Poor Nutritional Condition Research Articles

Mass mortality of Japanese macaques in a western coastal forest of Yakushima

The mass mortality of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata Blyth) was observed in a warm temperate forest of Yakushima, southern Japan. Demographic changes of eight troops between August 1998 and August 1999 were studied and 56% of macaques disappeared from the five intensively studied troops. Mortality varied among troops: two troops became extinct, while another troop did not decrease in size. The rate of mortality of the other troops was between 33 and 80%. The variation in mortality among the troops was either the outcome of local concentrations of mortality or of intertroop competition. The rate of mortality decreased with increasing distance from the two extinct troops and with increasing troop size; these two factors could not be separated statistically. The direct cause of death was diagnosed as pneumonia for four out of five fresh carcasses. The fleshy fruit production in autumn 1998 was the lowest in 14 years, and macaques had relied on leaves earlier than in usual years. It was exceptionally hot and dry in the summer of 1998. The exceptionally poor fruit production and hot summer of this year, with the resulting shortage of high‐quality foods, was consistent with the scenario that mass mortality was due to the poor nutritional conditions. However, the possibility that epidemics caused the mass mortality cannot be ruled out. Our findings proved that primates in a seemingly stable habitat experience fluctuations in demographic parameters under natural conditions.

Poor nutritional condition as a consequence of high dominance status in the Coal Tit Parus ater

The costs and benefits of dominance status have been investigated in the past and it has generally been reported that subdominant birds are at a nutritional disadvantage owing to their low dominance status. The nutritional condition of birds during winter can be important in determining their likelihood of survival. This is particularly so in small passerines that are sensitive to severe weather conditions. Ptilochronology is an accurate method used to produce a long‐term estimate of body condition spanning the number of days that it takes to grow a new feather. Ptilochronology was used during this study to estimate the nutritional condition of Coal Tits Parus ater during one winter and how condition was affected by dominance status. Dominant Coal Tits produced poorer quality feathers, which they grew at a slower rate, than did subdominant conspecifics. This study highlights a nutritional cost to high dominance status that could have long‐term consequences because the induced tail feathers will not be replaced for at least 5 months.

The neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor mediates NPY-induced inhibition of the gonadotrope axis under poor metabolic conditions.

Hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a central role in the control of food intake, energy balance, and modulation of neuroendocrine functions. In particular, an increase in NPY expression participates in the inhibition of the reproductive activity under poor nutritional conditions. The present study was designed to evaluate further the involvement of the Y1 subtype of NPY receptors in these effects. Food intake, body weight gain, and the onset of puberty were studied in groups of wild-type and Y1 deficient mice that were either fed ad libitum or subjected to a 30% restriction in food intake. This moderate feeding restriction induced a similar deficit in body weight gain in wild-type and in Y1 knockout mice. However, although wild-type mice experienced the expected delay of puberty, all mice in the food restriction group and lacking Y1 could go through puberty over the time of the experiment despite decreases in circulating leptin levels and increases in hypothalamic NPY expression. This observation demonstrates that the absence of Y1 impairs the perception of decreasing energy stores by the gonadotrope axis, demonstrating a physiological role for Y1 in the sensing of endogenous metabolic parameters by the hypothalamus.

RESOURCE ALLOCATION, HYPERPHAGIA, AND COMPENSATORY GROWTH IN JUVENILES

Many organisms exploit highly variable food supplies and, as an adaptation to such conditions, show elevated growth during recovery from starvation. In some species this response enables starved and re-fed individuals to outpace those growing continuously. The main engine of compensatory growth is a relative increase in food ingestion as a reaction to poor nutritional condition. We use a series of mathematical energy-budget models to investigate the interaction between the mechanisms that control such hyperphagia and those that control internal allocation, with the aim of identifying those strategies that permit overcompensation. We find that hyperphagia alone normally produces weak compensation and can never result in overcompensation. When combined with internal allocation, which routes a fixed fraction of net production to reserves, a strong compensatory response becomes the norm, and overcompensation is frequent.

Predator–prey analysis of striped bass and Atlantic menhaden in upper Chesapeake Bay

AbstractBetween 1997 and 2000, an outbreak of skin lesions and observations of emaciated striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), in upper Chesapeake Bay were attributed to a perceived shortage of its main prey, Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus Latrobe. Abundance estimates, Atlantic menhaden consumption per recruit analysis (modified yield‐per‐recruit), bioenergetics analysis and predator–prey theory were combined to explore whether an imbalance between striped bass and Atlantic menhaden in upper Chesapeake Bay was plausible. Reduced fishing mortality and higher size limits that underpinned the effort to restore striped bass during the 1980s and 1990s lead to more abundant and larger striped bass in upper Chesapeake Bay, increasing predatory demand for forage‐sized Atlantic menhaden, the abundance of which declined to a historic low. Nominal losses of age 0–2 Atlantic menhaden to harvest and potential striped bass predation exceeded supply after 1998. The outbreak of lesions in upper Chesapeake Bay striped bass coincided with increased variation in weight‐at‐length, decreased length‐at‐age, and decreased presence of Atlantic menhaden in diets. Decreased attack success, inferred from a 97% decline in ratios of forage‐sized Atlantic menhaden to striped bass between 1983 and 1998, would have expected to have been followed by a deterioration of striped bass nutritional state. Transmission of disease would have been aided by high density of striped bass in poor nutritional condition residing in degraded habitat (Chesapeake Bay was the most hypoxic estuary in the mid‐Atlantic region in the late 1990s). These problems suggest that striped bass exceeded their carrying capacity in Chesapeake Bay during the late 1990s.

A Nutrient Sensor Mechanism Controls Drosophila Growth

Organisms modulate their growth according to nutrient availability. Although individual cells in a multicellular animal may respond directly to nutrient levels, growth of the entire organism needs to be coordinated. Here, we provide evidence that in Drosophila, coordination of organismal growth originates from the fat body, an insect organ that retains endocrine and storage functions of the vertebrate liver. In a genetic screen for growth modifiers, we identified slimfast, a gene that encodes an amino acid transporter. Remarkably, downregulation of slimfast specifically within the fat body causes a global growth defect similar to that seen in Drosophila raised under poor nutritional conditions. This involves TSC/TOR signaling in the fat body, and a remote inhibition of organismal growth via local repression of PI3-kinase signaling in peripheral tissues. Our results demonstrate that the fat body functions as a nutrient sensor that restricts global growth through a humoral mechanism.

Contamination with nonessential metals from a solid-waste incinerator correlates with nutritional and immunological stress in prefledgling black kites ( Milvus migrans)

We assessed whether levels of heavy metals in blood have detrimental effects on the health of prefledgling black kites ( Milvus migrans) exposed to emissions from a solid waste incinerator near Madrid, central Spain. As health indexes, we considered body mass corrected by structural size as a general indicator of nutritional condition and white blood cell counts (especially the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) as an indirect measure of immune function. Nutritional condition was positively related to levels of Zn, an essential element with a major role in many physiological pathways, while the opposite trend was found for the essential Cu, the concentration of which tends to increase with decreasing nutritional condition. We found an interaction between Zn and Cd, indicating that high levels of Zn produce smaller effects of Cd on body mass. Potential immunological stress, expressed as an increase in the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio, caused by the toxic Cd increased as levels of Cu decreased. Thus, nestlings with low levels of Cu and poor nutritional condition suffered more immunological stress due to Cd contamination than nestlings with higher levels of Cu. We also found a negative interaction between Zn and Cd, indicating a response of essential Zn to increasing levels of Cd, which may be indicative of the negative effects of Cd on the immune system. These results suggest that the participation of metallothioneins in detoxification and metal regulation may also indirectly enhance the adrenal stress response to contaminants, probably through a competition of Cd and Zn for Zn binding sites on metallothioneins, reducing the ability of Cd to stress the immune system.

Offshore entrainment of anchovy larvae and its implication for their survival in a frontal region of the Kuroshio

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 248:237-244 (2003) - doi:10.3354/meps248237 Offshore entrainment of anchovy larvae and its implication for their survival in a frontal region of the Kuroshio Yuji Okazaki1,*, Hideaki Nakata1, Shingo Kimura2, Akihide Kasai3 1Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan 2Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1-15-1 Minamidai, Nakano, Tokyo 164-8639, Japan 3Graduate School of Agriculture, University of Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan *Email: f1333@cc.nagasaki-u.ac.jp ABSTRACT: Focusing on an incidence of coastal water entrainment into the Kuroshio frontal region, we looked at the fate of anchovy larvae Engraulis japonicus originating from coastal spawning grounds and entrained into the frontal region with the coastal low salinity water. Drifters were released in the low salinity water of the Kuroshio frontal region, and observation and sampling were conducted during drifter tracking from 18 to 21 May 1997. Naupliar copepod abundance and copepod production were high in the low salinity water at an early phase of the tracking, but decreased with elapsed days. Anchovy larvae were most abundant on the coastal side of the Kuroshio, especially in the low salinity water. Their ages estimated from otoliths were consistent with those inferred from the advective transport speed from the coastal spawning ground. The estimated biological mortality rate of first-feeding larvae (less than 7 d old) in the low salinity water was 0.71 d-1, which was high compared to rates previously reported for Engraulis spp. This high mortality could have been caused by poor nutritional conditions due to decreasing copepod production and abundance, suggesting that the offshore entrainment of fish larvae originating from coastal water could be unfavorable for their survival. The encounter with a frontal eddy would enhance food production and the subsequent survival of anchovy larvae in the frontal region; otherwise, they may perish due to low food availability. KEY WORDS: Anchovy larvae · Offshore entrainment · Kuroshio front · Larval survival Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 248. Online publication date: February 20, 2003 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2003 Inter-Research.

Reproduction in high altitude Aymara: physiological stress and fertility planning?

Reproductive characteristics at high altitude are described based on the reproductive histories of 720 Aymara women, collected in 1998 and 1999 in a group of twelve peasant communities at a mean altitude of 4000 m in the Bolivian Altiplano. The reproductive pattern is shaped by a late onset of childbearing, associated with a rather short reproductive span and large birth intervals. Environmental conditions could explain the particularly late age at menarche of rural girls compared with their urban counterparts, whereas the age at first birth is likely to be under cultural control. The short reproductive span appears to result from a large mean interval between last birth and menopause, which is essentially determined by cultural decisions. The birth intervals, which are longer than in many traditional societies, could be the result of a slower restoration of postpartum fecundability induced by the hard way of life inherent in the Altiplano (including poor sanitary and nutritional conditions and high workload), perhaps aggravated by hypoxia. However, a secular trend in fertility is perceptible, towards earlier menarche, earlier age at first birth, increasing reproductive span and a slight increase in live births and surviving offspring, which is probably the result of a slow improvement in living conditions. The existence of birth control on the one hand, and a total fertility rate averaging six live births among the couples who do not practise contraception on the other, are other arguments against the hypothesis of a low natural fecundity in these Aymara groups.

Squamous cell carcinoma associated with a periorbital mass in a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus).

This report describes a squamous cell carcinoma in a 1-year-old female veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). The lesion developed as a small (1 by 1 mm) left periocular discoloration of a scale never involving the eye. The mass was first diagnosed as an abscess, increased in size (4 by 8 by 3 mm), and recurred after two surgical resections combined with antibiotic therapy. Poor nutritional condition and egg production by the chameleon complicated management of this condition. The mass was removed surgically a third time at which point histopathologic evaluation revealed a locally invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Bacterial culture of the mass isolated a pure culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ceftazidime was administered at 20 mg/kg IM every 48 h for 20 days. The animal died 3 months later from complications during an ovariohysterectomy for pregnancy toxemia and oviduct inertia. Necropsy showed no local recurrence or metastasis of the tumor.

Labor-saving technology and fertility increase in rural Africa.

Across the developing world, labor-saving technologies have been designed and implemented to introduce savings in the time and energy that women allocate to work. In rural Arsi, southern Ethiopia, a recent water-supply scheme has reduced long arduous trips to obtain water and is associated with considerable improvements in women’s energy budgets. Assuming that the time and energy saved is not diverted to other energetically costly activities and nutritional levels remain constant, evolutionary life-history theory predicts that this energy may be diverted into reproductive effort and thus may increase fertility. The aims of this bio-demographic study are to detect any effects of the installation of village water taps on birth spacing and women’s overall energetic status. Field studies in human reproductive ecology have revealed that fertility is responsive to changes in maternal condition (Hill and Hurtado 1996, Tracer 1991). Other clinical trials have identified the physiological pathways along which energetic factors influence reproductive function (Ellison 2001). A negative energy balance, attributed to the combined effect of seasonal high workloads and low nutritional reserves, is associated with reduced fecundity (Bailey et al. 1992, Ellison, Peacock, and Lager 1989, Panter-Brick, Lotstein, and Ellison 1993). Although the effects of short-term seasonal alteration in energy levels have been explored, the effect of long-term changes under conditions of poor nutrition is less well understood. The proposed study is the first to investigate whether physiological changes associated with workload affect fertility at a population level—that is, translate

Outdoor air pollution and acute respiratory infections among children in developing countries.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are the most common cause of illness and death in children in the developing world. This review focuses on outdoor air pollutants associated with pediatric ARI mortality and morbidity. Studies were identified using MEDLINE and other electronic databases. Four studies showed an increase in infant mortality in relation to outdoor air pollution. Short-term follow-up and time-series studies suggest that air pollutants act as risk factors for respiratory infection. Air pollution exposure increases the incidence of upper- and lower-respiratory infections in children. Because complex pollution mixtures are present in the studied urban areas, pollutant levels at which ARI risk would be expected to increase cannot be determined. Children may be at greater risk, given the poor environmental and nutritional conditions prevalent in developing countries.

Clinical evaluation of the cause of death in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis

We made a clinical analysis of the cause of death of forty deceased patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis who were admitted to Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital, and Asahigaoka Hospital during the period from January 1996 to December 2001. The age of 40 deceased patients (29 males/11 females) ranged from 55 to 93 years old, and were mostly bedridden. Underlying diseases existed in all except one case, and they were respiratory diseases in 9 patients and non-respiratory diseases in 34 patients. Laboratory findings revealed poor nutritional conditions. The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was established within one month from the appearance of symptoms in over half of these patients because most of them were smear positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. None of the strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from these patients were multidrug resistant for antituberculous drugs and only one strain was completely resistant for Rifampicin. Radiological findings of the tuberculosis were bilateral in 30 patients. Consolidation shadows without cavity were noted in 22 patients, and extension within the unilateral lung field was observed in 24 patients. Regarding the cause of death, advanced pulmonary tuberculosis was the cause in 17 patients and non-tuberculous diseases were the cause in 23 patients. There were 15 patients with bacterial superinfections such as bacterial pneumonia, 4 with malignancy, and 4 with other disease. The number of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in poor general and nutritional condition has been increasing with the aging of the Japanese population. Treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis has been successful in most cases, however, the number of the deaths unrelated to tuberculosis including those due to bacterial superinfection has been increasing. Therefore, treatment should be considered against resistant microoganisms such as MRSA.

Tuberculous Bronchitis with Normal Chest X-Ray Among a Large Bronchoscopic Population

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem in developing countries. In the past two decades many countries in the Middle East region have faced wars causing poor nutritional and hygienic conditions and resulting in population migrations to other more peaceful countries in the region. These events can result in increased incidence and prevalence of TB in the countries involved. In this regard reviewing unusual forms of TB which can easily confuse clinicians is useful in increasing their alertness for earlier diagnosis which is essential for its control and prevention of resulting complications. Involvement of the tracheobronchial tree by TB is not uncommon. Spillage of infected material into the middle and lower lobes causes localized endobronchial infection in some patients with pulmonary TB which can be suspected in classic cases with suggestive x-rayic findings. In the past two decades several reports have been published concerning primary endobronchial TB with normal chest x-rays. Some of the later cases of TB can cause confusion which may result in inappropriate treatment. They are best evaluated by fiberoptic bronchoscopy for more definitive diagnosis. (excerpt)

Variation of life history traits and mating patterns in female langur monkeys ( Semnopithecus entellus )

To determine nutritional and social influences on life history traits and mating behavior in female langur monkeys, new long-term data for a feral population living in multi-male groups under poor nutritional conditions are presented and compared with published long-term data for the same species living in one-male groups under excellent nutritional conditions. Under poor nutritional conditions, conceptions were confined to 5 months per year, coinciding with the period of the highest mating activity. Age at first parturition, gestation periods, lactation periods, and interbirth intervals were all significantly increased resulting in a more than 50% reduced reproductive rate under poor conditions. The pattern of sexual behavior during gestation was influenced by neither nutritional nor social conditions but the frequency was higher in multi-male groups. Furthermore, estrus length was significantly increased in multi-male groups where females tended to mate with as many resident males as available. Both phenomena, together with a high percentage of sexual behavior occurring outside the mid-cycle estrus, are interpreted in the light of paternity confusion in multi-male groups in a species where infanticide by males is regularly observed. The extreme variation in life history traits and mating patterns disclosed here in one species suggests that future cross-species comparisons should strictly select datasets based on local ecological and social conditions.

Blood biochemistry reflects seasonal nutritional and reproductive constraints in the eurasian badger (Meles meles).

Physiological responses to nutritional and reproductive constraints were explored in a wild population of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) inhabiting Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. We compared seasonal blood levels of lipid and protein compounds to variables describing the sex, age, body condition, wounds, testes position, and flea abundance of the badgers. We found seasonal variations in albumin/globulins and urea/creatinine ratios matched by differences in body condition. High creatinine, urea, and triglycerides levels were obtained in animals in poor nutritional condition and with low levels of body fat. The maintenance of urea/creatinine ratios indicates that the badger does not demonstrate a stage of protein conservation in periods of food scarcity during the summer or periods of cold weather. Hypercholesterolaemia, especially in fat animals, was confirmed. We also offer baseline levels of metabolites commonly used in clinical biochemistry for their further use in the analysis of the status and the management of wild badger populations.

Genetic variation of morphological traits in Drosophila melanogaster under poor nutrition: isofemale lines and offspring--parent regression.

Variation of three morphological traits (thorax length, wing length and sternopleural bristle number) was examined in Drosophila melanogaster reared on a medium with low yeast content and on a standard medium using the isofemale line analysis and offspring--parent regression. The aim was to test whether these experimental approaches give different patterns of changes in genetic variability estimates when stressful and nonstressful environments are compared. Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic variances were generally higher in the isofemale line design than in the offspring--parent regression design under both standard and poor nutritional conditions. For each trait, the response of heritability to stress was similar in both designs: wing length exhibited lower heritability under poor nutrition, whereas heritabilities of thorax length and sternopleural bristle number did not differ between nutritional regimes. Statistically significant differences in the genetic variances and the environmental variances between stressful and nonstressful environments were recorded only in isofemale lines: the genetic variance of thorax length and the environmental variances of thorax length and wing length were higher under poor nutrition. The results are compared to literature data and possible reasons of increased genetic variability estimates in isofemale lines are briefly discussed.

Frost hardiness in bark and needles of Norway spruce in southern Sweden

Bark necrosis and resin flows in Norway spruce have increased in southern Sweden over the last few decades. Frost damage late in spring has been suggested as a possible cause, but other factors besides the climate may have contributed to the damage. The nutrient status influences the hardening processes and plants with poor nutritional conditions have an increased sensitivity to frost. In this study the sensitivity to frost of bark and the hardiness status of needles of Norway spruce were compared with the nutrient status at two sites with different soil fertility. The trees were 30-40 years old. The hardiness status of the bark and needles was negatively affected by low concentrations of P and Mg.

BOVIGAMTM: an in vitro cellular diagnostic test for bovine tuberculosis

BOVIGAMTMwhich is based on the detection of gamma interferon (IFN- γ) is a rapid, laboratory assay of a cell mediated immune response that may be used for the detection of tuberculosis (TB) infection in animals. Whole blood is first incubated overnight with bovine PPD, avian PPD or negative control antigens, and IFN-γ in the supernatant plasma is then measured by EIA. TB infection is indicated by a predominant IFN-γ response to bovine PPD. Since 1988, BOVIGAMTMhas been extensively trialed on more than 200 000 cattle in Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Romania, Spain and the USA. Sensitivity has varied between 81.8% and 100% for culture-confirmed bovine TB and specificity between 94% and 100%. The IFN-γ assay detects M. bovis infection earlier than the skin test and in New Zealand is applied to detect skin-test negative cattle with TB, where after slaughter a significant number of IFN- γ reactors have TB. BOVIGAMTMis also approved in New Zealand for serial testing skin test positive cattle when non-specificity is suspected. Cattle are tested 7–30 days after a positive caudal fold test. The boosting effect of the skin test on T-cell activity allows blood to be cultured with PPD up to 30 h after collection without effecting accuracy.The BOVIGAMTMresults are not affected by poor nutritional condition and are only mildly and briefly affected by dexamethasone treatment and parturition. IFN-γ responses of cattle vaccinated with BCG are dose-dependent and short-lived. The BOVIGAMTMkit is now used routinely in many countries for the detection of M. bovis infected cattle, buffalo and goats.

Clinical analysis of community-acquired pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly and advances in treatment

We treated 510 elderly case (over 65 years old) among 1,017 patients with community-acquired pneumonia and 60 similar cases among 112 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital during approximately the past 15 years. These were compared with non-elderly cases (below 65 years old). In the elderly cases with community-acquired pneumonia, atypical clinical symptoms or physical signs were frequent and the mortality rate was high because of severe underlying diseases, and poor general and nutritional conditions. Regarding a prospective study of 84 elderly cases with community-acquired pneumonia during the past two years, S. pneumoniae, Respiratory virus, Gram-negative bacilli, H. influenzae, M. Tuberculosis were frequently isolated. In addition, mixed viral and bacterial infections, which were frequently noted during the winter, were significantly related to the increased frequency of community-acquired pneumonia. In treating elderly cases with community-acquired pneumonia, immunization therapy (e.g., influenza vaccine), second cephalosporin and/or macrolide antimicrobial agents for outpatients with mild pneumonia, and carbapenem and/or macrolide antimicrobial agents for hospitalized patients with moderate or severe pneumonia were most effective. The number of elderly cases with pulmonary tuberculosis has recently increased and the recognition of 10 cases was delayed because of a low percentage of positive smears, but no resistance to antituberculosis drugs have been observed. Regarding the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, fluoroquinolone and rifamycin derivative antibiotics have been developed as antituberculosis drugs with strong antituberculous activity. However, due to the high percentage of adverse effects in elderly patients, careful treatment with desensitization therapy for antituberculosis drugs is considered important.