Nutrition and Darwin’s Entangled Bank

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Simpson ◽  
David Raubenheimer
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Temporal Pattern ◽  
Primary Factor ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Nutritional Sciences

This introductory chapter expands on three important themes that form the backdrop of this book's study: nutrition touches and links all living things; nutrition is complex; and there have been benefits both from the highly specific and detailed approach of applied nutritional sciences and the simplified, general approaches adopted in the ecological sciences. At the most conspicuous level, nutrition is a primary factor defining the geographic distribution and temporal pattern of activity for many animals. Achieving nutritional homeostasis involves a complex interplay between multiple and changing nutrient needs and variable foods. The detailed studies of human and animal nutritionists have yielded a wealth of information for deriving dietary recommendations for human health, formulating animal feeds, designing dietary regimes for captive animals, supplementing the nutrition of free-ranging animals—and many other important practical applications.

scholarly journals Lesion Distribution and Epidemiology ofMycobacterium bovisin Elk and White-Tailed Deer in South-Western Manitoba, Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd K. Shury ◽  
Doug Bergeson
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Core Area ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Small Core ◽  
The Core ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Culture Positive

Surveillance forMycobacterium bovisin free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from south-western Manitoba was carried out from 1997 to 2010 to describe the lesions, epidemiology, and geographic distribution of disease. Tissues were cultured from animals killed by hunters, culled for management, blood-tested, or found opportunistically. Period prevalence in elk was approximately six times higher than deer, suggesting a significant reservoir role for elk, but that infected deer may also be involved. Prevalence was consistently higher in elk compared to deer in a small core area and prevalence declines since 2003 are likely due to a combination of management factors instituted during that time. Older age classes and animals sampled from the core area were at significantly higher risk of being culture positive. Positive elk and deer were more likely to be found through blood testing, opportunistic surveillance, and culling compared to hunting. No non-lesioned, culture-positive elk were detected in this study compared to previous studies in red deer.

scholarly journals Genomics in Personalized Nutrition: Can You “Eat for Your Genes”?

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3118
Author(s):  
Veronica A. Mullins ◽  
William Bresette ◽  
Laurel Johnstone ◽  
Brian Hallmark ◽  
Floyd H. Chilton
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Vitamin D Metabolism ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Snp Data ◽  
Dietary Choices

Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are now quickly and inexpensively acquired, raising the prospect of creating personalized dietary recommendations based on an individual’s genetic variability at multiple SNPs. However, relatively little is known about most specific gene–diet interactions, and many molecular and clinical phenotypes of interest (e.g., body mass index [BMI]) involve multiple genes. In this review, we discuss direct to consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) and the current potential for precision nutrition based on an individual’s genetic data. We review important issues such as dietary exposure and genetic architecture addressing the concepts of penetrance, pleiotropy, epistasis, polygenicity, and epigenetics. More specifically, we discuss how they complicate using genotypic data to predict phenotypes as well as response to dietary interventions. Then, several examples (including caffeine sensitivity, alcohol dependence, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity/appetite, cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s disease, folate metabolism, long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis, and vitamin D metabolism) are provided illustrating how genotypic information could be used to inform nutritional recommendations. We conclude by examining ethical considerations and practical applications for using genetic information to inform dietary choices and the future role genetics may play in adopting changes beyond population-wide healthy eating guidelines.

scholarly journals Potential effects of climate change on the risk of accidents with poisonous species of the genusTityus (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in Argentina

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Martinez ◽  
Mayane A Andrade ◽  
Claudio Juan Bidau
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Temporal Pattern ◽  
Distribution Area ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Buenos Aires Province ◽  
Accident Risk ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Risk Maps ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: The knowledge of the factors that affect the geographic distribution of species permits us to infer where they can be found. Human beings, through the expansion of their own distribution area and their contribution to climate alteration have modified the geographic distribution of other biological species. As a consequence, the temporal pattern of co-occurrence of human beings and venomous species (scorpions, spiders, snakes) is being modified. Thus, the temporal pattern of areas with risk of accidents with such species tends to become dynamic along time. The aim of this work was to analyze the areas of occurrence of species of Tityus in Argentina and assess the impact of global climate change on their area of distribution constructing risk maps. METHODS: Using data of occurrence of the species and climatic variables, we constructed models of species distribution (SMDs) under current and future conditions. We also created maps that allow the detection of temporal shifts in the distribution patterns of each Tityus species. Finally, we constructed risk maps for the analyzed species. RESULTS: Our results predict that climate change will have an impact on the distribution of Tityus species which will clearly expand to more southern latitudes, with the exception of T. argentinus. T. bahiensis, widely distributed in Brazil, showed a considerable increase of its potential area (ca. 37%) with future climate change. The species T. confluens and T. trivittatus that cause the highest number of accidents in Argentina, showed significant changes of their distributions in future scenarios. The former fact is worrying because Buenos Aires province is the more densely populated federal district in Argentina thus liable to become the one most affected by T. trivittatus. DISCUSSION: Then, these alterations of distributional patterns can lead to amplify the accident risk zones of venomous species, becoming an important subject of concern for public health policies.

scholarly journals Development of a noninvasive photograph-based method for the evaluation of body condition in free-ranging brown bears

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9982
Author(s):  
Yuri Shirane ◽  
Fumihiko Mori ◽  
Masami Yamanaka ◽  
Masanao Nakanishi ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Accurate Method ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
The Body ◽  
Length Ratio ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Free Ranging

Body condition is an important determinant of health, and its evaluation has practical applications for the conservation and management of mammals. We developed a noninvasive method that uses photographs to assess the body condition of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. First, we weighed and measured 476 bears captured during 1998–2017 and calculated their body condition index (BCI) based on residuals from the regression of body mass against body length. BCI showed seasonal changes and was lower in spring and summer than in autumn. The torso height:body length ratio was strongly correlated with BCI, which suggests that it can be used as an indicator of body condition. Second, we examined the precision of photograph-based measurements using an identifiable bear in the Rusha area, a special wildlife protection area on the peninsula. A total of 220 lateral photographs of this bear were taken September 24–26, 2017, and classified according to bear posture. The torso height:body/torso length ratio was calculated with four measurement methods and compared among bear postures in the photographs. The results showed torso height:horizontal torso length (TH:HTL) to be the indicator that could be applied to photographs of the most diverse postures, and its coefficient of variation for measurements was <5%. In addition, when analyzing photographs of this bear taken from June to October during 2016–2018, TH:HTL was significantly higher in autumn than in spring/summer, which indicates that this ratio reflects seasonal changes in body condition in wild bears. Third, we calculated BCI from actual measurements of seven females captured in the Rusha area and TH:HTL from photographs of the same individuals. We found a significant positive relationship between TH:HTL and BCI, which suggests that the body condition of brown bears can be estimated with high accuracy based on photographs. Our simple and accurate method is useful for monitoring bear body condition repeatedly over the years and contributes to further investigation of the relationships among body condition, food habits, and reproductive success.

Nutritional genomics

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Stover
Keyword(s):  
Genome Stability ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Nutritional Interventions ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Nutritional Genomics ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Complex Chronic Disease ◽  
Nutritional Sciences

The integration of genomics into nutritional sciences has illuminated the complexity of genome responses to nutritional exposures while offering opportunities to increase the effectiveness of nutritional interventions, both clinical and population based. Nutrients elicit multiple physiological responses that affect genome stability, imprinting, expression, and viability. These effects confer both health benefits and risks, some of which may not become apparent until later in life. Nutritional genomics challenges us to understand the reciprocal and complex interactions among the human genome and dietary components in normal physiology and pathophysiology. Understanding these interactions will refine current definitions of benefit and risk and lead to the establishment of dietary recommendations that have a high predictive value, minimize the risk of unintended consequences, and account for the modifying effects of human genetic variation. Furthermore, nutritional genomics will enable the design of effective dietary regimens for the prevention and management of complex chronic disease. This review focuses on new perspectives that have been presented to the nutritional sciences by the advent of genomics, and new challenges that demand attention because of their potential impact on, and immediate translation into, current public health nutrition recommendations and interventions.

scholarly journals Potential effects of climate change on the risk of accidents with poisonous species of the genusTityus (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in Argentina

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Martinez ◽  
Mayane A Andrade ◽  
Claudio Juan Bidau
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Temporal Pattern ◽  
Distribution Area ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Buenos Aires Province ◽  
Accident Risk ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Risk Maps ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: The knowledge of the factors that affect the geographic distribution of species permits us to infer where they can be found. Human beings, through the expansion of their own distribution area and their contribution to climate alteration have modified the geographic distribution of other biological species. As a consequence, the temporal pattern of co-occurrence of human beings and venomous species (scorpions, spiders, snakes) is being modified. Thus, the temporal pattern of areas with risk of accidents with such species tends to become dynamic along time. The aim of this work was to analyze the areas of occurrence of species of Tityus in Argentina and assess the impact of global climate change on their area of distribution constructing risk maps. METHODS: Using data of occurrence of the species and climatic variables, we constructed models of species distribution (SMDs) under current and future conditions. We also created maps that allow the detection of temporal shifts in the distribution patterns of each Tityus species. Finally, we constructed risk maps for the analyzed species. RESULTS: Our results predict that climate change will have an impact on the distribution of Tityus species which will clearly expand to more southern latitudes, with the exception of T. argentinus. T. bahiensis, widely distributed in Brazil, showed a considerable increase of its potential area (ca. 37%) with future climate change. The species T. confluens and T. trivittatus that cause the highest number of accidents in Argentina, showed significant changes of their distributions in future scenarios. The former fact is worrying because Buenos Aires province is the more densely populated federal district in Argentina thus liable to become the one most affected by T. trivittatus. DISCUSSION: Then, these alterations of distributional patterns can lead to amplify the accident risk zones of venomous species, becoming an important subject of concern for public health policies.

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