Laterality in the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis

Behavioural lateralization, the differential use one side of the body, and/or the bilateral use of sensory organs or limbs, is common in many vertebrates. One way in which behavioural lateralization can be detected in animals is through turning biases, which is an inherent preference to either turn left or right. Mole-rats are a unique group of mammals that demonstrate a wide range of social organizations ranging from solitary to eusociality. Behavioural asymmetry has not previously been investigated in mole-rats. In this study, captive and wild solitary Cape-mole rats (Georychus capensis) were investigated for individual (relative laterality (LR)) and population-level (absolute laterality (LA)) laterality. Mole-rats in the captive group were in the laboratory for at least one year, whereas the wild group were captured and experimented on within 2 weeks of capture. Animals were placed in a Y-maze facing away from the centre of the maze, and the turn towards the centre of the maze was evaluated to determine individual turning biases. Lateralized individual turning biases were more apparent in wild (7/9), compared to captive (3/10) individuals. Both captive and wild populations demonstrated a left bias, which was higher in wild animals, but not significantly so. Cape mole-rats are extremely xenophobic and aggressive, and this aggressive behaviour may underlie the turning biases in these animals, as aggression is primarily a right hemisphere dominant process. The reduced lateralization observed in captive animals may be due to a reduced need for these behaviours as a result of different environments in captivity.A South African Research Chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology and a Swiss South African Joint Research Program.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/behavproc2022-02-06hj2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Experimental sources of variation in avian energetics : estimated basal metabolic rate decreases with successive measurements

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is one of the most widely used metabolic variables in endotherm ecological and evolutionary physiology. Surprisingly few studies have investigated howBMR is influenced by experimental and analytical variables over and above the standardized conditions required for minimum normothermic resting metabolism. We tested whether avian BMR is affected by habituation to the conditions experienced during laboratory gas exchange measurements by measuring BMR five times in succession in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) housed under constant temperature and photoperiod. Both the magnitude and the variability of BMR decreased significantly with repeated measurements, from 0.410 0.092 W (n p 9) during the first measurement to 0.285 0.042 W (n p 9) during the fifth measurement. Thus, estimated BMR decreased by ∼30% within individuals solely on account of the number of times they had previously experienced the experimental conditions. The most likely explanation for these results is an attenuation with repeated exposure of the acute stress response induced by birds being handled and placed in respirometry chambers. Our data suggest that habituation to experimental conditions is potentially an important determinant of observed BMR, and this source of variation needs to be taken into account in future studies of metabolic variation among individuals, populations, and species.University of Pretoriahttp://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/pbz/current2015-09-30hb201

Plasma oxidative stress in reproduction of two eusocial African mole‑rat species, the naked mole‑rat and the Damaraland mole‑rat

One of the most prominent life-history trade-offs involves the cost of reproduction. Oxidative stress has been proposed to be involved in this trade-off and has been associated with reduced life span. There is currently an unclear relationship between oxidative cost and the reproduction-longevity trade-off. The current study, using a non-lethal and minimally invasive (only a single blood sample and no euthanasia) method, investigated whether an oxidative cost (oxidative stress) to reproduction would be apparent in two long-lived eusocial mole-rats, the naked mole-rat (NMR), Heterocephalus glaber, and the Damaraland mole-rat (DMR), Fukomys damarensis, where breeding colony members live longer than non-breeder conspecifics. We measured the direct redox balance in plasma by measuring the oxidative stress index (OSI) based on the ratio of total oxidant status and total antioxidant activity in breeders and non-breeders of both sexes, in the two species. NMR had significantly higher OSI between breeders and non-breeders of each sex, whereas DMR showed no significant differences except for total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The mode of reproductive suppression and the degree of reproductive investment in NMR may explain to some degree the redox balance difference between breeders and non-breeders. DMR show minimal physiological changes between breeders and non-breeders except for the mode of reproduction, which may explain some variations in TAC and TOS values, but similar OSI between breeders and non-breeders.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : Tables S1 and S2. Sample details and respective TOS (total oxidant status), TAC (total antioxidant capacity) and OSI (oxidative stress index) for Naked mole-rats and for Damaraland mole-rats. NBF: non-breeding females, NBM: non-breeding males, BM: breeding males, BF: breeding females.The SARChI chair of Mammalian Behavioural Ecology and Physiology from the DST-NRF South Africa, the National Research Foundation and the University of Pretoria.http://www.frontiersinzoology.comam2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

The evolution and ecology of oxidative and antioxidant status : a comparative approach in African mole-rats

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data are contained within the article or Supplementary Materials.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS: FILE S1: The family of Bathyergidae, their distribution, their life history, reproductive structure, reproductive suppression and oxidative ecology; FILE S2: Data.The naked mole-rat of the family Bathyergidae has been the showpiece for ageing research as they contradict the traditional understanding of the oxidative stress theory of ageing. Some other bathyergids also possess increased lifespans, but there has been a remarkable lack of comparison between species within the family Bathyergidae. This study set out to investigate how plasma oxidative markers (total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and the oxidative stress index (OSI)) differ between five species and three subspecies of bathyergids, differing in their maximum lifespan potential (MLSP), resting metabolic rate, aridity index (AI), and sociality. We also investigated how oxidative markers may differ between captive and wild-caught mole-rats. Our results reveal that increased TOS, TAC, and OSI are associated with increased MLSP. This pattern is more prevalent in the social-living species than the solitary-living species. We also found that oxidative variables decreased with an increasing AI and that wild-caught individuals typically have higher antioxidants. We speculate that the correlation between higher oxidative markers and MLSP is due to the hypoxia-tolerance of the mole-rats investigated. Hormesis (the biphasic response to oxidative stress promoting protection) is a likely mechanism behind the increased oxidative markers observed and promotes longevity in some members of the Bathyergidae family.The SARChI chair of Mammalian Behavioural Ecology and Physiology from the DST-NRF South Africa, the National Research Foundation, and the Natural Environment Research Council and the University of Pretoria.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/antioxidantsMammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Heat and dehydration induced oxidative damage and antioxidant defenses following incubator heat stress and a simulated heat wave in wild caught four-striped field mice Rhabdomys dilectus

Heat waves are known for their disastrous mass die-off effects due to dehydration and cell damage, but little is known about the non-lethal consequences of surviving severe heat exposure. Severe heat exposure can cause oxidative stress which can have negative consequences on animal cognition, reproduction and life expectancy. We investigated the current oxidative stress experienced by a mesic mouse species, the four striped field mouse, Rhabdomys dilectus through a heat wave simulation with ad lib water and a more severe temperature exposure with minimal water. Wild four striped field mice were caught between 2017 and 2019. We predicted that wild four striped field mice in the heat wave simulation would show less susceptibility to oxidative stress as compared to a more severe heat stress which is likely to occur in the future. Oxidative stress was determined in the liver, kidney and brain using malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) as markers for oxidative damage, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as markers of antioxidant defense. Incubator heat stress was brought about by increasing the body temperatures of animals to 39–40.8˚C for 6 hours. A heat wave (one hot day, followed by a 3- day heatwave) was simulated by using temperature cycle that wild four striped field mice would experience in their local habitat (determined through weather station data using temperature and humidity), with maximal ambient temperature of 39˚C. The liver and kidney demonstrated no changes in the simulated heat wave, but the liver had significantly higher SOD activity and the kidney had significantly higher lipid peroxidation in the incubator experiment. Dehydration significantly contributed to the increase of these markers, as is evident from the decrease in body mass after the experiment. The brain only showed significantly higher lipid peroxidation following the simulated heat wave with no significant changes following the incubator experiment. The significant increase in lipid peroxidation was not correlated to body mass after the experiment. The magnitude and duration of heat stress, in conjunction with dehydration, played a critical role in the oxidative stress experienced by each tissue, with the results demonstrating the importance of measuring multiple tissues to determine the physiological state of an animal. Current heat waves in this species have the potential of causing oxidative stress in the brain with future heat waves to possibly stress the kidney and liver depending on the hydration state of animals.S1 Table. The control and stressed PIT animal body temperature recordings inside the incubator throughout the 6 hour period.S2 Table. The body mass before, body mass after and % body mass change of each individual across all experiments.A DSTNRF SARChI research chair for Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology; a University of Pretoria doctoral research bursary and a University of Pretoria department of research and innovation international cooperation postgraduate exchange bursary.http://www.plosone.orgam2021Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

The cost of reproduction in a cooperatively breeding mammal : consequences of seasonal variation in rainfall, reproduction, and reproductive suppression

Biological investments, such as reproduction, are influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors and their interactions. The trade-off between reproduction and survival has been well established. Seasonally breeding species, therefore, may exhibit variations in these trade-offs, but there is a dearth of knowledge concerning this. This study investigated the physiological cost of reproduction (measured through oxidative stress) across seasons in the cooperatively breeding highveld mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae), one of the few seasonal breeding mole-rats. Oxidative stress indicates elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which can overwhelm antioxidant defences resulting in damaged proteins, lipids and DNA, which overall can reduce longevity and compromise reproduction. Oxidative markers such as total oxidant status (TOS-measure of total peroxides present), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidative stress index (OSI), and malondialdehyde (MDA) are utilised to measure oxidative stress. In this study, breeding and non-breeding male (NBM) and female mole-rats were captured during the dry season (breeding period) and wet season (non-breeding period). There was an apparent cost of reproduction in the highveld mole-rat; however, the seasonality pattern to the cost of reproduction varied between the sexes. Breeding females (BFs) had significantly higher MDA during the breeding period/dry season in comparison to the non-breeding period/wet season; this is possibly a consequence of bearing and nursing offspring. Contrastingly, breeding males (BMs) showed increased oxidative damage in the non-breeding/wet season compared to the breeding/dry season, possibly due to increased activities of protecting their mating rights for the next breeding/dry season, but this was not significant. Interestingly, during the non-breeding period/wet season, non-breeding females (NBFs) are released from their reproductive suppression, which resulted in increases in TOS and OSI, which again indicated that just the mere ability to be able to breed results in a cost (oxidative stress). Therefore we can speculate that highveld mole-rats exhibited seasonal variation in redox balance brought about by variation in abiotic variables (e.g., rainfall), physiology and behaviour. We conclude that physiological changes associated with reproduction are sufficient to induce significant acute oxidative stress in the plasma of female highveld mole-rats, which become alleviated following transition to the non-breeding season/wet period suggesting a possible hormetic effect.The SARChI chair of Mammalian Behavioural Ecology and Physiology from the DST-NRF South Africa, the National Research Foundation and the University of Pretoria.http://www.frontiersin.org/Physiologyam2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Envisioning a World Beyond APCs/BPCs

This archival page includes documents and recordings related to the international symposium, “Envisioning a World Beyond APCs/BPCs,” held in Lawrence, Kansas, on Thursday and Friday, November 17-18. The presenters were a group of 18 internationally respected scholars, publishers, university librarians, and executives from foundations and organizations, who were asked to participate in a discussion about current models available for achieving an expansive, inclusive, and balanced worldwide open publishing ecosystem. The symposium was co-sponsored by the University of Kansas Libraries, Open Access Network (a project of K|N Consultants), Allen Press, SPARC, and ARL. The materials included here are the symposium schedule, recordings of Parts 1 and 2 of the Nov. 17 livestream, a transcript of the livestream, and team proposals originating from the Nov. 18 morning session.This symposium was sponsored by the University of Kansas Libraries, Open Access Network (a project of K|N Consultants), Allen Press, and SPARC

A Federated Database for Obesity Research:An IMI-SOPHIA Study

Obesity is considered by many as a lifestyle choice rather than a chronic progressive disease. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) SOPHIA (Stratification of Obesity Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy) project is part of a momentum shift aiming to provide better tools for the stratification of people with obesity according to disease risk and treatment response. One of the challenges to achieving these goals is that many clinical cohorts are siloed, limiting the potential of combined data for biomarker discovery. In SOPHIA, we have addressed this challenge by setting up a federated database building on open-source DataSHIELD technology. The database currently federates 16 cohorts that are accessible via a central gateway. The database is multi-modal, including research studies, clinical trials, and routine health data, and is accessed using the R statistical programming environment where statistical and machine learning analyses can be performed at a distance without any disclosure of patient-level data. We demonstrate the use of the database by providing a proof-of-concept analysis, performing a federated linear model of BMI and systolic blood pressure, pooling all data from 16 studies virtually without any analyst seeing individual patient-level data. This analysis provided similar point estimates compared to a meta-analysis of the 16 individual studies. Our approach provides a benchmark for reproducible, safe federated analyses across multiple study types provided by multiple stakeholders.</p

A Federated Database for Obesity Research:An IMI-SOPHIA Study

Obesity is considered by many as a lifestyle choice rather than a chronic progressive disease. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) SOPHIA (Stratification of Obesity Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy) project is part of a momentum shift aiming to provide better tools for the stratification of people with obesity according to disease risk and treatment response. One of the challenges to achieving these goals is that many clinical cohorts are siloed, limiting the potential of combined data for biomarker discovery. In SOPHIA, we have addressed this challenge by setting up a federated database building on open-source DataSHIELD technology. The database currently federates 16 cohorts that are accessible via a central gateway. The database is multi-modal, including research studies, clinical trials, and routine health data, and is accessed using the R statistical programming environment where statistical and machine learning analyses can be performed at a distance without any disclosure of patient-level data. We demonstrate the use of the database by providing a proof-of-concept analysis, performing a federated linear model of BMI and systolic blood pressure, pooling all data from 16 studies virtually without any analyst seeing individual patient-level data. This analysis provided similar point estimates compared to a meta-analysis of the 16 individual studies. Our approach provides a benchmark for reproducible, safe federated analyses across multiple study types provided by multiple stakeholders.</p

Seasonal Movement and Distribution of Fluvial Adult Bull Trout in Selected Watersheds in the Mid-Columbia River and Snake River Basins

From 1997 to 2004, we used radio telemetry to investigate movement and distribution patterns of 206 adult fluvial bull trout (mean, 449 mm FL) from watersheds representing a wide range of habitat conditions in northeastern Oregon and southwestern Washington, a region for which there was little previous information about this species. Migrations between spawning and wintering locations were longest for fish from the Imnaha River (median, 89 km) and three Grande Ronde River tributaries, the Wenaha (56 km) and Lostine (41 km) rivers and Lookingglass Creek (47 km). Shorter migrations were observed in the John Day (8 km), Walla Walla (20 km) and Umatilla river (22 km) systems, where relatively extensive human alterations of the riverscape have been reported. From November through May, fish displayed station-keeping behavior within a narrow range (basin medians, 0.5–6.2 km). Prespawning migrations began after snowmelt-driven peak discharge and coincided with declining flows. Most postspawning migrations began by late September. Migration rates of individuals ranged from 0.1 to 10.7 km/day. Adults migrated to spawning grounds in consecutive years and displayed strong fidelity to previous spawning areas and winter locations. In the Grande Ronde River basin, most fish displayed an unusual fluvial pattern: After exiting the spawning tributary and entering a main stem river, individuals moved upstream to wintering habitat, often a substantial distance (maximum, 49 km). Our work provides additional evidence of a strong migratory capacity in fluvial bull trout, but the short migrations we observed suggest adult fluvial migration may be restricted in basins with substantial anthropogenic habitat alteration. More research into bull trout ecology in large river habitats is needed to improve our understanding of how adults establish migration patterns, what factors influence adult spatial distribution in winter, and how managers can protect and enhance fluvial populations