scholarly journals Animal lifestyle affects acceptable mass limits for attached tags

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1961) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory P. Wilson ◽  
Kayleigh A. Rose ◽  
Richard Gunner ◽  
Mark D. Holton ◽  
Nikki J. Marks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Gravitational Force ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Movement Time ◽  
Active Time ◽  
Time Limits ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Acceleration Method ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Free Ranging

Animal-attached devices have transformed our understanding of vertebrate ecology. To minimize any associated harm, researchers have long advocated that tag masses should not exceed 3% of carrier body mass. However, this ignores tag forces resulting from animal movement. Using data from collar-attached accelerometers on 10 diverse free-ranging terrestrial species from koalas to cheetahs, we detail a tag-based acceleration method to clarify acceptable tag mass limits. We quantify animal athleticism in terms of fractions of animal movement time devoted to different collar-recorded accelerations and convert those accelerations to forces (acceleration × tag mass) to allow derivation of any defined force limits for specified fractions of any animal's active time. Specifying that tags should exert forces that are less than 3% of the gravitational force exerted on the animal's body for 95% of the time led to corrected tag masses that should constitute between 1.6% and 2.98% of carrier mass, depending on athleticism. Strikingly, in four carnivore species encompassing two orders of magnitude in mass ( ca 2–200 kg), forces exerted by ‘3%' tags were equivalent to 4–19% of carrier body mass during moving, with a maximum of 54% in a hunting cheetah. This fundamentally changes how acceptable tag mass limits should be determined by ethics bodies, irrespective of the force and time limits specified.

scholarly journals Animal lifestyle changes acceptable mass limits for attached tags

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory P Wilson ◽  
Kayleigh A Rose ◽  
Richard Gunner ◽  
Mark D. Holton ◽  
Nikki J Marks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Movement Time ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
List Type ◽  
Acceleration Method ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Right ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Related Harm

AbstractAnimal-attached devices have transformed our understanding of vertebrate ecology. To minimize tag-related harm for these studies, researchers have long advocated that tag masses should not exceed 3% of the animal’s body mass. However, this proposition ignores tag forces generated as a result of animal movement.Using data from collar-attached accelerometers on diverse free-ranging terrestrial animals, we detail a tag-based acceleration method (TbAM) in which we quantify animal athleticism in terms of fractions of animal movement time devoted to different collar-recorded accelerations. The varying accelerations are converted to forces imposed on the animals based on the acceleration and tag mass and allow derivation of defined force limits, including those amounting to 3% of the animal’s mass, for specified fractions of any animal’s active time.We demonstrate how species athleticism is the principal determinant of tag forces, whereas body mass is of little importance. Forces exerted by ‘3%’ tags were mostly equivalent to 4-19% of the animals’ masses during moving, with a maximum of 54% in a hunting cheetah. Cumulative frequency curves of tag acceleration for periods when animals were active, all showed a characteristic sigmoid pattern, which was displaced further to the right as higher acceleration activities accounted for an increasing proportion of any animal’s time. Specifying that tags should exert forces that are less than 3% of the animal’s body mass for 95% of the time led to corrected tag masses constituting between 1.6% and 2.98% of our study animals’ masses, with values depending on animal athleticism.Recognition that animal athleticism affects tag forces of their carriers fundamentally changes how acceptable tag mass limits should be determined by ethics bodies. In order to have a scientifically robust acceptable threshold to limit the forces experienced by an animal carrier, we suggest practitioners derive a similar cumulative acceleration profile for their study species and use a minimum of the 95% limits on the plot (although higher limits may be more appropriate).

scholarly journals The bigger they come, the harder they fall: body size and prey abundance influence predator–prey ratios

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Carbone ◽  
Nathalie Pettorelli ◽  
Philip A. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Prey Abundance ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Inherent Vulnerability ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Threats

Large carnivores are highly threatened, yet the processes underlying their population declines are still poorly understood and widely debated. We explored how body mass and prey abundance influence carnivore density using data on 199 populations obtained across multiple sites for 11 carnivore species. We found that relative decreases in prey abundance resulted in a five- to sixfold greater decrease in the largest carnivores compared with the smallest species. We discuss a number of possible causes for this inherent vulnerability, but also explore a possible mechanistic link between predator size, energetics and population processes. Our results have important implications for carnivore ecology and conservation, demonstrating that larger species are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats to their environment, especially those which have an adverse affect on the abundance of their prey.

scholarly journals Active Time in Cooperative Activities, Quality of Life and Body Mass Index in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. A Model of Structural Equations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2341
Author(s):  
Gabriel González-Valero ◽  
Josep Vidal-Conti ◽  
Félix Zurita-Ortega ◽  
Pere Palou-Sampol
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Active Time ◽  
Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Current research shows that individuals with intellectual disabilities do not engage in enough physical activity to acquire health benefits. However, cooperative learning has been shown to be an effective tool for inclusion and for improving healthy physical habits. The aim of this study is to contrast an explanatory model which incorporates quality of life, active time in cooperative activities, body mass index and age, as well as to analyze, using multi-group structural equations, the existing associations according to the sex of subjects with intellectual disabilities. The convenience sampling used allowed the collection of data from a total of 156 subjects in Granada (Spain), aged between 18–55 years. In terms of gender, the sample was homogeneous, representing 52.6% (n = 82) for women and 47.4% (n = 74) for men. The active time during the cooperative learning was recorded with the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 activity band, for the quality of life scale (GENCAT) was used, and the body mass index was calculated through its standardized equation. Age was directly associated with body mass index in both sexes. Likewise, age was positively related to the active time of women. Quality of life was directly associated with active time and body mass index was inversely related to active time. This study shows the importance of active time during work and cooperative learning in individuals with intellectual disabilities, as it is associated with an improvement in the quality of life and a reduction in the problems of sedentarism, overweight, and obesity.

scholarly journals The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren L. Schmitz ◽  
Julia Goodwin ◽  
Jiacheng Miao ◽  
Qiongshi Lu ◽  
Dalton Conley
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Job Loss ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

AbstractUnemployment shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic have reignited concerns over the long-term effects of job loss on population health. Past research has highlighted the corrosive effects of unemployment on health and health behaviors. This study examines whether the effects of job loss on changes in body mass index (BMI) are moderated by genetic predisposition using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). To improve detection of gene-by-environment (G × E) interplay, we interacted layoffs from business closures—a plausibly exogenous environmental exposure—with whole-genome polygenic scores (PGSs) that capture genetic contributions to both the population mean (mPGS) and variance (vPGS) of BMI. Results show evidence of genetic moderation using a vPGS (as opposed to an mPGS) and indicate genome-wide summary measures of phenotypic plasticity may further our understanding of how environmental stimuli modify the distribution of complex traits in a population.

54 Body Mass Index vs Weight-for-Length in Infancy and Cardiometabolic Outcomes at Age 8-10 Years

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e39-e39
Author(s):  
Jean-Baptiste Roberge ◽  
Soren Harnois-Leblanc ◽  
Vanessa McNealis ◽  
Andraea van Hulst ◽  
Tracie A Barnett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Growth Monitoring ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Eta Squared ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Primary Subject area Public Health and Preventive Medicine Background The WHO provides body mass index (BMI) curves for infants 0 to < 2 years old, but how these compare to the recommended method (weight-for-length [WFL]) in predicting later adiposity and cardiometabolic measures is uncertain. Objectives Our project aimed to: 1) confirm that WFL and BMI in infancy are associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic measures at 8-10 years old; and 2) compare the predictive ability of the two methods. We hypothesized that both methods would perform similarly. Design/Methods WFL and BMI Z-scores (zWFL and zBMI) at 6, 12, and 18 months of age were computed using data extracted from health booklets, used among participants in a prospective cohort study investigating the natural history of obesity and cardiovascular risk in youth (n = 464). Outcome measures at 8-10 years included adiposity, lipid profile, blood pressure, and insulin dynamics. The relationships between zWFL, zBMI, and each outcome were estimated using multivariable linear regression models. Outcome prediction at 8-10 years was compared between the two methods, using eta-squared and Lin’s concordance correlation. Results zWFL and zBMI were associated with all measures of adiposity at 8-10 years. Associations with other cardiometabolic measures were less consistent. For both zWFL and zBMI across infancy, eta-squared were highly similar and the Lin’s coefficients were markedly high (> 0.991) for all outcomes. Conclusion zBMI measured in infants appeared to be equivalent to zWFL for predicting adiposity and cardiometabolic measures in childhood. This lends support to the sole use of zBMI for growth monitoring and screening of overweight and obesity from birth to 18 years.

Effects of Season, Location, Species, and Sex on Hematologic and Plasma Biochemical Values and Body Mass in Free-ranging Grebes (Aechmophorus species)

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Anderson ◽  
Susan E. W. De La Cruz ◽  
Joseph K. Gaydos ◽  
Michael H. Ziccardi ◽  
Danielle J. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals Gene–environment interactions related to body mass: School policies and social context as environmental moderators

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason D Boardman ◽  
Michael E Roettger ◽  
Benjamin W Domingue ◽  
Matthew B McQueen ◽  
Brett C Haberstick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
School Policies ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Institutional Resources ◽  
Using Data ◽  
School Differences

This paper highlights the role of institutional resources and policies, whose origins lie in political processes, in shaping the genetic etiology of body mass among a national sample of adolescents. Using data from Waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we decompose the variance of body mass into environmental and genetic components. We then examine the extent to which the genetic influences on body mass are different across the 134 schools in the study. Taking advantage of school differences in both health-related policies and social norms regarding body size, we examine how institutional resources and policies alter the relative impact of genetic influences on body mass. For the entire sample, we estimate a heritability of .82, with the remaining .18 due to unique environmental factors. However, we also show variation about this estimate and provide evidence suggesting that social norms and institutional policies often mask genetic vulnerabilities to increased weight. Empirically, we demonstrate that more restrictive school policies and policies designed to curb weight gain are also associated with decreases in the proportion of variance in body mass that is due to additive genetic influences.

Effects of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) on body condition and activity of free-ranging coyotes (Canis latrans)

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 1042-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin N Sacks ◽  
Karen M Blejwas
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Dirofilaria Immitis ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Infected Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Canine Heartworm ◽  
Average Body Mass ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Average Body

We used radiotelemetry to study relationships among canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection, body condition, and activity of free-ranging coyotes (Canis latrans). Average body mass at death was lower for 17 coyotes in a high-intensity infected group (mean = 33.6 heartworms) than for 18 coyotes in a control group (mean = 3.6 heartworms; p < 0.01). Coyotes in the infected group lost body mass at an average rate of 20% per year relative to the control group (p < 0.01). Bone marrow fat was negatively correlated with heartworm burden (R2 = 0.27; p < 0.01). Average body mass of coyotes at initial capture (i.e., potentially before infection) did not differ between infected and control groups (p = 0.90; 1–β = 0.70). Activity was negatively correlated with heartworm burden during the last 2 months of life (R2 = 0.30; p < 0.01), but no correlation was found 2–4 months before death. Activity of the infected group (n = 13) declined over time (p = 0.01), whereas no difference in activity was observed in the control group (n = 13; p = 0.50). Our findings indicate that heartworm infection reduced body condition and activity of coyotes but that nutritional status did not significantly affect susceptibility to infection.

scholarly journals Reproduction in the zebra mare Equus burchelli antiquorum from the Kruger National Park

Koedoe ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Smuts
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Reproductive Characteristics ◽  
Equus Burchelli ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
First Time

Reproductive characteristics of Burchell's zebra mares are described using data collected from captive and free ranging animals and the reproductive tracts of 310 mares shot during a game cropping campaign. The pubertal interval in zebra mares ranges from age 16 to 22 months, succesful mating occurring for the first time at 23 months of age. Full reproductive capacity is attained at three years. Zebra mares are seasonally polyoestrous, with an average of 85 of all mating and foaling occurring during the wet summer months (October to March).

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