Effect of Prey Density on Reproduction, Foraging and Other Activities in the Adder, Vipera berus

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claes Andrén
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Prey Density ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Cost Of Reproduction ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Food Density ◽  
Vipera Berus ◽  
One Year ◽  
Reproductive Females

AbstractReproduction, foraging and other activities of an island population of adder, Vipera berus, were documented in 1974 after a high density of rodents in 1973. The study was repeated in 1975 after one year of diminished food resources. In spring 1974 the weight status (body mass/length) of all categories of island adders was significantly higher than in adjacent mainland populations. After one year of food scarcity mean body mass had decreased significantly in all categories of adders. At the same time mean body length in males, (but not in females) increased significantly. Survival after one year of low food resources was markedly higher in non-reproductive females than in reproductive ones, pointing to a high cost of reproduction at low food density. In 1975, spring sloughing in males was delayed and prolonged, and reproduction failed completely. The foraging period was prolonged and included spring. Most adders then left their normal spring habitats close to the hibernation area and moved to foraging habitats. Predator evasion distance was much shorter than in well-nourished adders.

scholarly journals Do female northern vipers (Vipera berus) really stop feeding during pregnancy?

2019 ◽  
pp. 4-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Bauwens
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Prey Consumption ◽  
Temporary Reduction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vipera Berus ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reproductive Females

A temporary reduction or even cessation of feeding has been documented in a wide range of vertebrate species and is usually attributed to conflicts between foraging and other activities. It is generally recognised that females of Old World vipers (Vipera spp.) reduce or even stop feeding during pregnancy, even though detailed quantitative information for most species is limited. We conducted a long-term (2000 – 2017) and intensive mark–recapture study in a large population of northern vipers (Vipera berus) and employed two indices of feeding frequency in adult females during their breeding years. The first index uses cross-sectional data and estimated that a strict minority (7 %) of captures of females in breeding years revealed detectable signs of recent food intake (swelling of the mid-body, voiding of solid faeces). A second index is based on the magnitude of increases in body mass over recapture intervals of individual females, which can be attributed to the intake of food. Depending on the criteria used to consider an increase in body mass as a consequence of prey consumption, about 12 % (range: 2 – 29 %) of recaptures revealed indications of prey consumption. Overall, we estimated that ca. 20 % of the reproductive females fed at least once before parturition. We thus confirm that most pregnant female V. berus fail to feed, but also point out that the number of females that feed occasionally during pregnancy is higher than has often been assumed. We suggest that reduced foraging by pregnant northern vipers is, presumably in part, a consequence of their behaviour of residing in habitats where feeding opportunities are rare because prey encounter rates are low.

Associations Between Parent–Child Communication and Connectedness, Parent Feeding Behavior, and Child Body Mass in Pre-Adolescent Children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina D Lowe ◽  
Mark A Lott ◽  
Chad D Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Parent Child Communication ◽  
Parental Feeding ◽  
Parent Feeding ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Objective  This study evaluated associations between parent–child connectedness and communication, parent feeding behaviors (restriction, pressure to eat, and monitoring), and age- and sex-standardized child body mass index (zBMI) in a sample of pre-adolescent children aged 8–12 years. Methods  A community sample of three hundred and eight child–parent dyads completed measures of communication and connectedness. Parents completed a feeding behavior measure and children were weighed and their height was measured. We examined whether parental feeding behaviors and parent–child communication and connectedness predicted child zBMI and whether parental feeding behaviors moderated the association between parent–child communication and connectedness and child zBMI. Results  Feeding restriction was positively associated with zBMI, while both pressure to eat and food monitoring exhibited negative associations with zBMI. Child-reported communication was inversely associated with zBMI and parental pressure to eat moderated this association such that lower pressure to eat predicted a stronger association between communication and zBMI. Conclusions  These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that parent feeding strategies and parent–child communication are important contributors to child weight status. This study also provides preliminary evidence suggesting that adaptive parent–child communication is associated with lower body mass when parents avoid pressuring their child to eat. Our study provides an important extension of this body of research into middle childhood, a relatively understudied developmental stage.

scholarly journals Effect of Children’s Weight Status on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior during Physical Education, Recess, and After School

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2651
Author(s):  
Zachary C. Pope ◽  
Charles Huang ◽  
David Stodden ◽  
Daniel J. McDonough ◽  
Zan Gao
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
After School ◽  
Healthy Weight

Children’s body mass index may affect physical activity (PA) participation. Therefore, this study examined the effect of children’s weight status on underserved elementary school children’s PA and sedentary behavior (SB) throughout the segmented day. Participants were 138 children (X¯age = 8.14 years). Children’s height and weight were measured with subsequent classification of children as healthy weight or overweight/obese. Durations of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and SB during physical education (PE), morning recess, lunch recess, after school, and overall were assessed via accelerometry over three days. Independent t-tests evaluated differences in children’s MVPA, LPA, and SB during each daily segment by weight status. Significantly higher MVPA was observed for children of healthy weight status versus children with overweight/obesity during morning recess, t(136) = 2.15, p = 0.03, after school, t(136) = 2.68, p < 0.01, and overall, t(136) = 2.65, p < 0.01. Interestingly, comparisons of children of healthy weight status and children with overweight/obesity’s LPA and SB during the after-school segment revealed a trend wherein children with overweight/obesity participated in slightly greater LPA/less SB than children of healthy weight status. Higher MVPA was observed among children of healthy weight versus children with overweight/obesity during most daily segments. Concerted efforts should focus on increasing MVPA among children with overweight/obesity.

scholarly journals One-year increment of fat mass and lean body mass of Japanese school children using bioelectrical impedance

1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-167
Author(s):  
Kazuyuki Kida ◽  
Yoshiko Nishizawa ◽  
Kumiko Saito ◽  
Hideo Nakamura ◽  
Hisao Fukuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lean Body Mass ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Fat Mass ◽  
School Children ◽  
Bioelectrical Impedance ◽  
One Year

scholarly journals Body mass index and weight status misperception among a sample of college students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-232
Author(s):  
Janatin Hastuti ◽  
Neni Trilusiana Rahmawati ◽  
Rusyad Adi Suriyanto
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Weight Control ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Ordinal Regression ◽  
Ordinal Regression Analysis

Background: Weight status perception associates with objective weight status and is important in the management of weight control. To date, perception of weight status among Indonesian youths has not been reported.Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between body mass index and weight status perception in a sample of college students in Yogyakarta Province.Materials and Methods: A sample of 209 boys and 269 girls of college students in Yogyakarta Province were measured for their stature and body weight. Body mass index was calculated (BMI). Data of demographic, exercise, and diet were collected. Weight status perception was based on participant responses to a question regarding how they classified their own body size as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. Ordinal regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with weight status misperception among boys and girls.Results: Overall, 43.5% of boys and 37.5% of girls misclassified their own weight status by actual BMI. Of particular note, 75.9% of obese boys and 78.6% of obese girls underestimated their weight status as overweight or normal weight. Whereas, 9.1% and 23.4% of normal weight boys and girls respectively, overestimated their weight status. Ordinal regression analysis revealed that, weight status misperception from others was significantly contributed (p<0.01) to misperception of weight status among boys and girls with OR of 10.31 and 8.13 respectively. Diet practicing was significantly correlated with weight status misperception in boys (p<0.05) with an OR of 19.57.Conclusions: Weight status misperception was prevalent among normal weight and obese students. Obese students of both gender and normal weight boys tended to underestimate their weight status, whereas normal weight girls were likely to overestimate their weight status.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.16(2) 2017 p.225-232

scholarly journals Chinese Sexual Minority Male Adolescents’ Suicidality and Body Mass Index

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeen Huang ◽  
Pengsheng Li ◽  
Zhisheng Lai ◽  
Xiaofei Jia ◽  
Di Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Minority Males ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Increased Risk

Excess weight status may increase the risk of suicidality among sexual minority females, but few studies have examined this suicidality disparity in sexual minority males. This study examined the association between sexual minority status and suicide attempts in Chinese male adolescents and tested whether body mass index (BMI) had a moderating effect on that association. Data were collected from 7th to 12th graders from seven randomly selected provinces of China in the 2015 School-Based Chinese Adolescents Health Survey. In total, 72,409 male students completed the questionnaires regarding sexual attraction, self-reported weight and height, and suicide attempts. After adjustment for covariates, sexual minority status was associated with suicide attempts among male students (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.57–1.93). Stratification analyses showed that BMI category moderated this association; compared with the results before stratification analyses, sexual minority males who were obese had increased risk of suicide attempts (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.09–4.24), sexual minority males who were overweight had reduced odds of suicide attempts (AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.01–1.92), and no significant association change was found in sexual minority males who were underweight (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.43–2.33). Our study indicated that BMI moderated the risk of suicide attempts in sexual minority males. Suicide prevention targeting sexual minority males should be focused on weight status disparity and the creation of a positive climate to reduce minority stressors due to body image.

scholarly journals The Relationship of Perceived Body Image, Body Mass Index and Physical Activity with Weight Status among Students at King Abdulaziz University Hospital

2021 ◽  
pp. 218-227
Author(s):  
Futoon S. Alobiri ◽  
Roaa A. Alharbi ◽  
Mohammed R. Algethami ◽  
Raghdah H. Ateeq ◽  
Aseel M. Badurayq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Satisfaction ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
King Abdulaziz University

Aim: Identify the relation between poor esteem for body image and weight-related behaviors. The results will help increase awareness and improve students’ lifestyles to have a better body image and achieve ideal body weight. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among King Abdulaziz University medical students (n= 460) between July to the end of August 2019. Data was collected using the International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), figure rating scale (FRS) and analyzed using SPSS software. Result: The results showed that the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 24.80 ± 11.89. Participant sex was an important factor influencing the prevalence of obesity; male students were more obese than female students with a significant difference (p<0.001). The level of body satisfaction was also affected by gender. Students in preclinical years were more likely to gain weight more than clinical years students. Conclusion: The results show a significant relationship between body satisfaction and gender (P<0.0001) despite having diverse BMIs. Overweight and obese males and females' participants had the lowest body satisfaction. Females who were too thin and had low BMIs described themselves as normal, while males describe themselves as too thin. Conversely, females with high BMIs described themselves as too fat, while males described themselves as normal. This could be due to different factors. Also, underweight females and males have high body satisfaction, which can lead to dangerous behaviors to maintain low body weight which cause negative health consequences.

scholarly journals Body mass variability is represented by distinct functional connectivity patterns

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R Sadler ◽  
Grace Elisabeth Shearrer ◽  
Kyle Stanley Burger
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Design Sensitivity ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Discordant Twins ◽  
Project Data ◽  
Discordant Twin

Understanding weight-related differences in functional connectivity provides key insight into neurocognitive factors implicated in obesity. Here, we sampled three groups from human connectome project data: 1) 47 pairs of BMI-discordant twins (n=94; average BMI-discordancy 6.7 3.1 kg/m2), 2) 47 pairs of gender and BMI matched BMI-discordant, unrelated individuals, and 3) 47 pairs of BMI-similar twins to test for body mass dependent differences in between network functional connectivity. Across BMI discordant samples, three networks appeared to be highly sensitivity to weight status; specifically, a network compromised of gustatory processing regions, a visual processing network, and the default mode network (DMN). Further, individuals with a lower BMI relative to their twin had stronger connectivity between striatal/thalamic and prefrontal networks (pFWE = 0.04) in the BMI-discordant twin sample. Cortical-striatal-thalamic networks underlie regulation of hedonically motivated behaviors. Stronger connectivity may facilitate increased regulation of decision-making when presented with highly rewarding, energy-dense foods. We also observed that individuals with a higher BMI than their twin had stronger connectivity between cerebellar and insular networks (pFWE = 0.04). Increased cerebellar-insula connectivity is associated with caloric deprivation and, in high BMI individuals, is associated compromised satiation signaling, thereby increasing risk for postprandial food intake. Connectivity patterns observed in the BMI-discordant twin sample were not see in a BMI-similar sample, providing evidence that the results are specific to BMI discordance. Beyond the involvement of gustatory and visual networks and the DMN, little overlap in results were seen between the two BMI-discordant samples. This may be a function of the higher study design sensitivity in the BMI-discordant twin sample, relative to the more generalizable results in the unrelated sample. These findings demonstrate that distinct connectivity patterns can represent weight variability, adding to mounting evidence that implicates atypical brain functioning with the accumulation and/or maintenance of elevated weight.

scholarly journals What drives interaction strengths in complex food webs? A test with feeding rates of a generalist stream predator

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Preston ◽  
Jeremy S. Henderson ◽  
Landon P. Falke ◽  
Leah M. Segui ◽  
Tamara J. Layden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Webs ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Prey Density ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Interaction Strength ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Mass Ratios

AbstractDescribing the mechanisms that drive variation in species interaction strengths is central to understanding, predicting, and managing community dynamics. Multiple factors have been linked to trophic interaction strength variation, including species densities, species traits, and abiotic factors. Yet most empirical tests of the relative roles of multiple mechanisms that drive variation have been limited to simplified experiments that may diverge from the dynamics of natural food webs. Here, we used a field-based observational approach to quantify the roles of prey density, predator density, predator-prey body-mass ratios, prey identity, and abiotic factors in driving variation in feeding rates of reticulate sculpin (Cottus perplexus). We combined data on over 6,000 predator-prey observations with prey identification time functions to estimate 289 prey-specific feeding rates at nine stream sites in Oregon. Feeding rates on 57 prey types showed an approximately log-normal distribution, with few strong and many weak interactions. Model selection indicated that prey density, followed by prey identity, were the two most important predictors of prey-specific sculpin feeding rates. Feeding rates showed a positive, accelerating relationship with prey density that was inconsistent with predator saturation predicted by current functional response models. Feeding rates also exhibited four orders-of-magnitude in variation across prey taxonomic orders, with the lowest feeding rates observed on prey with significant anti-predator defenses. Body-mass ratios were the third most important predictor variable, showing a hump-shaped relationship with the highest feeding rates at intermediate ratios. Sculpin density was negatively correlated with feeding rates, consistent with the presence of intraspecific predator interference. Our results highlight how multiple co-occurring drivers shape trophic interactions in nature and underscore ways in which simplified experiments or reliance on scaling laws alone may lead to biased inferences about the structure and dynamics of species-rich food webs.

scholarly journals Retinol-Binding Protein 4 and Its Relation to Insulin Resistance in Obese Children before and after Weight Loss

2008 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 2287-2293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Reinehr ◽  
Birgit Stoffel-Wagner ◽  
Christian L. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Retinol Binding Protein ◽  
Homa Index ◽  
Obese Children ◽  
Retinol Binding Protein 4 ◽  
Lean Children

Abstract Context: There are limited and controversial data concerning the relationships between retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), weight status, and insulin resistance in obese humans and especially in children. Objective: Our objective was to study the longitudinal relationships among RBP4, insulin resistance and weight status in obese children. Design, Setting, and Patients: We conducted a 1-yr longitudinal follow-up study in a primary-care setting with 43 obese children (median age 10.8 yr) and 19 lean children of same the age and gender. Intervention: Our outpatient 1-yr intervention program was based on exercise, behavior, and nutrition therapy. Main Outcomes Measures: Changes of weight status (body mass index sd score), RBP4, molar RBP4/serum retinol (SR) ratio, insulin resistance index homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). Results: Obese children had significantly (P &lt; 0.01) higher RBP4 concentrations and a higher RBP4/SR ratio compared with lean children. In multiple linear regression analyses adjusted to age, gender, and pubertal stage, RBP4 was significantly correlated to insulin and body mass index. Pubertal children demonstrated significantly decreased QUICKI and significantly increased HOMA index, insulin, and RBP4 concentrations compared with prepubertal children. Changes of RBP4 correlated significantly to changes of insulin (r = 0.29), HOMA index (r = 0.29), QUICKI (r = 0.22), and weight status (r = 0.31). Substantial weight loss in 25 children led to a significant (P &lt; 0.001) decrease of RBP4, RBP4/SR, blood pressure, triglycerides, insulin, and HOMA index and an increase in QUICKI in contrast to the 18 children without substantial weight loss. Conclusion: RBP4 levels were related to weight status and insulin resistance in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, suggesting a relationship between RBP4, obesity, and insulin resistance in children.

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