“A matter of health”: Evaluation of health habits in pupils in Primary School in Serbia

We interviewed more than 400 primary school pupils from 5th to the 8th grade (aged 11 to 14 years) from the primary school in Belgrade (Serbia) about their habits concerning nutrition, beverage consumption, and time spend in front of a computer, tablet, playing games on consoles, or using a mobile phone. According to the study, a high percentage of students showed a well-established habit of eating breakfast. Also, the overall water consumption prevailed in all grades, since the school ensures students access to safe and free drinking water, as a healthy alternative to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. However, we found increasing food consumption from bakery and consumption of carbonated drinks both in boys and girls from senior grades (7th and 8th). Also, they spent considerably more time with a computer, tablet, or mobile phone than the pupils from lower grades. About one-third of all surveyed students have been watching television or using a computer more than 3 hours during the day. We found a significant increase of BMI, as an indicator of the increasing risk of weight gain and obesity both in boys and girls in senior grades. In the current curriculum of Biology, the topic of human health is studied in the 7th grade, but presented results show that one-year education in health topics is not sufficient. It suggests the necessity of introducing the topic of health in all grades of elementary school, starting from the lowest age

Penile morphology in six populations of Branchipus schaefferi Fischer, 1834 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from Serbia

Male genital morphology of six populations of Branchipus schaefferi from different locations in Serbia is described. Both qualitative and quantitative morphological traits were taken into consideration. The majority of males from lowland parts of the country (Pannonian Plane) had a long sickle-curved or arched spine situated on the basal part of the penis. Males sampled in the south-eastern part of the country (the region of Stara Planina Mountains) possessed short, straight or slightly bowed basal spine. A distal penile part appeared as a more stable character than the proximal one. Males from one of the examined populations possessed roundish and spineless penile tip, a feature heretofore not described in B. schaefferi.Acta Zoologica Bulgarica (2017), 69(1): 17-2

Sexual selection can reduce mutational load in Drosophila subobscura

According to theoretical predictions sexual selection can reduce mutational load through male mating success. Males of good genetic quality should be more successful in matings, compared to the males of low genetic quality, thus in this way females can prevent deleterious alleles to be transmitted to the next generation. We tested this hypothesis through set up of two experimental groups from same genetic pool, where in one group genetic quality was manipulated by ionizing radiation. Within each group opportunity for choosing mates was imposed: males and females had no choice or had multiple choice. Mutational load was measured through the variability of different fitness components: fecundity and egg-to-adult viability. Our results indicate that sexual selection can reduce mutational load, only for fecundity. Group with the presence of female choice exhibited higher fecundity than group in which sexual selection was experimentally eliminated, but only in 'irradiated' group. There was no overall difference in egg-to-adult viability between different sexual selection regimes in any of the group. It should be considered that sexual selection can cause sexual conflict, and potential opposite effects of sexual selection and sexual conflict on fitness. Genetic structure of populations, in terms of the level of mutational load, is an important factor which can determinate the role of sexual selection.Prema teorijskim očekivanjima seksualna selekcija može smanjivati mutaciona opterećenja u populacijama, preko uspešnosti mužjaka u parenju. Mužjaci koji su boljeg genetičkog kvaliteta bi trebalo da budu uspešniji u parenju od mužjaka lošijeg genetičkog kvaliteta. Na taj način bi ženke mogle da smanje prenošenje štetnih alela u sledeću generaciju. Ova hipoteza je testirana uspostavljanjem dve eksperimentalne grupe od istog genetičkog pula jedinki, pri čemu su u jednoj mutacije indukovane jonizujućim zračenjem. Unutar svake grupe je nametnuta mogućnost izbora u parenju: mužjaci i ženke nisu imali izbor, ili su imali višestruki izbor. Mutaciona opterećenja su merena preko dve komponente adaptivne vrednosti: fekunditeta i preživljavanja od stadijuma jaja do adulta. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da seksualna selekcija može imati uticaj na smanjivanje mutacionih opterećenja ali samo za fekunditet. U prisustvu seksualne selekcije su vrednosti fekunditeta bile veće u odnosu na vrednosti koje su dobijene kad je seksualna selekcija eksperimentalno uklonjena, ali samo u okviru 'ozračene' grupe. Razlike u preživljavanju od jaja do adulta između različitih režima seksualne selekcije nisu dobijene ni u jednoj od grupa. Kako seksualna selekcija često uzrokuje i seksualni konflikt, treba uzeti u obzir njihovo potencijalno delovanje u suprotnim pravcima na adaptivnu vrednost. Genetička struktura populacija, koja podrazumeva i veličinu mutacionih opterećenja, može biti važan faktor od koga će i zavisiti delovanje seksualne selekcija na adaptivnu vrednost.Projekat ministarstva br. 17301

Fitness traits of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) after long-term laboratory rearing on different diets

Nutrition is one of the most important environmental factors that influence the development and growth in Drosophila. The food composition strongly affects their reproduction, welfare and survival, so it is necessary for flies to search for a mixture of macronutrients that maximizes their fitness. We have five D. melanogaster strains, which were reared for 13 years on five different substrates: standard cornmeal-agar-sugar-yeast medium and four substrates modified by adding tomato, banana, carrot and apple. This study was aimed at determining how such long-term rearing of flies on substrates with different protein content affects fitness traits (dynamics of eclosion, developmental time and egg-to-adult survival). Further, we determined how transferring flies reared on fruit/vegetable substrates to a standard laboratory diet affected their fitness. Results indicate that strains reared on the diet with the lowest content of protein and the highest C/N ratio had the slowest eclosion and developmental time, and lowest egg-to-adult survival (apple diet). The flies reared on the diet with the highest protein content and the lowest C/N ratio had the highest survival (tomato diet). Flies reared on the carrot diet, which is quite similar in protein content and C/N ratio to the standard cornmeal diet, had the fastest development. Transferring flies to the standard cornmeal diet accelerate eclosion and developmental time, but did not affect survival

Morphological analyses allow to separate Branchipus species (Branchiopoda, Anostraca) from different geographic regions

In Serbia, Branchipus Schaeffer, 1766 is especially common in the Pannonian lowlands, where Branchipus schaefferi and Branchipus serbicus were previously reported. In the southern parts of the country, at the foothills of the Stara Planina Mountains, a Branchipus intermedius population is reported to occur. We used multivariate analysis to assess the degree of morphological variability between Branchipus populations currently ascribed to different species. Morphometric characters contributed the most to the morphological differentiation. Populations were better defined on the basis of male morphometric characters. Our results indicate that individuals from the southeastern, mountainous part of the country had the highest level of differentiation. We confirmed that this population belongs to B. intermedius. The individuals of the presumed species B. serbicus exhibited a fairly lower level of morphological differentiation in the present study, and grouped together with other lowland Serbian populations ascribed to B. schaefferi. According to this study, B. serbicus is a junior synonym of B. schaefferi.This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Hydrobiologia. The final authenticated version is available online at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3286-0

Fitness traits of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) after long-term laboratory rearing on different diets

Nutrition is one of the most important environmental factors that influence the development and growth in Drosophila. The food composition strongly affects their reproduction, welfare and survival, so it is necessary for flies to search for a mixture of macronutrients that maximizes their fitness. We have five D. melanogaster strains, which were reared for 13 years on five different substrates: standard cornmeal-agar-sugar-yeast medium and four substrates modified by adding tomato, banana, carrot and apple. This study was aimed at determining how such long-term rearing of flies on substrates with different protein content affects fitness traits (dynamics of eclosion, developmental time and egg-to-adult survival). Further, we determined how transferring flies reared on fruit/vegetable substrates to a standard laboratory diet affected their fitness. Results indicate that strains reared on the diet with the lowest content of protein and the highest C/N ratio had the slowest eclosion and developmental time, and lowest egg-to-adult survival (apple diet). The flies reared on the diet with the highest protein content and the lowest C/N ratio had the highest survival (tomato diet). Flies reared on the carrot diet, which is quite similar in protein content and C/N ratio to the standard cornmeal diet, had the fastest development. Transferring flies to the standard cornmeal diet accelerate eclosion and developmental time, but did not affect survival

Sexual selection can reduce mutational load in Drosophila subobscura

According to theoretical predictions sexual selection can reduce mutational load through male mating success. Males of good genetic quality should be more successful in matings, compared to the males of low genetic quality, thus in this way females can prevent deleterious alleles to be transmitted to the next generation. We tested this hypothesis through set up of two experimental groups from same genetic pool, where in one group genetic quality was manipulated by ionizing radiation. Within each group opportunity for choosing mates was imposed: males and females had no choice or had multiple choice. Mutational load was measured through the variability of different fitness components: fecundity and egg-to-adult viability. Our results indicate that sexual selection can reduce mutational load, only for fecundity. Group with the presence of female choice exhibited higher fecundity than group in which sexual selection was experimentally eliminated, but only in 'irradiated' group. There was no overall difference in egg-to-adult viability between different sexual selection regimes in any of the group. It should be considered that sexual selection can cause sexual conflict, and potential opposite effects of sexual selection and sexual conflict on fitness. Genetic structure of populations, in terms of the level of mutational load, is an important factor which can determinate the role of sexual selection.Prema teorijskim očekivanjima seksualna selekcija može smanjivati mutaciona opterećenja u populacijama, preko uspešnosti mužjaka u parenju. Mužjaci koji su boljeg genetičkog kvaliteta bi trebalo da budu uspešniji u parenju od mužjaka lošijeg genetičkog kvaliteta. Na taj način bi ženke mogle da smanje prenošenje štetnih alela u sledeću generaciju. Ova hipoteza je testirana uspostavljanjem dve eksperimentalne grupe od istog genetičkog pula jedinki, pri čemu su u jednoj mutacije indukovane jonizujućim zračenjem. Unutar svake grupe je nametnuta mogućnost izbora u parenju: mužjaci i ženke nisu imali izbor, ili su imali višestruki izbor. Mutaciona opterećenja su merena preko dve komponente adaptivne vrednosti: fekunditeta i preživljavanja od stadijuma jaja do adulta. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da seksualna selekcija može imati uticaj na smanjivanje mutacionih opterećenja ali samo za fekunditet. U prisustvu seksualne selekcije su vrednosti fekunditeta bile veće u odnosu na vrednosti koje su dobijene kad je seksualna selekcija eksperimentalno uklonjena, ali samo u okviru 'ozračene' grupe. Razlike u preživljavanju od jaja do adulta između različitih režima seksualne selekcije nisu dobijene ni u jednoj od grupa. Kako seksualna selekcija često uzrokuje i seksualni konflikt, treba uzeti u obzir njihovo potencijalno delovanje u suprotnim pravcima na adaptivnu vrednost. Genetička struktura populacija, koja podrazumeva i veličinu mutacionih opterećenja, može biti važan faktor od koga će i zavisiti delovanje seksualne selekcija na adaptivnu vrednost.Projekat ministarstva br. 17301

Note on the fauna of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and the first record of Opomyza florum (Diptera: Opomyzidae) from mt. Goč, Serbia

Fauna of Drosophilidae in Serbia has been studied for 40 years. This paper presents the results of faunistic research conducted on Mt. Goč in June 2011 in two forests (beech and oak), which are significantly different in the type of vegetation and microclimatic factors. In the oak forest eight species of Drosophila were registered, while in the beech forest only five species were recorded. A relatively small number of species recorded is, among other things, the result of extremely bad weather conditions during the collection attempts. An interesting non-drosophilid fly was also found in the sample - Opomyza florum Fabricius, 1794 (Diptera: Opomyzidae). Since there is very little data concerning the distribution of O. florum in Serbia, this paper is an invitation to entomologists to further study this species, including faunistical, ecological and behavioral aspects, keeping in mind its potential economic impact.Fauna Drosophilidae se u Srbiji izučava već 40 godina. U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati faunističkog istraživanja sprovedenog na Goču u junu 2011. godine, u dve šume (bukovoj i hrastovoj), koje se znatno razlikuju u tipu vegetacije i mikroklimatskim faktorima. U hrastovoj šumi je registrovano 8 vrsta Drosophila, a u bukovoj 5 vrsta. Relativno mali broj registrovanih vrsta je, između ostalog, posledica ekstremno loših vremenskih uslova tokom sakupljanja mušica. U uzorku sakupljenih muva utvrđeno je i prisustvo žute žitne muve, Opomyza florum Fabricius 1794 (Diptera: Opomyzidae). Imajući u vidu da postoji vrlo malo podataka koji se tiču distribucije O. florum u Srbiji, ovaj rad je i poziv entomolozima u smislu daljeg izučavanja ove vrste, sa faunističkog, ekološkog i aspekta ponašanja, s obzirom na njen potencijalni ekonomski značaj.Projekat ministarstva br. 17301

Mating behavior as an indicator of quality of Drosophila subobscura males?

According to current theoretical predictions, any deleterious mutations that reduce nonsexual fitness may have a negative influence on mating success. This means that sexual selection may remove deleterious mutations from the populations. Males of good genetic quality should be more successful in mating, compared to the males of lower genetic quality. As mating success is a condition dependent trait, large fractions of the genome may be a target of sexual selection and many behavioral traits are likely to be condition dependent. We manipulated the genetic quality of Drosophila subobscura males by inducing mutations with ionizing radiation and observed the effects of the obtained heterozygous mutations on male mating behavior: courtship occurrence, courtship latency, mating occurrence, latency to mating and duration of mating. We found possible effects of mutations. Females mated more frequently with male progeny of nonirradiated males and that these males courted females faster compared to the male progeny of irradiated males. Our findings indicate a possible important role of sexual selection in purging deleterious mutations

Cuticular chemoprofile of the fruit fly Drosophila Subobscura (Diptera, drosophilidae)

In insects, cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile is involved in many important biological functions and may vary in different conditions. Among fruit fly species, Drosophila subobscura is one of the most frequently used in genetic, ecological and evolutionary research, because of its rich chromosomal polymorphism, specific behavioral repertoires and habitat preferences. In this work, we identified and quantified cuticular chemoprofile of D. subobscura. Using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 25 chemical compounds were found in males and 23 compounds were found in females. Further, ANOVA confirmed significant sexual dimorphism in cuticular chemoprofile amounts. Knowledge of cuticular chemistry could contribute to further research in D. subobscura, starting from behavioral, up to ecological, since this species is recognized as an important model system for the study and monitoring of global climate changes. © 2018, Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum. All rights reserved