High Individual Variation Research Articles

Multi-Decadal High-Resolution Data Reveal the Cryptic Vertical Movement Patterns of a Large Marine Predator Along the Californian Coast

Over the last two decades, satellite tagging of adult and sub-adult white sharks Carcharodon carcharias off the west coast of North America has revealed a predictable onshore-offshore migratory cycle. Our current understanding of the vertical movements exhibited by white sharks while in their coastal foraging phase in the California Current, however, remains limited. Here, we used recovered datasets from 31 archival satellite tags to quantify vertical habitat use. Tags were deployed on individuals between 2000 and 2018 and recorded depth and temperature data at continuous 1–120 s intervals before being recovered up to a year after deployments. Four satellite-tagged individuals were concurrently tagged with acoustic tags, providing precise location data when detected by acoustic receivers that allowed us to explore how reported vertical habitat use varied spatially. While in the coastal shelf waters, white sharks moved at a mean depth ± SD of 14.3 ± 4.0 m and occupied significantly deeper depths during the day than the night. High individual, temporal and spatial variation was evident in vertical movements, while consistent diel and lunar effects emphasized the importance of light-level driving vertical behavior around hunting sites. The vertical movement behaviors reported here provide knowledge of how white sharks may directly and indirectly interact with their mammalian prey in a dynamic three-dimensional system during their capital foraging phase. Temporal patterns in vertical behavior, for instance, indicated that surface waters during early morning hours are the riskiest place for prey. Combining these novel findings with higher-resolution biologging techniques in future studies will allow us to further contextualize fine-scale vertical movement behaviors of white sharks and examine the specific foraging events that could not yet be isolated in the tagging data.

“We Use English But Not Like All the Time Like”—Discourse Marker Like in UAE English

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is characterized by extensive language contact. Although Arabic is the official language, practically all communication in general as well as in higher education, in particular, takes place in English. The current study reports from the larger projectLanguage, Attitudes, and Repertoires in the Emirates(LARES, 2019–2021) and investigates the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) among university students in Sharjah, one of the seven sovereign emirates of the UAE. A spoken corpus based on 58 semi-structured interviews is used to examine the use of the discourse markerlike. It has been shown to be a ubiquitous feature of English no longer confined to American English and occurs frequently in the corpus. It doubtlessly is a prominent discourse marker in the type of English spoken among the heterogeneous group of multicultural university students considered here. Although a large individual variation with respect to normalized frequencies oflikecan be observed, none of the social variables (i.e., gender, citizenship, L1, year of birth, number of languages, college, self-assessed proficiency in English, and English usage score) included in the analysis account for this variability. Instead, I argue thatlikeas a discourse marker is part of the English repertoire of all students and appears to be even more frequently used than in other English varieties. This supports previous research arguing for an intensification of language change in ELF contexts as well as high individual variation as a characteristic of multilingual ELF users.

Influence of sperm cryopreservation on sperm motility and proAKAP4 concentration in mice.

BackgroundThe protein proAKAP4 is crucial for sperm motility and has been suggested as an indicator of male fertility. We determined the relationship between proAKAP4 concentration and sperm motility parameters in mice, and investigated the effects of cryopreservation on these variables.MethodsComputer‐assisted sperm analysis and ELISA were applied to determine sperm motility and proAKAP4 concentration in fresh and frozen‐thawed epididymal sperm of SWISS, B6D2F1, C57BL/6N, and BALB/c mice.ResultsProAKAP4 levels ranged between 12 and 89 ng/ml and did not differ between fresh and frozen‐thawed samples, or between strains. We found a negative relationship between proAKAP4 levels and some sperm motility parameters. Sperm traits differed between strains, and cryopreservation negatively affected sperm velocity but not sperm direction parameters.ConclusionProAKAP4 levels in epididymal mouse spermatozoa were unaffected by cryopreservation, highlighting the robustness of this parameter as a potentially time‐independent marker for sperm motility and fertility. The high individual variation in proAKAP4 levels supports the potential role of proAKAP4 as a marker for sperm quality, though we found no positive, and even negative relationships between proAKAP4 levels and some sperm motility parameters. Future studies have to investigate the significance of proAKAP4 as an indicator for fertility in mice.

Selecting the best non-invasive matrix to measure mercury exposure in human biomonitoring surveys

Exposure to mercury, even at low doses, can affect human health, well-being and life quality at a broad scale. Human biomonitoring is the most straightforward approach to measure and quantify mercury exposure in humans. The objective of the present study is to compare and discuss the relationships between Hg levels in the most used matrices, hair, urine and blood, with the aim to ascertain to what extent mercury exposure and internal mercury levels could be predicted by monitoring non-invasive matrices.The study population (n = 527) is a subsample from Spanish BIOAMBIENT. ES study (18–65 y, both sexes), with data of Hg levels in blood, hair, and urine from the same individuals. We found strong inter-matrix Spearman correlations between blood and hair mercury (r2 = 0.84), while the correlations for urine and blood mercury (r2=0.64) and urine and hair mercury (r2=0.65) were weaker. The geometric mean of the ratios between matrices were (GM, 95%CI): Hair/Blood 280 (271–290), Urine/Blood 0.174 (0.163–0.186) and Hair/Urine 2070 (1953–2194) and Urine/Blood 0.135 (0.128–0.144) for urine corrected by creatinine. High individual variation was observed particularly in those ratios involving urine. Considering the wide range of values observed in the ratios, we do not recommend applying them at individual level. The predictive models indicate that hair Hg was a more accurate predictor than urine. The inclusion of urine values did not increase the predictive accuracy, so, we recommend a cautious interpretation of urine mercury levels.Our study presents clear evidence that in a population highly exposed to food-borne mercury, a large portion of urinary mercury primarily emanates from methylmercury demethylation. We conclude that urine, as a non-invasive matrix, can be used as a reliable qualitative biomarker for Hg exposure when hair measurements not are available. For quantitative individual assessments, still blood measurements are to be preferred.

Systematic factors and individual variation affecting litter size of Boer and Jawarandu goat cross

We studied the systematic factors and individual variation affecting litter size in the crossbreds between Boer and Jawarandu goat. The data were obtained from the records of litter size of Boerja goats from 2012 to 2015. The systematic factors consisted of season and year of birth, doe breeds and the kid’s sex; along with individual data including pedigree, date of birth, and parental breeds. The data consisted of 107 Boer does, 687 Jawarandu does, and 495 Boerja does with a total of 3804 kids. A linear model was developed to account the effect of systematic factors on litter size of Boerja goats. Later, a mixed model was solved with Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) method to estimate the individual variations on litter size. The results showed that litter size trait in goat was influenced by doe breed (P<0.05). Individual variation of this trait was also high (46%). Based on this research, it can be concluded that litter size of Boer goats and their crosses were affected by the doe’s breed with high individual variation. Doe’s selection is potential to improve liter size in goat crossbred population in the future.

Behavioral observations and stable isotopes reveal high individual variation and little seasonal variation in sea otter diets in Southeast Alaska

Two complementary approaches were used to assess year-round variation in the diet of sea otters Enhydra lutris around Prince of Wales Island (POW) in southern Southeast Alaska, a region characterized by mixed-bottom habitat. We observed sea otters foraging to determine diet composition during the spring and summer. Then, we obtained sea otter vibrissae, which record temporal foraging patterns as they grow, from subsistence hunters to identify year-round changes in sea otter diets via stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). We compared the stable isotopes from sea otter vibrissae and sea otter prey items that were collected during spring, summer, and winter. Overall, year-round sea otter diet estimates from stable isotope signatures and visual observations from spring and summer were dominated by clams in terms of biomass, with butter clams Saxidomus gigantea the most common clam species seen during visual observations. Our results indicate that these sea otters, when considered together at a regional level around POW, do not exhibit shifts in the main prey source by season or location. However, sea otter diets identified by stable isotopes had a strong individual-level variation. Behavioral variation among individual sea otters may be a primary driving factor in diet composition. This study provides quantitative diet composition data for modeling predictions of invertebrate population estimates that may aid in the future management of shellfisheries and subsistence hunting and the development of co-management strategies for this protected species.

Size variation in wild Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae): only a small amount is related to the host fruit

AbstractBody size is an indicator of fitness in fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), with larger males and females having increased mating success and egg production, respectively. Based on laboratory studies, the larval diet and its nutritional composition are considered the most important factors influencing juvenile growth and subsequent adult body size. However, a very limited literature is less clear on the importance of larval diet as an adult size modifier of wild fruit flies. Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) is a polyphagous species with larvae feeding within the fruit of over 200 plant species. To test the impact of larval host on adult size in wild individuals of this species, we collected naturally infested fruit from the field and then reared out adults in the laboratory. The wing length and dry body weight of emergent flies were measured. Linear mixed models were used to analyse the difference in size depending on fruit type, larval density, sex and their interactions. Separate measurements of body size, wing length and dry body weight were significantly influenced by the larval host fruit collected from the field. However, only 7% and 24% of the variation of the wing discal–medial cell length and dry body weight, respectively, could be explained by larval host fruit type with high individual body size variation both within and between host fruit types. Fruit protein content was positively correlated, and water content negatively correlated, to wing discal–medial cell length. Unexpectedly, the parameters of wing length and dry body weight were only weakly correlated with each other. The results support the large body of laboratory‐based fruit fly diet work, which identifies protein as a key component of the larval diet, but do not support a general assumption that larval host is the key driver of adult body size variation in wild frugivorous tephritids. Rather, and in agreement with a small number of laboratory‐based trials, the importance of larval diet to adult fitness appears to become less important as the larval feeding environment becomes more complex.

Movements and residency of Caribbean reef sharks at a remote atoll in Belize, Central America.

We investigated spatial use patterns of 77 Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize over 7 years using residency patterns, kernel density (KD) estimation and network analysis. We found a high degree individual variation in spatial use of the atoll, but there were significant differences in residency and activity space between sexes, with females being overall more resident. Ontogenetic shifts in movement and residency were largely limited to females, as the residency index increased and activity space estimates decreased as females matured, while for males there was no relationship between space use or residency and size. KD analysis revealed many mature females were highly resident to discrete locations, and average activity space of the intermediate-sized sharks was significantly larger than that of the adults, but not the smallest sharks. Markov chain analyses indicated that the southwestern portion of the atoll was the most important movement corridor for all sharks. Both the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments provide some protection for larger Caribbean reef sharks; however, a gear ban on longlines on the southwestern forereef between Long Caye and the channel entrance to the Blue Hole would maximize the benefits for all sharks.

Phenotypic plasticity, canalisation and developmental stability of Triatoma infestans wings: effects of a sublethal application of a pyrethroid insecticide

BackgroundTriatomine control campaigns have traditionally consisted of spraying the inside of houses with pyrethroid insecticides. However, exposure to sublethal insecticide doses after the initial application is a common occurrence and may have phenotypic consequences for survivors. Here, using Triatoma infestans (the main vector of Chagas disease in the Southern Cone of South America) as a model species, we quantified the effects of exposure to a sublethal dose of pyrethroid insecticide on wing morphology. We tested if the treatment (i) induced a plastic effect (change in the character mean); (ii) altered environmental canalisation (higher individual variation within genotypes); (iii) altered genetic canalisation (higher variation among genotypes); and (iv) altered developmental stability (higher fluctuating asymmetry [FA]).MethodsEach of 25 full-sib families known to be susceptible to pyrethroid insecticides were split in two groups: one to be treated with a sublethal dose of deltamethrin (insecticide-treated group) and the other to be treated with pure acetone (control group). Wings of the emerging adults were used in a landmark-based geometric morphometry analysis to extract size and shape measurements. Average differences among treatments were measured. Levels of variation among families, among individuals within families and among sides within individuals were computed and compared among treatments.ResultsWing size and shape were affected by a sublethal dose of deltamethrin. The treated insects had larger wings and a more variable wing size and shape than control insects. For both wing size and shape, genetic variation was higher in treated individuals. Individual variations and variations in FA were also greater in deltamethrin-treated insects than in control ones for all full-sib families; however, the patterns of shape variation associated with genetic variation, individual variation and FA were different.ConclusionsInsects exposed to a sublethal dose of deltamethrin presented larger, less symmetrical and less canalised wings. The insecticide treatment jointly impaired developmental stability and genetic and environmental canalisation. The divergent patterns of shape variation suggest that the related developmental buffering processes differed at least partially. The morphological modifications induced by a single sublethal exposure to pyrethroids early in life may impinge on subsequent flight performance and consequently affect the dynamics of house invasion and reinfestation, and the effectiveness of triatomine control operations.Graphical

Evolutionary diversity and species richness predict aboveground biomass better than tree size variation in local-scale tropical forest types of Nepal

In forest ecosystems, it is debated which measure of biodiversity should better explain aboveground biomass (AGB). Here, we hypothesized that high species richness, evolutionary diversity and individual tree size variation drive higher AGB in tropical forests but dependent on local-scale tropical forest types. For this, we analyzed the data of 101 plots (each 0.05 ha in size) across three local-scale tropical forest types (i.e., tropical evergreen and deciduous forest, sub-tropical coniferous forest, and tropical evergreen and mixed hardwood forest) of western Nepal. We used structural equation models to examine the multiple multivariate relationships amongst elevation, species richness, evolutionary diversity [either phylogenetic species evenness (PSE), phylogenetic species variability (PSV) or phylogenetic species clustering (PSC)], individual tree diameter at breast height (DBH) variation, and AGB in all forests together and across forest types. We found that phylogenetically close species enhanced AGB in all forests together, particularly in tropical evergreen and deciduous forest, and sub-tropical coniferous forest. However, both phylogenetically close and distant species were responsible for higher AGB in tropical evergreen and mixed hardwood forest. The coexistence of phylogenetically close species at different abundances and high phylogenetic variability in species with higher species richness collectively enhanced AGB in the lowland tropical forests due to the niche diversification. However, AGB was mostly explained by phylogenetically close species with unequal abundances at higher elevation areas, which may be due to the selection effects. Interestingly, tree DBH variation possessed a negligible effect on AGB in studied tropical forests. We recommend to use evolutionary diversity indices in the future development of forest management plans where aboveground carbon sequestration is a priority objective.

First Evidence from Sri Lanka for Subphenotypic Diversity within L. donovani-Induced Classical Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Sri Lanka reports a large focus of Leishmania donovani-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with CL as the main clinical entity. Two independent, long existed, and clinicoepidemiologically different transmission foci in the northern region (NR) and southern region (SR) were recently reported. Current project is an extension to this previous study. Clinical diversity within a profile of classical cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL) in a focus of L. donovani-induced CL is described for the first time. Patients with laboratory confirmed CCL (n = 550) from NF and SF were evaluated. Lesions in both foci were found to have all classical developmental stages (small and large nodules, ulcerating nodules, and ulcers) and other identified changes (multiplication, ulceration, and enlargement). Main difference was in the proportions of lesions progressing in to each different stages, proportions of lesion undergoing the main changes, and in timing of these changes during the course of a lesion. Northern focus reported a smaller proportion of lesions showing enlargement and ulceration, and a longer period of time was also required for these changes when compared to same in southern focus. In northern focus, most lesions remained small and nonulcerating and showed a higher tendency to multiply while most lesions reported in southern focus enlarged and ulcerated rapidly and remained single. Current study also evidenced a wider spectrum in the rate and pattern of progression of a skin lesion and high individual variation which could mask these region-based differences. Parasitic, vector-related, or a host etiology is suggested. Slow progressing nonulcerating infections in North may be the result of a well-adopted parasite strain that coevolved with its host for a long period while inducing only a minimal host response. This could be one among many reasons for previously observed silent expansion in northern focus while southern focus remained more confined and stable over time. Small nonprogressive, nondisturbing lesions can play a major role as silent parasite reservoirs in a community. In addition, the laboratory detection rate declined significantly when lesions multiplied and enlarged indicating the need for early laboratory confirmation. Usefulness of identified features in clinical screening and management needs to be considered.

Relative genetic diversity of the rare and endangered Agave shawii ssp. shawii and associated soil microbes within a southern California ecological preserve.

Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii ssp. shawii) is an endangered maritime succulent growing along the coast of California and northern Baja California. The population inhabiting Point Loma Peninsula has a complicated history of transplantation without documentation. The low effective population size in California prompted agave transplanting from the U.S. Naval Base site (NB) to Cabrillo National Monument (CNM). Since 2008, there are no agave sprouts identified on the CNM site, and concerns have been raised about the genetic diversity of this population. We sequenced two barcoding loci, rbcL and matK, of 27 individual plants from 5 geographically distinct populations, including 12 individuals from California (NB and CNM). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the three US and two Mexican agave populations are closely related and have similar genetic variation at the two barcoding regions, suggesting the Point Loma agave population is not clonal. Agave‐associated soil microbes used significantly more carbon sources in CNM soil samples than in NB soil likely due to higher pH and moisture content; meanwhile, soil type and soil chemistry analysis including phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, organic matter, and metals revealed significant correlations between microbial diversity and base saturation (p < 0.05, r 2 = 0.3676), lime buffer capacity (p < 0.01, r 2 = 0.7055), equilibrium lime buffer capacity (p < 0.01, r 2 = 0.7142), and zinc (p < 0.01, r 2 = 0.7136). Soil microbiome analysis within the CNM population revealed overall expected richness (H′ = 5.647–6.982) for Agave species, while the diversity range (1 − D = 0.003392–0.014108) suggests relatively low diversity marked by high individual variation. The most prominent remaining US population of this rare species is not clonal and does not seem to be threatened by a lack of genetic and microbial diversity. These results prompt further efforts to investigate factors affecting Agave's reproduction and fitness.

Space use, interaction and recursion in a solitary specialized herbivore: a red panda case study

Better understanding of ecology is crucial for the success of endangered species conservation programmes. Little information is available on space use, conspecific interactions and recursions by one such species, the red panda Ailurus fulgens. To address this deficiency, we used GPS telemetry to examine their home range, core area, home-range overlap, dynamic interactions and recursive movement, and investigated the effect of sex, age and body mass on these behaviours across seasons. The median annual home range size was 1.41 km2, with nearly a quarter of this range being used as the core area. Sex and reproductive status were the key determinants of space use patterns on a seasonal scale, while body mass and age remained significant correlates for the core area. The home range of males was nearly double that of females, likely because of the polygynous mating system in red pandas. Females avoided overlapping home ranges, while males overlapped home range with up to 4 females, and neighbouring males overlapped nearly half of their ranges. We found rare interactions between males and females outside the mating season. Red pandas showed site fidelity within their territory, with seasonal variation across sex classes. We also observed high individual variation in patterns of both space use and recursive movement. Taken together, these results suggest that differences in biological requirements across seasons determine red panda space use patterns, conspecific interactions and recursion. However, forage availability and quality, climatic factors, disturbances and habitat fragmentation are also likely to influence these behaviours, and these factors need to be investigated.

Trophic ecology of Humboldt squid (

The sclerotised beaks of cephalopods have emerged as useful material to track their habitat and trophic ecology by using stable isotope analysis, because beaks grow continuously throughout their life without replacement. Here, stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N in five continuous sections along the crest were measured to investigate the potential ontogenetic habitat shift and foraging-ecology change of Dosidicus gigas from the oceanic waters off Ecuador. In total, 90 sections from 18 upper beaks were examined with δ13C values of −18.99 to −17.49‰ and δ15N values of 0.69 to 7.09‰. Kruskal–Wallis test showed that there were significant differences in both isotopes between sections. The result of generalised additive models showed a significant overall decrease in both δ13C and δ15N values across the beak crest. The corrected standard ellipse area (SEAc) of the beak sections was 0.48 to 0.93‰2, with no high overlap between the two sections, with values ranging from 0.00 to 0.57. High individual variation of δ15N values in most beak sections indicated that D. gigas in our study area appears to have a generalist food spectrum in most of its life history, except for the stage just before being captured.

The impact of gastrointestinal dysmotility on the aerodigestive microbiome of pediatric lung transplant recipients

Delayed gastric emptying has been associated with increased graft rejection, although the mechanism of this association is not known. This study aims to investigate the interrelationship between delays in gastrointestinal motility and the diversity and composition of gastric, oropharyngeal, and lung microbiomes in pediatric lung transplant recipients. We prospectively recruited 23 pediatric lung transplant recipients and 98 pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms undergoing combined endoscopy and bronchoscopy. Gastric, oropharyngeal, and bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected for 16S sequencing. Gastric samples were also analyzed for bile composition using liquid chromatography. Patients who underwent lung transplantation had significantly reduced alpha diversity in gastric and oropharyngeal sites compared with patients with respiratory symptoms. This reduction in alpha diversity was especially evident in gastric samples in patients with delayed gastric emptying defined as abnormal gastric emptying on nuclear scintigraphy or as an elevation in gastric bile concentration (p ≤ 0.05). Whereas monocolonies were seen in the lungs of patients who underwent transplantation, these were not the same microbes seen in the stomach; the microbial overlap between lung and gastric samples within patients was low, and data indicated high individual variation between lung transplant recipients. Other contributors to reduced alpha diversity included antibiotics in combination with proton pump inhibitors, especially in gastric and oropharyngeal samples. Lung transplant recipients have reduced microbial diversity in gastric fluid (GF) and oropharynx compared with patients who did not undergo lung transplantation. The decreased alpha diversity in GF may be associated with dysmotility.

Evaluating warfarin dosing models on multiple datasets with a novel software framework and evolutionary optimisation

Warfarin is an effective preventative treatment for arterial and venous thromboembolism, but requires individualised dosing due to its narrow therapeutic range and high individual variation. Many machine learning techniques have been demonstrated in this domain. This study evaluated the accuracy of the most promising algorithms on the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium dataset and a novel clinical dataset of South African patients. Support vectors and linear regression were amongst the top performers in both datasets and performed comparably to recent stacked ensemble approaches, whilst neural networks were one of the worst performers in both datasets. We also introduced genetic programming to automatically optimise model architectures and hyperparameters without human guidance. Remarkably, the generated models were found to match the performance of the best models hand-crafted by human experts. Finally, we present a novel software framework (Warfit-learn) for warfarin dosing research. It leverages the most successful techniques in preprocessing, imputation, and parallel evaluation, with the goal of accelerating research and making results in this domain more reproducible.

The association between SA\u03b12,3Gal occurrence frequency and avian influenza viral load in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and blue-winged teals (Spatula discors)

BackgroundIndividual heterogeneity in pathogen load can affect disease transmission dynamics; therefore, identifying intrinsic factors responsible for variation in pathogen load is necessary for determining which individuals are prone to be most infectious. Because low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) preferentially bind to alpha-2,3 sialic acid receptors (SAα2,3Gal) in the intestines and bursa of Fabricius in wild ducks (Anas and Spatula spp.), we investigated juvenile mallards (Anas platyrhyncos) and blue-winged teals (Anas discors) orally inoculated with A/northern pintail/California/44221–761/2006 (H5N9) and the virus titer relationship to occurrence frequency of SAα2,3Gal in the intestines and bursa. To test the natural variation of free-ranging duck populations, birds were hatched and raised in captivity from eggs collected from nests of free-ranging birds in North Dakota, USA. Data generated from qPCR were used to quantify virus titers in cloacal swabs, ileum tissue, and bursa of Fabricius tissue, and lectin histochemistry was used to quantify the occurrence frequency of SAα2,3Gal. Linear mixed models were used to analyze infection status, species, and sex-based differences. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between virus titer and SAα2,3Gal occurrence frequency.ResultsIn mallards, we found high individual variation in virus titers significantly related to high variation of SAα2,3Gal in the ileum. In contrast to mallards, individual variation in teals was minimal and significant relationships between virus titers and SAα2,3Gal were not determined. Collectively, teals had both higher virus titers and a higher occurrence frequency of SAα2,3Gal compared to mallards, which may indicate a positive association between viral load and SAα2,3Gal. Statistically significant differences were observed between infected and control birds indicating that LPAIV infection may influence the occurrence frequency of SAα2,3Gal, or vice versa, but only in specific tissues.ConclusionsThe results of this study provide quantitative evidence that SAα2,3Gal abundance is related to LPAIV titers; thus, SAα2,3Gal should be considered a potential intrinsic factor influencing variation in LPAIV load.

P.002 Effects of long-term ethanol consumption: study the possible interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin brain systems

The results of a long-term study of the Campanula altaica phenotypic variation in the Western Siberian forest steppe (Novosibirsk) are described. Two ecotypes (subalpine and meadow) and three populations (Altai, Mountain Altai, and Tomsk) were assessed for the variation in phenological and several structural traits. The PAleontological STatistics (PAST) tool was used for statistical data processing. The adaptive changes in plant seasonal rhythms during their cultivation mainly appeared as a high lability of the flowering phase, whereas most phenological traits did not significantly differ at an intrapopulation level, reflecting an endogenous character of seasonal development. The intraspecific variation of structural traits is more pronounced: significant differences in the flowering shoot height, seed productivity per capsule, and several other characteristics are observed. The same traits of the accessions with different origins display different degrees and directions of changes. The least variable among the examined traits are the duration of vegetation, corolla diameter, and mass of 1000 seeds. High individual variation is a factor determining C. altaica as culturally sustainable species.

P.121 Effect of 5-HT1A receptor gene overexpression in hippocampus on behavior and neuroplasticity in BTBR mice – animal model of autism

The results of a long-term study of the Campanula altaica phenotypic variation in the Western Siberian forest steppe (Novosibirsk) are described. Two ecotypes (subalpine and meadow) and three populations (Altai, Mountain Altai, and Tomsk) were assessed for the variation in phenological and several structural traits. The PAleontological STatistics (PAST) tool was used for statistical data processing. The adaptive changes in plant seasonal rhythms during their cultivation mainly appeared as a high lability of the flowering phase, whereas most phenological traits did not significantly differ at an intrapopulation level, reflecting an endogenous character of seasonal development. The intraspecific variation of structural traits is more pronounced: significant differences in the flowering shoot height, seed productivity per capsule, and several other characteristics are observed. The same traits of the accessions with different origins display different degrees and directions of changes. The least variable among the examined traits are the duration of vegetation, corolla diameter, and mass of 1000 seeds. High individual variation is a factor determining C. altaica as culturally sustainable species.

Linking coping styles and enzymatic activity of energy metabolism in the wedge sole (Dicologlossa cuneata)

Knowledge of individual behavioural variations (coping styles) can be a very useful tool for aquaculture, since it could allow to adapt the culture conditions to the different behavioural traits and, thus, to reduce the stress in the fish getting in this way a better production. The objective of this work was the identification of coping styles and their possible association with energy metabolism enzyme activities in the wedge sole (Dicologlossa cuneata). After submitting the fish to different tests (Feeding Recovery, Novel Object, Aggression and Restraining), the results showed a high individual variation, especially in the adaptation to a new environment (CV = 90.92 %), latency to escape (CV = 114.14 %) and plasma cortisol levels (CV = 105.56 %), thus showing the existence of coping styles in this species. Two different personalities were defined: the CS1 group (reactive individuals) and the CS2 group (proactive individuals). The CS1, unlike the CS2, presented a shorter latency to escape, higher number of escape attempts, a longer duration of escape attempts, and higher plasma cortisol levels after an acute stress. In addition, significant differences were detected for Glycogen phosphorylase (GPase) that acts in glycogenolysis, presenting the group CS1 the highest values (0.80 ± 0.17 vs. 0.48 ± 0.02 U mg prot−1). In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time the existence of coping style in D. cuneata, proving effective the tests applied for this identification. Two different groups were observed with specific behavioural and physiological responses that fit the proactive and reactive patterns. Furthermore, these groups showed differences in the energy metabolism of carbohydrates in basal state.