Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rawan Kawach, Victoria Diedrich, Andreas Gruber, Kerstin Leopold, Annika Herwig, Maja Vujic Spasic
Summary: This study investigates the effects of photoperiodic acclimation and food deprivation on iron metabolism in Djungarian hamsters. The results show that both short photoperiods and long-term food restriction lead to iron sequestration in the liver, accompanied by hypoferremia and mild reduction in hepcidin expression. In addition, the levels of manganese, selenium, and zinc in the liver are increased under food restriction.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Duplessis, H. Lapierre, H. Sauerwein, C. L. Girard
Summary: Biotin, folates, and vitamin B-12 play important roles in energy and protein metabolism. This study evaluated the effect of B-8 supplementation on lactation performance and metabolic responses to B-9 and B-12 supplementation in periparturient dairy cows. The results showed that increasing B-8 supply did not improve responses to B-9 and B-12 supplementation.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marefa Jahan, Cara Wilson, Shawn McGrath, Nidhish Francis, Peter C. Wynn, Yuguang Du, Bruce Allworth, Bing Wang
Summary: The study demonstrated that Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) could be easily incorporated into sheep feed without affecting palatability. Maternal COS supplementation did not influence the body weight of ewes or lambs, but significantly increased immune response, especially concentrations of immunoglobulin M and interleukin 2.
Article
Ecology
Zenon J. Czenze, Mark Myers, Darin Collins, R. Mark Brigham
Summary: Free-ranging tawny frogmouths typically exhibit a pattern of maintaining higher body temperature during activity and allowing it to decrease during cold evenings, but this pattern is not observed in captive conditions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Anusha Shankar, Isabelle N. H. Cisneros, Sarah Thompson, Catherine H. Graham, Donald R. Powers
Summary: Many endotherms use torpor to save energy, but deep torpor in mammals may have potential costs. Deep torpor also occurs in birds, but the trade-offs are unknown. This study found that some hummingbird species are capable of both deep and shallow torpor, indicating a fine-scale regulation of avian torpid metabolism.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jan Okrouhlik, Radim Sumbera, Brett Gardner, Keegan Schoemann, Matej Lovy, Nigel Charles Bennett
Summary: Heterothermy is an adaptive mechanism used by African mammals, especially in the face of limited food and water resources. African mole-rats, lacking torpor, may be more vulnerable to ongoing global climate change.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle R. Shero, Amy L. Kirkham, Daniel P. Costa, Jennifer M. Burns
Summary: The study demonstrates how Weddell seal mothers mobilize endogenous iron stores during lactation to provide for their pups, resulting in compromised physiologic dive capacities in the mothers.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Rune Soras, Mari Aas Fjelldal, Claus Bech, Jeroen van der Kooij, Karoline H. Skara, Katrine Eldegard, Clare Stawski
Summary: To cope with unfavorable conditions, brown long-eared bats can enter torpor to save energy. The energetics and thermoregulatory ability during torpor are influenced by individual factors, such as body mass. These individual traits can be more flexible than previously assumed.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Daehyun Kim, Jaejung Ha, Woo-Sung Kwon, Joonho Moon, Gyeong-Min Gim, Junkoo Yi
Summary: This study confirmed changes in rumen temperature and body activity before and after parturition in pregnant cows using a rumen sensor. The rumen temperature decreased by 0.5 degrees from 24 hours before parturition to 3 hours before parturition, and then recovered after parturition. Additionally, there was a temporary increase in body activity at the time of parturition and 12 hours after.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Elise N. Erickson, Neta Gotlieb, Leonardo M. Pereira, Leslie Myatt, Clara Mosquera-Lopez, Peter G. Jacobs
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between maternal physiological metrics and labor. It found that sleep, activity, pain, fatigue, and labor symptom metrics are correlated with gestational age. Additionally, a random forest model based on these metrics can predict whether a pregnant woman will go into labor before the estimated delivery date (EDD). This research provides new possibilities for improving the prediction of labor time using maternal physiological data.
NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Cordelia E. Chan, Yang U. Lee, Steven J. Swoap
Summary: 2,3,5-trimethyl-3-thiazoline (TMT), a compound extracted from red fox urine, induces fear in mice, affecting their body temperature and circulating corticosterone levels. Mice exposed to TMT exhibit a freeze response and alterations in daily torpor.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ligia D. Prezotto, Jessica A. Keane, Andrea S. Cupp, Jennifer F. Thorson
Summary: The study comprehensively evaluated the role of FGF21 in female beef cattle and revealed its expansive role in various physiological processes. This provides a new approach to understanding the basic scientific processes governing the nutritional regulation of reproductive function and offers a novel means for beef cattle producers to select parameters of financial interest.
Article
Biology
Wei Liu, Zhi-Jun Zhao
Summary: The thermoneutral zone of lactating hamsters is wider compared to non-reproductive females. Lactating hamsters have increased energy expenditure and higher milk output to meet the demands of their offspring, resulting in a downward shift of the lower critical temperature of the thermoneutral zone. The organs with high energy requirements in lactating hamsters are considerably heavier, especially in those raising large litter sizes.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sebastian P. Arlt, Claudia Ottka, Hannes Lohi, Janna Hinderer, Julia Luedeke, Elisabeth Mueller, Corinna Weber, Barbara Kohn, Alexander Bartel
Summary: The aim of this study was to identify metabolites that show specific changes in blood serum during different phases of pregnancy and lactation in female dogs. Some metabolites show similar patterns to those seen in humans, while other parameters appear to differ between the two species. Further species-specific metabolomic research may provide a broader understanding of the physiological changes caused by pregnancy and their importance for fetal growth and development.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Rosamaria Lugara, Simone Renner, Eckhard Wolf, Annette Liesegang, Rupert Bruckmaier, Katrin Giller
Summary: Excessive intake of fats and sugars in the Western diet is a major cause of obesity. This study investigated the effects of Western diet and spirulina supplementation on gestating and lactating domestic pigs as a model for metabolic disturbances. The results suggest that domestic pigs have limited suitability as a model for Western diet-induced metabolic impairments, but low-dose spirulina supplementation can partially attenuate the negative effects.
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Clare Stawski, Anna C. Doty
Letter
Biodiversity Conservation
Sigurd Einum, Irja Ratikainen, Jonathan Wright, Christophe Pelabon, Claus Bech, Fredrik Jutfelt, Clare Stawski, Tim Burton
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2019)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Justin G. Boyles, Danielle L. Levesque, Julia Nowack, Michal S. Wojciechowski, Clare Stawski, Andrea Fuller, Ben Smit, Glenn J. Tattersall
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Physiology
Clare Stawski, Fritz Geiser
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Mari Aas Fjelldal, Jonathan Wright, Clare Stawski
Summary: Torpor is a common energy conservation strategy used by many mammal and bird species, especially in unfavourable environmental conditions. Research on Australian eastern long-eared bats showed that they use torpor more frequently in winter and at subtropical locations. Environmental factors such as lower ambient temperatures, increased rain, wind and humidity, decreasing barometric pressure, and brighter moonlight all influence the nightly torpor patterns of these bats.
Article
Biology
Karoline H. Skara, Claus Bech, Mari Aas Fjelldal, Jeroen van Der Kooij, Rune Soras, Clare Stawski
Summary: This study investigated the thermoregulatory strategies of the whiskered bat, the smallest species within Chiroptera, near the northern limits of its distribution range. The metabolic measurements showed no significant differences in basal metabolic rate (BMR) compared to other vespertilionid bats, and environmental temperature had no effect on BMR within the Vespertilionidae family. The metabolic adaptation of these tiny bats to high latitude living remains an open question.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clare Stawski, Emily G. Simmonds
Summary: Animals adjust physiological and behavioral mechanisms to cope with climate and habitat changes, such as increasing torpor to save energy. Different levels of vegetation in habitats affect animal responses, with some species decreasing torpor use in dense vegetation while others employing more torpor to store fat reserves.
Article
Zoology
Melissa Chenery, Fritz Geiser, Clare Stawski
Summary: Insectivorous bats use torpor and appropriate roost selection to maintain body temperature and conserve energy during the cold season. These behaviors are crucial for their winter survival.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Rune Soras, Mari Aas Fjelldal, Claus Bech, Jeroen van der Kooij, Karoline H. Skara, Katrine Eldegard, Clare Stawski
Summary: To cope with unfavorable conditions, brown long-eared bats can enter torpor to save energy. The energetics and thermoregulatory ability during torpor are influenced by individual factors, such as body mass. These individual traits can be more flexible than previously assumed.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mari Aas Fjelldal, Clare Stawski, Rune Soras, Jonathan Wright
Summary: Technological advancements have allowed for the measurement of skin or body temperatures in small animals, leading to debates on how to accurately define torpor. This study proposes a quantitative method for defining torpor entries, arousals, and stable torpor periods, providing insight into individual use of torpor. By avoiding strict threshold values, the researchers identified potential underestimations of torpor bout durations. Differentiating between torpor phases, particularly active arousals, is crucial for evaluating energetic savings gained through torpor use.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luc Kieffer, Rune Soras, Tomasz M. Ciesielski, Clare Stawski
Summary: To assess the impact of increasing pollutant levels on wildlife, chemical contaminant loads in bats were measured. The concentrations of 55 elements in bat fur were measured using ICP-MS. Variations in element concentrations were analyzed, with a focus on arsenic, mercury, and lead. The results indicate potential dangers to bat health and offspring due to high levels of chemical contamination, emphasizing the conservation concern for these important insect control agents.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Julia Nowack, Clare Stawski, Fritz Geiser, Danielle L. Levesque
Summary: Torpor, traditionally believed to be a winter survival mechanism for animals in cold habitats, is not limited to Northern hemisphere species and can be triggered by various factors. Our macroanalysis of torpor use in mammal species reveals that predictable, seasonal torpor patterns observed in temperate and polar species are highly evolved forms, while the opportunistic and variable forms seen in tropical species are likely closer to ancestral patterns. These findings emphasize that torpor patterns in the tropics should be considered as the norm rather than the exception.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adne M. Nafstad, Bernt Ronning, Kenneth Aase, Thor Harald Ringsby, Ingerid J. Hagen, Peter S. Ranke, Thomas Kvalnes, Clare Stawski, Katja Raesaenen, Bernt-Erik Saether, Stefanie Muff, Henrik Jensen
Summary: The study explores the evolutionary potential of basal metabolic rate (BMR) in two populations of house sparrows. The results indicate that BMR is genetically correlated with body mass and has the potential to evolve independently of it. The spatial population structure also affects the evolutionary potential of BMR.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mari Aas Fjelldal, Amandine Sophie Muller, Irja Ida Ratikainen, Clare Stawski, Jonathan Wright
Summary: Strong seasonality at high latitudes poses challenges for endotherms, and bats employ torpor during summer to save energy. Small-bats-in-summer at high latitudes face the challenge of short summer nights and even a lack of true night.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Taylor Hume, Fritz Geiser, Shannon E. Currie, Gerhard Kortner, Clare Stawski