scholarly journals Intensive vehicle traffic impacts morphology and endocrine stress response in a threatened amphibian

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Cayuela ◽  
Ludivine Quay ◽  
Adeline Dumet ◽  
Jean-Paul Léna ◽  
Claude Miaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
The Body ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Vehicle Traffic ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Bombina Variegata ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAmphibians are considered to be the most threatened group of vertebrates. Among the multiple factors involved in their decline, habitat loss and alteration as a result of human activities is a major threat. At the individual level the effects of habitat alteration are potentially multiple, including a range of morphological and physiological responses. Analysing and understanding these responses is therefore a critical challenge for amphibian conservation. We examined the influence of intensive vehicle traffic (motorbikes and trucks on unpaved pathways) on the body size and condition and on the production of glucocorticoids (i.e. corticosterone) in the yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that intensive vehicle traffic has a negative influence on body size and body condition, and postulated that it also increases corticosterone production. Using morphometric data and saliva samples collected from four populations in France, we found that intensive vehicle traffic is associated with a decrease in body size and body condition in both males and females. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that corticosterone production was lower in both sexes in populations experiencing intensive vehicle traffic. We suggest that measures should be applied to reduce vehicle traffic intensity on unpaved pathways during toad breeding activity. This is critical for B. variegata, for which man-made ruts and residual puddles could mitigate the loss of natural habitats.

Public service motivation and willingness to collaborate

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Getha-Taylor ◽  
Alexa Haddock-Bigwarfe
Keyword(s):  
Homeland Security ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Service Motivation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Original Survey ◽  
The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine public service motivation (PSM) and the connection with collaborative attitudes among a sample of homeland security actors representing the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Design/methodology/approach – This study examines relationships between measures of PSM and collaboration using original survey data and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings – Findings reveal strong positive relationships between PSM measures and attitudes toward collaboration at the individual and organizational level. Research limitations/implications – Survey results are cross-sectional and are from respondents participating in a single state's homeland security summit. Practical implications – It is expected that results can be used to enhance collaboration at the individual and organizational levels. At the organizational level, results can be used for matching individuals with collaborative opportunities. At the individual level, results can be used for enhanced self-reflection and effectiveness purposes. Originality/value – This study provides insights on the relationship between PSM measures and collaborative attitudes. The research contributes to the body of scholarly work connecting PSM and correlates of interest.

Organizational Arrogance and a Theory-Based Instrument

2021 ◽  
pp. 210-232
Author(s):  
C. Victor Herbin III
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Work Teams ◽  
The Body ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Cronbach Alpha ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Development And Validation

Prior studies provided insight on arrogance at the individual level and how arrogant individuals express superiority through (1) overconfidence in capabilities, (2) dismissiveness, (3) and disparagement, and how these behaviors may negatively impact those employees in and around their work teams, yet did not indicate how these behaviors impact organizational culture. Organizational arrogance represents an emerging concept that describes arrogance at the organizational level. Organizational arrogance provides the body of knowledge with a comprehensive and inclusive definition that led to the development and validation of the Organizational Arrogance Scale with a Cronbach Alpha of .922 that accurately measures the presence of organizational arrogance.

Comparing three body condition indices in amphibians: a case study of yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodica Plăiaşu ◽  
Tibor Hartel ◽  
Raluca Ioana Băncilă ◽  
Dan Cogălniceanu ◽  
Joost Smets
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bombina Variegata ◽  
Condition Indices ◽  
Three Body

AbstractBody condition is important because it is correlated with population and habitat quality parameters. Since the direct measurements are either lethal or unreliable, a wide range of non-lethal body condition indices has been proposed. The aim of our study was to apply and compare three body condition indices (Fulton's index, relative body condition mass index and residual index) using body size indicator – body mass data for 24 populations of the yellow bellied toad (Bombina variegata). The condition index should be independent of body size indicator, in this case snout vent length (SVL). Therefore we tested all three indices for the statistical independence of SVL and for the normality of distribution. Fulton's index violated the independence assumption, whereas the relative body condition mass index did not have a normal distribution. Residual index was found both independent of SVL and normally distributed. Moreover, the residual index highlighted biological significant differences on the basis of altitude and season. Our results recommend the residual index as a useful tool in amphibian monitoring and conservation.

scholarly journals Measuring the body composition of elderly subjects: a comparison of methods

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Reilly ◽  
L. A. Murray ◽  
J. Wilson ◽  
J. V. G. A. Durnin
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Total Body Water ◽  
Body Water ◽  
The Body ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Total Body ◽  
The Individual

There is a paucity of data on differences between methods for the assessment of body composition in elderly subjects. Studies on younger adults suggest that such differences are of some practical significance at the individual level. In the present study the following methods of estimating percentage body fatness (BF%) were compared in healthy elderly men and women (mean age 70 (SD 6) years: densitometry; skinfold thickness; total body water; bioelectrical impedance (BIA) using an age-specific predictive equation and the manufacturers' equation; body mass index (BMI). Though BF% estimates from the various methods tended to be highly correlated with those from densitometry and with each other, differences between methods at the individual level were marked. In particular, the age-specific equations based on BMI and BIA systematically overestimated BF% relative to the other methods. Biases between BF% estimates derived from densitometry, skinfolds, BIA (manufacturers' equation) and total body water were less marked, indicating little evidence of systematic differences between these methods in elderly subjects. Individual differences between methods were slightly greater than those reported in some studies of younger adults, but this may be of little practical significance, and may be considered inevitable in view of variability between and within subjects in the extent to which the underlying assumptions of these two-component methods are met in elderly subjects.

Studies on the growth and longevity of the yellow-bellied toad, Bombina variegata, in natural environments

1993 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Plytycz ◽  
Janusz Bigaj
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Dorsal Surface ◽  
The Body ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Bombina Variegata ◽  
Different Parts

AbstractYellow-bellied toads were studied in their natural environment in a mountain locality in southeastern Poland. 608 specimens were captured, marked by yellow skin autografts placed in different parts of their dorsal surface according to body length, and released. Some of them were recaptured and measured from one to nine years later to estimate their growth and longevity. Yellow-bellied toads grew rapidly in early life; thereafter their growth was very limited. Body size was not an accurate age indicator of an individual of this species. The body length 51-55 mm was maximal in this locality. Yellow-bellied toads were long-lived in nature, some individuals surviving for much more than ten years, and perhaps even more than 20 years. The skeletochronological technique (counting the growth lines in phalangeal cross-sections of the clipped toes of some marked individuals) underestimated the actual age of these animals.

scholarly journals Individual and social immune mechanisms of the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 6013-2018
Author(s):  
ANETA STRACHECKA ◽  
ALEKSANDRA ŁOŚ ◽  
JOANNA FILIPCZUK ◽  
MICHAŁ SCHULZ
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Natural Resistance ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Immune Mechanisms ◽  
Rebel Workers ◽  
The Individual

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are constantly exposed to contact with many types of pathogens. However, during evolution they developed a number of immune mechanisms. At the individual level, they comprise 1) resistance mechanisms associated with anatomical and physiological barriers of the body, 2) cell-mediated immunity involving hemocytes (including plasmocytes, lamellocytes, and granulocytes), 3a) congenital humoral resistance related to the activity of lysozyme (N-acetylmuramylhydrolase), the prophenylooxidase system (ProPO) and hemagglutinins (lectins), and 3b) induced humoral resistence based on the action of antimicrobial peptides: apidicines, hymenoptecin, and defensins. In addition to the individual resistance of each bee, there is also a defense mechanism activated at the colony level. Shared secretion resistance is connected with the presence of antipathogenic compounds in secreta and in bee products. Social immunity is associated with hygienic and nursing behaviors, as well as with age polyethism in the colony, swarming (and the emergence of rebel workers), and the changing behavior of sick individuals. Many aspects and interactions between different types of resistance and immunity still remain unexplored. However, current research trends revolve around clarifying uncertainties so as to strengthen the natural resistance of bees and fight against pathogens that threaten the insects..

scholarly journals PhenoBR: a model to phenotype body condition dynamics in meat sheep

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiphaine Macé ◽  
Eliel González-García ◽  
György Kövér ◽  
Dominique Hazard ◽  
Masoomeh Taghipoor
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Accretion Rate ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Meat Sheep

AbstractIn situations of negative energy balance (NEB) due to feed scarcity or high physiological demands, body energy reserves (BR), mainly stored in adipose tissues, become the main sources of energy for ruminants. The capacity to mobilize and restore such BRs in response to different challenges is of major concern in the current context of breeding for resilience. Body condition score (BCS) is a common, practical indicator of BR variations throughout successive productive cycles, and quantitative tools for characterizing such dynamics at the individual level are still lacking. The main objective of this work was to characterize body condition dynamics in terms of BR mobilization and accretion capacities of meat sheep during their productive lifespan through a modelling approach.The animal model used in this work was the reproductive meat ewe (n = 1478) reared in extensive rangeland. Regular measurements of BCS for each productive cycle were used as the indicator of BR variations. A hybrid mathematical model and a web interface, called PhenoBR, was developed to characterize ewes’ BCS variations through four synthetic and biologically meaningful parameters for each productive cycle i: BR accretion rate , BR mobilization rate , plus the time of onset and the duration of the BR mobilization, and ΔTi, respectively.The model converged for all the ewes included in the analysis. Estimation of the parameters indicated the inter-individual variability for BR accretion and mobilization rates, and for the length of the mobilization period. Body reserve mobilization rates were closely correlated between productive cycles. Significant correlations between BR mobilization and accretion rates suggest that the two processes are biologically linked. Parameters kp and kb decreased as parity increased. BR mobilization rate and duration increased as litter size increased, while BR accretion rate decreased.Individual characterization of animals by these parameters makes it possible to rank them for their efficiency in the use of body reserves when facing NEB challenges. Such parameters could contribute to better management and decision-making by farmers and advisors, e.g. by adapting feeding systems to the individual characteristics of BR dynamics, or by geneticists as criteria to develop future animal breeding programs including BR dynamics for more robust and resilient animals.

scholarly journals Size matters: relationships between body size, dry weight and ash-free dry weight of common coastal, aquatic invertebrates in the Baltic Sea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Eklöf ◽  
Åsa Austin ◽  
Ulf Bergström ◽  
Serena Donadi ◽  
Britas D H K Eriksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
The Body ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Power Relationship ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic

Background. Organism biomass is one of the most important variables in ecological studies, making estimations of organism weight one of the most common laboratory tasks. Biomass of small macroinvertebrates is usually estimated as dry (DW) or ash-free dry weight (AFDW); a laborious and time consuming process, that often can be speeded up using easily measured and reliable proxy variables like wet/fresh weight and/or body size. Another common way of estimating AFDW - which is the most accurate but also time-consuming estimate of biologically active tissue weight - is the use of AFDW/DW ratios or conversion factors. So far, however, these ratios typically ignore the possibility that the relative weight of biologically active vs. non-active support tissue (e.g. protective exoskeleton or shell) - and therefore, also the AFDW/DW ratio - may change with body size, as previously shown for taxa like spiders, vertebrates and trees. Methods. We collected samples of aquatic, epibenthic macroinvertebrates (>1 mm) in 32 shallow bays along a 360 km stretch of the Swedish coast along the Baltic Sea; one of the largest brackish water bodies on Earth. We then estimated statistical relationships between the body size (length or height in mm), dry weight and ash-free dry weight for 14 of the most common taxa; five gastropods, three bivalves, three crustaceans and three insect larvae. Finally, we statistically estimated the potential influence of body size on the AFDW/DW ratio per taxon. Results. For most of the taxa, non-linear regression models describing the power relationship between body size and i) DW and ii) AFDW fit the data well (as indicated by low SE and high R2). Moreover, for more than half of the taxa studied (including the vast majority of the shelled molluscs), body size had a negative influence on organism AFDW/DW ratios. Discussion. The good fit of the modelled power relationships suggest that the constants reported here can be used to more quickly estimate organism dry- and ash-free dry weight based on body size, thereby freeing up considerable work resources. However, the considerable differences in constants between taxa emphasize the need for taxon-specific relationships, and the potential dangers associated with either ignoring body size or substituting relationships between taxa. The negative influence of body size on AFDW/DW ratio found in a majority of the molluscs could be caused by increasingly thicker shells with organism age, and/or spawning-induced loss of biologically active tissue in adults. Consequently, future studies utilizing AFDW/DW (and presumably also AFDW/wet weight) ratios should carefully assess the potential influence of body size to ensure more reliable estimates of organism biomass.

Equine obesity and the role of the veterinary nurse

UK-Vet Equine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 265-268
Author(s):  
Clarissa Seeley ◽  
Stella Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Condition Scoring ◽  
Client Education ◽  
Inherent Problem ◽  
Equine Obesity ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

Equine obesity is defined as a medical disease in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it has an adverse effect on the general health of the horse. Obesity is a cause for concern, with one-third of the equine population in the UK being regarded as obese, although owner recognition of obesity in horses is an inherent problem, with many underestimating the body condition or weight of their horse. This is further complicated by the fact that with larger framed horses, or horses that are already overweight, assessing body condition is more difficult. There are a number of ways to assess body condition and the most practical means of regular assessment is body condition scoring, although this is regarded as subjective. As with many diseases and disorders, the cause of obesity is multifactorial. However, the most common reason for a horse to become obese is overfeeding, coupled with a lack of exercise. Obesity can be addressed with client education and veterinary nurses can provide advice on weight management programmes. However, these need to be tailored to the individual horse and owners need to recognise that they are entering into a long-term commitment.

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