Hunger suppresses the onset and the freezing component of the antipredator response to conspecific skin extract in pintado catfish

Although the skin of an injured conspecific releases alarm substance in some fish species, it has been shown that such damage induces feeding behaviour rather than an alarm reaction under conditions of food scarcity. We studied chemical communication associated with this paradox in a Brazilian catfish, the pintado (Pseudoplatystoma coruscans). In preliminary tests pintado were confirmed to demonstrate an alarm reaction to conspecific skin extract. In the experiment we investigated whether skin extract of pintado induces either alarm response (panic or alert component) or feeding in hungry conspecifics. Fish feed-deprived for eight days and fed control fish were exposed to either conspecific skin extract or distilled water (as a control). Alarm reaction was restricted to the skin extract treatment and occurred in the fish irrespective of their hunger state, but the components of this response were significantly affected by hungry. Fed fish showed a complete alarm reaction (dashing and freezing behaviours). Feed-deprived fish exhibited only part of this biphasic response, the dashing component. We conclude that chemicals from injured fish elicit an alarm reaction, which is partially inhibited by feeding motivation.

Hunger and malnutrition in the countries of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

Includes bibliography

Poverty, hunger and food security in Central America and Panama

Includes bibliography

Hunger and malnutrition in the countries of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

Includes bibliography

The cost of hunger: Social and economic impact of child undernutrition in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) jointly with the World Program of Food (WFP) and recognized experts of the region developed a methodology that, using secondary information, estimate the opportunity cost derived from undernutrition. This methodology has been successfully applied in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic, where the cost of undernutrition was estimated at 6.7 billion dollars in 2004. The present study covers four countries in South America: Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. The results indicate that the cost of the malnutrition in these countries reached 4.3 billion dollars in 2005, which is equivalent to 3.3 per cent of the GDP of these countries. The results strongly point out that child undernutrition is not only a problem of health or an unacceptable situation ethically, but it is a national problem, given the enormous social costs and the loss of opportunities that it imposes on the national economy.

The cost of hunger: Social and economic impact of child undernutrition in Central America and the Dominican Republic

This document presents the results derived from the analyses of the cost of undernutrition in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. The study shows that not only are the effects reported valid for the countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic, but the resultant economic impact is also significant, representing between 1.7% and 11.4% of GDP. In this regard, productivity losses as a consequence of the higher death rate and the lower level of education account for 90% of the costs. Thus, in addition to the ethical imperative, eradicating undernutrition would yield benefits as well. Therefore, any programme that is effective in reducing the prevalence of this problem will have an impact on people's quality of life, and will also represent major savings for society. The greater the problem, the greater the challenge, but the greater the benefits as well, especially in terms of countries' production capacity.