On-farm mortality and related risk factors in Estonian dairy cows.

Mortality (unassisted death and euthanasia) reflects the health and welfare state of the cows and is associated with undesirable financial consequences for the farmer. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to identify risk factors associated with on-farm mortality in dairy cows. Data for a study period between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015 were retrieved from the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board and Estonian Livestock Performance Recording, Ltd.

Temporospatial study of hexose transporters and mucin in the epithelial cells of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) small intestine.

The temporospatial patterns in the localization of hexose transporters as well as in the quantitative and qualitative differences of glycoprotein mucin produced by the goblet cells of broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) small intestine during their first postnatal month were studied. The integral membrane proteins glucose transporter-2 and -5 (GLUT-2 and GLUT-5) that facilitate the transport of hexoses across epithelial cell layers that separate distinct compartments in organism were detected in the chicken intestinal epithelial cells using immunohistochemical labeling with polyclonal primary antibodies Rabbit anti-GLUT-2 and Rabbit anti-GLUT-5 (IHC kit, Abcam, UK). The chemical composition of mucin (neutral, acid) was carried out by applying the histochemical reactions by Alcian-Blue and periodic acid-Schiff methods.

Reasons and risk factors for beef calf and youngstock on-farm mortality in extensive cow-calf herds.

Raising calves and youngstock is an essential part of beef production. High on-farm mortality (unassisted death and euthanasia) is a consequence of poor animal health and welfare, and is economically unfavourable. The present study aimed to identify the reasons and risk factors for beef calf and youngstock on-farm mortality, using registry data for the years 2013 to 2015.

Habitat quality affects stress responses and survival in a bird wintering under extremely low ambient temperatures.

Animals normally respond to stressful environmental stimuli by releasing glucocorticoid hormones. We investigated whether baseline corticosterone (CORT), handling-induced corticosterone concentration(s), and body condition indices of members of willow tit (Poecile montanus) groups differed while wintering in old growth forests and managed young forests in mild weather conditions and during cold spells. Willow tits spend the winter season in non-kin groups in which dominant individuals typically claim their priority to access resources, while subordinate individuals may experience greater levels of stress and higher mortality, especially during cold spells.

Development of African swine fever epidemic among wild boar in Estonia - two different areas in the epidemiological focus.

African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar emerged in Estonia for the first time in September 2014. The first affected region was located in the South of Estonia close to the border with Latvia. It was considered to be epidemiologically connected to the outbreaks in the North of Latvia.

Microbiome symbionts and diet diversity incur costs on the immune system of insect larvae.

Communities of symbiotic microorganisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract play an important role in food digestion and protection against opportunistic microbes. Diet diversity increases the number of symbionts in the intestines, a benefit that is considered to impose no cost for the host organism. However, less is known about the possible immunological investments that hosts have to make in order to control the infections caused by symbiont populations that increase because of diet diversity.

Sex-specific compensatory growth in the larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella.

Deficiency of food resources in ontogeny is known to prolong an organism's developmental time and affect body size in adulthood. Yet life-history traits are plastic: an organism can increase its growth rate to compensate for a period of slow growth, a phenomenon known as 'compensatory growth'. We tested whether larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella can accelerate their growth after a fast of 12, 24 or 72 h.

Metabolic rate associates with, but does not generate covariation between, behaviours in western stutter-trilling crickets, .

The causes and consequences of among-individual variation and covariation in behaviours are of substantial interest to behavioural ecology, but the proximate mechanisms underpinning this (co)variation are still unclear. Previous research suggests metabolic rate as a potential proximate mechanism to explain behavioural covariation. We measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR), boldness and exploration in western stutter-trilling crickets, , selected differentially for short and fast development over two generations.

Short-term exposure to predation affects body elemental composition, climbing speed and survival ability in Drosophila melanogaster.

Factors such as temperature, habitat, larval density, food availability and food quality substantially affect organismal development. In addition, risk of predation has a complex impact on the behavioural and morphological life history responses of prey. Responses to predation risk seem to be mediated by physiological stress, which is an adaptation for maintaining homeostasis and improving survivorship during life-threatening situations.

A dark cuticle allows higher investment in immunity, longevity and fecundity in a beetle upon a simulated parasite attack.

Cuticle melanism in insects is linked to a number of life history traits: a positive relationship is hypothesized between melanism, immune function, fecundity and lifespan. However, it is not clear how activation of the immune system affects trade-offs between life history traits in female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) differing in cuticle melanization. The females with tan, brown and black cuticles examined in the present study did not differ in the intensity of encapsulation response, fecundity and longevity when their immune system was not activated.

Effects of food quality on trade-offs among growth, immunity and survival in the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella.

The resources available to an individual in any given environment are finite, and variation in life history traits reflect differential allocation of these resources to competing life functions. Nutritional quality of food is of particular importance in these life history decisions. In this study, we tested trade-offs among growth, immunity and survival in 3 groups of greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae fed on diets of high and average nutritional quality.

Male mealworm beetles increase resting metabolic rate under terminal investment.

Harmful parasite infestation can cause energetically costly behavioural and immunological responses, with the potential to reduce host fitness and survival. It has been hypothesized that the energetic costs of infection cause resting metabolic rate (RMR) to increase. Furthermore, under terminal investment theory, individuals exposed to pathogens should allocate resources to current reproduction when life expectancy is reduced, instead of concentrating resources on an immune defence.