John R. Speakman, Martina Gerken
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)