Effect of daytime light intensity on daily behaviours and concurrent hypothalamic gene expressions in migratory redheaded bunting.

Animals use photic cues to time their daily and seasonal activity. The role of photoperiod has been much investigated in seasonal responses, but the role of light intensity is less understood in passerine finches. We investigated if and how daytime light intensity influences photoinduced migratory phenologies and hypothalamic mRNA expressions in a Palearctic-Indian migratory finch, redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps).

Gut dysbiosis impacts the immune system and promotes prostate cancer.

The gut microbiota is a system of microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal (GI) system, consisting of trillions of microorganisms residing in epithelial surfaces of the body. Gut microbiota are exposed to various external and internal factors and form a unique gut-associated immunity maintained through a balancing act among diverse groups of microorganisms. The role of microbiota in dysbiosis of the gut in aiding prostate cancer development has created an urgency for extending research toward comprehension and preventative measures.

Evaluation of social jetlag and chronotypes in Indian school-going adolescents.

Background: School-going students' school time acts as a zeitgeber during the weekdays, and in the weekends, due to the absence of the zeitgeber, they show free run and wake up late in the morning. This may result in poor health hazards in adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of social jetlag along with the distribution of their chronotype in school-going adolescents.

The presence/absence of conspecifics modulates the circadian locomotor activity and body mass in spotted munia ().

Biological clocks regulate the behavior and physiology of animals by tracking the local time using diverse time cues. Social cues are relevant in studying the behavior of gregarious animals, but these cues have not been widely studied in birds. Temporal information for circadian timekeeping is socially communicated through visual, physical, olfactory, and auditory means.

Automated qualitative batch measurement of lipid droplets in the liver of bird using ImageJ.

Oil red O staining is effective in detection and quantification of neutral lipid droplets in tissues such as the liver. However, converting images into testable data using ImageJ can be time-consuming and is prone to inaccuracy or bias. We describe a protocol for automated qualitative measurement of lipid droplets in the bird liver using a batch processing macro script.

Surviving high temperatures: a case study of the spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata).

Every year, a combination of summer with extreme weather events such as "heatwaves" affects the life of organisms on earth. Previous studies on humans, rodents, and some birds signify the impact of heat stress on their survival and existence. Over the past four decades, the frequency of heatwaves has increased because of global warming.

Photoperiod-driven concurrent changes in hypothalamic and brainstem transcription of sleep and immune genes in migratory redheaded bunting.

The molecular regulation of sleep in avian migrants is still obscure. We thus investigated this in migratory redheaded buntings, where four life-history states (LHS; i.e.

Photoperiodic modulation of melatonin receptor and immune genes in migratory redheaded bunting.

The transcriptional regulation of innate immune function across annual life history states (LHS) remains obscure in avian migrants. We, therefore, investigated this in a migratory passerine songbird, redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), which exhibits long-distance vernal migration from India to Central Asia. We exposed the birds (N = 10) to differential photoperiodic conditions to induce a non-migratory (NM), pre-migratory (PM), migratory (MIG), and refractory (REF) state, and performed gene expression assays of melatonin receptors (MEL1A and MEL1B), and innate immunity-linked genes (IL1B, IL6, TLR4, and NFKB) in spleen and blood.

The unlock consequences: changes in daily behaviors and mental health in Indian population during the second wave of COVID-19.

Objectives: The COVID-19 outbreak has led to unprecedented changes throughout the world. It has imposed lockdown, social distancing to avoid the spread of this disease. India in the middle of March 2021 reported the beginning of the second wave of corona leading to massive death.

Effect of artificial light at night on sleep and metabolism in weaver birds.

Artificial light at night is constantly minimizing the span of dark nights from the natural light-dark cycle of earth. Over the past century, the "lightscape" of earth has completely changed owing to technological advancements which subsequently changed the lifestyle of human as well as the nearby animal species. This motivated the present study, wherein we investigated the impact of light at night (LAN) on behavior and physiology of a diurnal passerine finch, baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus).

Understanding the significance of biological clock and its impact on cancer incidence.

The circadian clock is an essential timekeeper that controls, for humans, the daily rhythm of biochemical, physiological, and behavioral functions. Irregular performance or disruption in circadian rhythms results in various diseases, including cancer. As a factor in cancer development, perturbations in circadian rhythms can affect circadian homeostasis in energy balance, lead to alterations in the cell cycle, and cause dysregulation of chromatin remodeling.

Photoperiodically driven transcriptome-wide changes in the hypothalamus reveal transcriptional differences between physiologically contrasting seasonal life-history states in migratory songbirds.

We investigated time course of photoperiodically driven transcriptional responses in physiologically contrasting seasonal life-history states in migratory blackheaded buntings. Birds exhibiting unstimulated winter phenotype (photosensitive state; responsive to photostimulation) under 6-h short days, and regressed summer phenotype (photorefractory state; unresponsiveness to photostimulation) under 16-h long days, were released into an extended light period up to 22 h of the day. Increased tshβ and dio2, and decreased dio3 mRNA levels in hypothalamus, and low prdx4 and high il1β mRNA levels in blood confirmed photoperiodic induction by hour 18 in photosensitive birds.

Ambient temperature affects multiple drivers of physiology and behaviour: adaptation for timely departure of obligate spring migrants.

We investigated the role of ambient temperature in departure from wintering areas of migratory black-headed buntings in spring. Birds transferred at 22 and 35°C to long days were compared with one another and with controls held on short days for indices of readiness to migrate (Zugunruhe, fattening, mass gain), levels of testosterone and gonadal recrudescence. Temperature affected the development of migratory behaviour and physiology: buntings under long days at 35°C, compared with those at 22°C, showed altered migratory behaviour (daily activity and Zugunruhe onset), and enhanced muscle growth and plasma testosterone levels, but showed no effect on testis growth.

Concurrent changes in photoperiod-induced seasonal phenotypes and hypothalamic CART peptide-containing systems in night-migratory redheaded buntings.

This study tested the hypothesis whether hypothalamic cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART)-containing systems were involved in photoperiod-induced responses associated with spring migration (hyperphagia and weight gain) and reproduction (gonadal maturation) in migratory songbirds. We specifically chose CART to examine neural mechanism(s) underlying photoperiod-induced responses, since it is a potent anorectic neuropeptide and involved in the regulation of changes in the body mass and reproduction in mammals. We first studied the distribution of CART-immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus of migratory redheaded buntings (Emberiza bruniceps).

Optimum health and inhibition of cancer progression by microbiome and resveratrol.

Resveratrol (RES) is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in fruits, green leafy vegetables, and peanuts. This versatile compound, which has potent regenerative, anti-oxidative, and cancer-fighting properties, is produced in plants, particularly in response to stress stimuli. By various mechanisms, including regulation of genes and proteins, RES inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the development of cancers.

Hypothalamic plasticity in response to changes in photoperiod and food quality: An adaptation to support pre-migratory fattening in songbirds?

In latitudinal avian migrants, increasing photoperiods induce fat deposition and body mass increase, and subsequent night-time migratory restlessness in captive birds, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that an enhanced hypothalamic neuronal plasticity was associated with the photostimulated spring migration phenotype. We tested this idea in adult migratory red-headed buntings (Emberiza bruniceps), as compared with resident Indian weaverbirds (Ploceus philippinus).

Neuromorphometric changes associated with photostimulated migratory phenotype in the Palaearctic-Indian male redheaded bunting.

Neural substrates, including brain areas, differential gene expression and neuroendocrine basis, of migration are known. However, very little is known about structural changes in the brain that underlie the development and cessation of migration in long-distance avian migrants. Towards this, we investigated neuromorphological changes in the higher-order associative areas in male redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), which is a Palaearctic-Indian night migrant with wintering grounds in India.

Seasonal reproductive state determines gene expression in the hypothalamus of a latitudinal migratory songbird during the spring and autumn migration.

We investigated gonadal effects on hypothalamic transcription of genes in sham-operated and castrated redheaded buntings photostimulated into spring and autumn migratory states. RNA-Seq results showed testes-dependent differences between spring and autumn migratory states. In particular, differentially expressed genes enriched G-protein-coupled receptor and calcium-ion signaling pathways during spring and autumn states, respectively.

Development of vernal migration in redheaded buntings: concurrent behavioral, physiological and neural changes under stimulatory photoperiods.

We investigated changes in behavior, physiology and selected brain regions during the development of vernal migration and reproduction phenotypes in migratory redheaded buntings. We monitored 24 h activity-rest pattern and measured food intake, fat deposition, and body mass of buntings exposed for 12 weeks to short (SP, 8L : 16D) and long (LP, 13L : 11D) photoperiods at 22 ± 2 °C temperature. Under LP, not SP, buntings exhibited a photostimulated spring migration phenotype (hyperphagia, fat deposition and body mass gain).

Difference in control between spring and autumn migration in birds: insight from seasonal changes in hypothalamic gene expression in captive buntings.

We hypothesized differences in molecular strategies for similar journeys that migrants undertake to reproduce in spring and to overwinter in autumn. We tested this in redheaded buntings () photoinduced into spring and autumn migratory states, with winter and summer non-migratory states as controls. Compared with controls, buntings fattened, gained weight and showed (nocturnal migratory restlessness) in the migratory state.

Bright light at night alters the perception of daylength in Indian weaver bird (Ploceus philippinus).

The brighter nights have posed new challenges to the wild species by affecting their temporal physiology. The present study on Indian weaver bird (Ploceus philippinus) investigated if exposure to bright light at different phases of night affects their clock-mediated daily functions. Birds were placed individually in specially designed activity cages under short days and long nights (8L:16D; L = 100 lux, D < 0.

Hsp70 and gama-Semino protein as possible prognostic marker of prostate cancer.

In the United States, Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men. PCa resulted in abnormal growth and function of prostate gland such as secretion of high level of gamma-seminoprotein (gama-SM)/Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) which could be detected in the blood. Beside gama-SM protein, the levels of heat shock proteins (Hsp70) were also observed significantly high.

Prostate cancer health disparities: An immuno-biological perspective.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in males, and, in the United States, is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men older than 40 years. There is a higher incidence of PCa for African Americans (AAs) than for European-Americans (EAs). Investigations related to the incidence of PCa-related health disparities for AAs suggest that there are differences in the genetic makeup of these populations.