scholarly journals Do Gut Microbiota Correlate with Stereotypic Behavior? First Answers from Malayan Sun Bears and Insights into Ex-situ Conservation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Wu ◽  
Nan Wu ◽  
Hongyu Yao ◽  
Xinyu Guo ◽  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Stereotypic Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Abstract Gut microbiota affect host health and behavior throughout life but their relationship in endangered animals is poorly understood. Malayan sun bears are protected as an endangered wild species. Abnormal behavior such as stereotypies can be used as welfare indicators of animals in zoos. In this study, the abundance and diversity of fecal microbiota from six Malayan sun bears in Tianjin Zoo were assessed using 16S rRNA Illumina technology, and stereotypies were analyzed to identify behavioral patterns in the bears, separated into two age groups. Stereotypic behavior did not differ significantly between bears of different ages, but bacterial diversity in bears from the elderly group was significantly higher than that of the adult group. The gut microbiota of Malayan sun bears was dominated by Firmicutes (54.70%), Proteobacteria (41.90%), and Fusobacteria (1.80%). Findings from this study facilitate understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota and behavioral patterns, which could benefit the welfare of animals in captivity.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of the Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli Population and Gut Microbiota of Healthy Vegans versus Omnivores

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1165
Author(s):  
Rebecca Veca ◽  
Christian O’Dea ◽  
Jarred Burke ◽  
Eva Hatje ◽  
Anna Kuballa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Vegan Diet ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Diversity Profiles

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains carry virulence genes (VGs) which are rarely found in strains other than E. coli. These strains are abundantly found in gut mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, it is not clear whether their prevalence in the gut is affected by the diet of the individual. Therefore, in this study, we compared the population structure of E. coli and the prevalence of AIEC as well as the composition of gut microbiota in fecal samples of healthy participants (n = 61) on either a vegan (n = 34) or omnivore (n = 27) diet to determine whether diet is associated with the presence of AIEC. From each participant, 28 colonies of E. coli were typed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD)–PCR. A representative of each common type within an individual was tested for the presence of six AIEC-associated VGs. Whole genomic DNA of the gut microbiota was also analyzed for its diversity profiles, utilizing the V5-V6 region of the16S rRNA gene sequence. There were no significant differences in the abundance and diversity of E. coli between the two diet groups. The occurrence of AIEC-associated VGs was also similar among the two groups. However, the diversity of fecal microbiota in vegans was generally higher than omnivores, with Prevotella and Bacteroides dominant in both groups. Whilst 88 microbial taxa were present in both diet groups, 28 taxa were unique to vegans, compared to seven unique taxa in the omnivores. Our results indicate that a vegan diet may not affect the number and diversity of E. coli populations and AIEC prevalence compared to omnivores. The dominance of Prevotella and Bacteroides among omnivores might be accounted for the effect of diet in these groups.

scholarly journals Gut Microbiota Implications for Health and Welfare in Farm Animals: A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Siyu Chen ◽  
Shuyan Luo ◽  
Chao Yan
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Farm Animals

In the past few decades, farm animal health and welfare have been paid increasing concern worldwide. Farm animal health and welfare are generally assessed by the measurements of physical health, immune response, behavior, and physiological indicators. The gut microbiota has been reported to have a great influence on host phenotypes, possibly via the immune processes, neural functions, and endocrine pathways, thereby influencing host phenotypes. However, there are few reviews regarding farm animals’ health and welfare status concerning the gut microbiota. In this point of view, (1) we reviewed recent studies showing that gut microbiota (higher alpha diversity, beneficial composition, and positive functions) effectively influenced health characteristics, immunity, behaviors, and stress response in farm animals (such as pigs, chickens, and cows), which would provide a novel approach to measure and evaluate the health status and welfare of farm animals. In addition, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as one of the methods can modulate the recipient individual’s gut microbiota to realize the expected phenotype. Further, (2) we highlighted the application of FMT on the improvement of the production performance, the reduction in disease and abnormal behavior, as well as the attenuation of stress in farm animals. It is concluded that the gut microbiota can be scientifically used to assess and improve the welfare of farm animals. Moreover, FMT may be a helpful strategy to reduce abnormal behavior and improve stress adaption, as well as the treatment of disease for farm animals. This review suggests that gut microbiota is a promising field to evaluate and improve animal welfare.

scholarly journals The Composition and Predictive Function of the Fecal Microbiota Differ Between Young and Adult Donkeys

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingya Xing ◽  
Guiqin Liu ◽  
Xinzhuang Zhang ◽  
Dongyi Bai ◽  
Jie Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Microbial Colonization ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Functional Prediction ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Function

The community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric herbivores played critical roles in the absorption of nutrients and keeping the host healthy. However, its establishment at different age groups has not been quantitatively and functionally examined. The knowledge of microbial colonization and its function in the intestinal tract of different-age donkeys is still limited. By applying the V3–V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and functional prediction on fecal samples from different-age donkeys, we characterized the gut microbiota during the different age groups. In contrast to the adult donkeys, the gut microbiota diversity and richness of the young donkeys showed significantly less resemblance. The microbial data showed that diversity and richness increased with age, but a highly individual variation of microbial composition was observed at month 1. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed a significant difference across five time points in the feces. The abundance of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Odoribacter tended to decrease, while the proportion of Streptococcus was significantly increased with age. For functional prediction, the relative abundance of pathways had a significant difference in the feces across different age groups, for example, Terpenoids and Polyketides and Folding, Sorting, and Degradation (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The analysis of beta diversity (PCoA and LEfSe) and microbial functions predicted with PICRUSt (NSTIs) clearly divided the donkeys into foals (≤3 months old) and adults (≥7 months old). Microbial community composition and structure had distinctive features at each age group, in accordance with functional stability of the microbiota. Our findings established a framework for understanding the composition and function of the fecal microbiota to differ between young and adult donkeys.

scholarly journals Influence of Hand Rearing and Bird Age on the Fecal Microbiota of the Critically Endangered Kakapo

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (15) ◽  
pp. 4650-4658 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Waite ◽  
Daryl K. Eason ◽  
Michael W. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Amplicon Pyrosequencing ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe critically endangered New Zealand parrot, the kakapo, is subject to an intensive management regime aiming to maintain bird health and boost population size. Newly hatched kakapo chicks are subjected to human intervention and are frequently placed in captivity throughout their formative months. Hand rearing greatly reduces mortality among juveniles, but the potential long-term impact on the kakapo gut microbiota is uncertain. To track development of the kakapo gut microbiota, fecal samples from healthy, prefledged juvenile kakapos, as well as from unrelated adults, were analyzed by using 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing. Following the original sampling, juvenile kakapos underwent a period of captivity, so further sampling during and after captivity aimed to elucidate the impact of captivity on the juvenile gut microbiota. Variation in the fecal microbiota over a year was also investigated, with resampling of the original juvenile population. Amplicon pyrosequencing revealed a juvenile fecal microbiota enriched with particular lactic acid bacteria compared to the microbiota of adults, although the overall community structure did not differ significantly among kakapos of different ages. The abundance of key operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was correlated with antibiotic treatment and captivity, although the importance of these factors could not be proven unequivocally within the bounds of this study. Finally, the microbial community structure of juvenile and adult kakapos changed over time, reinforcing the need for continual monitoring of the microbiota as part of regular health screening.

scholarly journals Preliminary Behavior of Chinkara (Gazella Bennettii) under Captive Conditions with Future Conservation Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Muhammad Idnan ◽  
Arshad Javid ◽  
Muhammad Nadeem ◽  
Ali Hussain ◽  
Sajid Mansoor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Agonistic Interaction ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
One Year ◽  
Captive Breeding Programs

Background: Study of behavioral conformations play a significant role in ex-situ conservation of ungulates particularly of deer to propagate deer farming. Due to advancement in animal hunting techniques, captive breeding is the best solution to propagate animals for sports or other traditional & medicinal uses. Due to the lack of management methods, captive breeding programs have been used on trial and error basis for rearing of wild animals like Chinkara. Objectives: The present study was planned to investigate behavioral patterns in captivity to explore factors over reproductive success of the Chinkara and potential of this wild animal (Chinkara) for deer farming practices in Pakistan. Methodology: Present study was conducted on the behavior of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) [wild-caught (WC)=20, captive-bred (CB)=10] for a period of one year from April 2013 to March 2014 at Captive breeding facilities for ungulates, Ravi campus Pattoki, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Pakistan. Results: The behavior of captive-born and wild-caught animals was observed by focal sampling pattern to frame conservation strategies for successful management practices for promotion of deer farming in Pakistan. Similar behavioral patterns were observed in both WC and CB animals but WC male Chinkara displayed a higher degree of agonistic interaction than of CB males. From these results it is predicted that there is no obvious immediate effect of captivity on behavioral configurations up to 10 generations in Chinkara. Conclusion: It is suggested that Chinkara is not suitable for domestication like Goat until further studies on ethology of Chinkara.

The Effects of Significant International Sports Events on Hungarian Suicide Rates

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karoly Bozsonyi ◽  
Peter Osvath ◽  
Sandor Fekete ◽  
Lajos Bálint
Keyword(s):  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Arima Model ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Intervention Analysis ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
Sport Events ◽  
The Olympic Games

Abstract. Background: Several studies found a significant relationship between important sport events and suicidal behavior. Aims: We set out to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between the raw suicide rate and the most important international sports events (Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship) in such an achievement-oriented society as the Hungarian one, where these sport events receive great attention. Method: We examined suicide cases occurring over 15,706 days between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2012 (43 years), separately for each gender. Because of the age-specific characteristics of suicide, the effects of these sport events were analyzed for the middle-aged (30–59 years old) and the elderly (over 60 years old) generations as well as for gender-specific population groups. The role of international sport events was examined with the help of time-series intervention analysis after cyclical and seasonal components were removed. Intervention analysis was based on the ARIMA model. Results: Our results showed that only the Olympic Games had a significant effect in the middle-aged population. Neither in the older male nor in any of the female age groups was a relationship between suicide and Olympic Games detected. Conclusion: The Olympic Games seem to decrease the rate of suicide among middle-aged men, slightly but significantly.

Older workers in the Russian labor market: Trends in employment reallocation

2019 ◽  
pp. 5-34
Author(s):  
Anna L. Lukyanova ◽  
Rostislav I. Kapeliushnikov
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Intellectual Labor ◽  
Market Trends ◽  
Trade Education ◽  
The One

The paper analyzes changes in job opportunities of older workers in Russia in the period 2005—2017. The study uses the data from the Russian Labor Force Survey conducted by Rosstat. Changes in the occupational and industrial composition of elderly workers follow the trends pursued by other age groups: employment shifts from low- to high-skilled occupations, from physical to intellectual labor, and from material production to the service sector. We find a stronger polarization among older workers as their occupational structure is biased in favor of, on the one hand, the most and, on the other hand, the least qualified types of jobs. Employment of the elderly has fallen sharply in agriculture and manufacturing with a significant increase in trade, education, and health. Although the employment structure of older workers is generally more “traditionalist”, recent decades have witnessed its transformation in “progressive” directions, similarly to other age groups. These findings suggest that the legislated increase in the state retirement age is not likely to give rise to sizeable unemployment among the elderly. Most of them will be able to work in the occupations and industries previously dominated by young and prime-age workers.

ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 1466-1472
Author(s):  
Grażyna Kobus ◽  
Jolanta Małyszko ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska
Keyword(s):  
Acute Kidney Injury ◽  
Renal Failure ◽  
Acute Renal Failure ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Younger Patients ◽  
Common Cause

Introduction: In the elderly, impairment of kidney function occurs. Renal diseases overlap with anatomic and functional changes related to age-related involutionary processes. Mortality among patients with acute renal injury is approximately 50%, despite advances in treatment and diagnosis of AKI. The aim: To assess the incidence of acute kidney injury in elderly patients and to analyze the causes of acute renal failure depending on age. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis included medical documentation of patients hospitalized in the Nephrology Clinic during the 6-month period. During this period 452 patients were hospitalized in the clinic. A group of 77 patients with acute renal failure as a reason for hospitalization was included in the study. Results: The prerenal form was the most common cause of AKI in both age groups. In both age groups, the most common cause was dehydration; in the group of patients up to 65 years of age, dehydration was 29.17%; in the group of people over 65 years - 43.39%. Renal replacement therapy in patients with AKI was used in 14.29% of patients. In the group of patients up to 65 years of age hemodialysis was 16.67% and above 65 years of age. -13.21% of patients. The average creatinine level in the group of younger patients at admission was 5.16 ± 3.71 mg / dl, in the group of older patients 3.14 ± 1.63 mg / dl. The size of glomerular filtration GFR in the group of younger patients at admission was 21.14 ± 19.54 ml / min, in the group of older patients 23.34 ± 13.33 ml / min. Conclusions: The main cause of acute kidney injury regardless of the age group was dehydration. Due to the high percentage of AKI in the elderly, this group requires more preventive action, not only in the hospital but also at home.

A new medical Internet system in healthcare: innovation of Telegeriatrics and healthcare demands of older patients of different age groups (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Gong ◽  
Jianyuan Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
New Model

BACKGROUND Healthcare for older patients is a worldwide challenge for public health system. A new medical Internet system in healthcare which is a new model of telegeriatrics system has been established. The key innovation is the new telegeriatrics system was conducted jointly by general practitioners in the Community Health Service Center and specialists in university teaching hospital. Unlike the typical telemedicine that has been practiced in other countries, the new model provides a solution for the key issues in telemedicine where a doctor is unable to conduct a direct physical examination and the associated potential diagnostic error. OBJECTIVE This study is to introduce the operation mechanism of the new Telegeriatrics system and analyze healthcare demands of older patients in different age groups applying the new Telegeriatrics system. METHODS 472 older patients (aged≥60) were enrolled and divided into the young older group (aged 60 to 74), the old older group (aged 75 to 89) and the very old group (aged≥90) according to the age stratification of World Health Organization. Proportion of the top 10 diseases of older patients of different age groups was analyzed. RESULTS The process of older patients’ diagnosis and treatment made by specialist and general practitioners formed a closed loop. It ensures the timeliness and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment of older patients. The treatment effect can be observed by general practitioners and specialist can adjust the treatment plan in time. In this study, it was found that older patients in different age groups have different healthcare demands. Coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus were found to be the main diseases of the older patients and the young older patients as well as the old older patients applying Telegeriatrics. CONCLUSIONS The new telegeriatrics system can provide convenient and efficient healthcare services for older patients and overcome the disadvantage of currently used models of telegeriatrics. Older patients in different age groups have different medical care demands. Cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases have become the main diseases of the elderly applying the new Telegeriatrics system. Healthcare policy makers should invest more medical resources to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases in the elderly.

Big Data Driven Clinical Informatics & Surveillance (BDD_CIS) – A Multimodal Database Focused Clinical, Community, and Multi-Omics Surveillance Plan for COVID-19: A study Protocol (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bankole Olatosi ◽  
Jiajia Zhang ◽  
Sharon Weissman ◽  
Zhenlong Li ◽  
Jianjun Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Patient Registries ◽  
Multiple Partner ◽  
Multimodal Data

BACKGROUND The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) remains a serious global pandemic. Currently, all age groups are at risk for infection but the elderly and persons with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of severe complications. In the United States (US), the pandemic curve is rapidly changing with over 6,786,352 cases and 199,024 deaths reported. South Carolina (SC) as of 9/21/2020 reported 138,624 cases and 3,212 deaths across the state. OBJECTIVE The growing availability of COVID-19 data provides a basis for deploying Big Data science to leverage multitudinal and multimodal data sources for incremental learning. Doing this requires the acquisition and collation of multiple data sources at the individual and county level. METHODS The population for the comprehensive database comes from statewide COVID-19 testing surveillance data (March 2020- till present) for all SC COVID-19 patients (N≈140,000). This project will 1) connect multiple partner data sources for prediction and intelligence gathering, 2) build a REDCap database that links de-identified multitudinal and multimodal data sources useful for machine learning and deep learning algorithms to enable further studies. Additional data will include hospital based COVID-19 patient registries, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) data, data from the office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (RFA), and Area Health Resource Files (AHRF). RESULTS The project was funded as of June 2020 by the National Institutes for Health. CONCLUSIONS The development of such a linked and integrated database will allow for the identification of important predictors of short- and long-term clinical outcomes for SC COVID-19 patients using data science.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document