Trans-generational immunization in the acrobat ant
            Crematogaster scutellaris

Trans-generational immunization is defined as the transmission of an enhanced resistance to a pathogen from parents to offspring. By using the host–parasite system of the ant Crematogaster scutellaris and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae , we describe this phenomenon for the first time in ants. We exposed four groups of hibernating queens to different treatments (i) a non-lethal dose of live conidiospores in Triton, (ii) a dose of heat-killed conidiospores in Triton, (iii) a control Triton solution, and (iv) a naive control. We exposed their first workers to a high dose of conidiospores and measured mortality rates . Workers produced by queens exposed to live conidiospores survived longer than those belonging to the other groups, while exposure to Triton and dead spores had no effect. Starved workers showed a significantly higher mortality. The treatments did not influence queen mortality, nor the number of offspring they produced at the emergence of the first worker, showing no evidence of immunization costs—at least for these parameters in the first year of colony development. We propose that trans-generational immunization represents an important component of social immunity that could affect colony success, particularly during the critical phase of claustral foundation.

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Disentangling non-specific and specific transgenerational immune priming components in host–parasite interactions

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2019.2386 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 287 (1920) ◽

pp. 20192386

Author(s):

Frida Ben-Ami ◽

Christian Orlic ◽

Roland R. Regoes

Keyword(s):

Genetic Epidemiology ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

High Dose ◽

Immune Priming ◽

Specific Effects ◽

Host Parasite Interactions ◽

Pasteuria Ramosa ◽

Different Strains ◽

Host Parasite ◽

First Time

Exposure to a pathogen primes many organisms to respond faster or more efficiently to subsequent exposures. Such priming can be non-specific or specific, and has been found to extend across generations. Disentangling and quantifying specific and non-specific effects is essential for understanding the genetic epidemiology of a system. By combining a large infection experiment and mathematical modelling, we disentangle different transgenerational effects in the crustacean model Daphnia magna exposed to different strains of the bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa . In the experiment, we exposed hosts to a high dose of one of three parasite strains, and subsequently challenged their offspring with multiple doses of the same (homologous) or a different (heterologous) strain. We find that exposure of Daphnia to Pasteuria decreases the susceptibility of their offspring by approximately 50%. This transgenerational protection is not larger for homologous than for heterologous parasite challenges. Methodologically, our work represents an important contribution not only to the analysis of immune priming in ecological systems but also to the experimental assessment of vaccines. We present, for the first time, an inference framework to investigate specific and non-specific effects of immune priming on the susceptibility distribution of hosts—effects that are central to understanding immunity and the effect of vaccines.

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Disentangling unspecific and specific transgenerational immune priming components in host-parasite interactions

10.1101/429498 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Frida Ben-Ami ◽

Christian Orlic ◽

Roland R. Regoes

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Pathogen ◽

Immune Memory ◽

High Dose ◽

Immune Priming ◽

Host Parasite Interactions ◽

Pasteuria Ramosa ◽

Wide Range ◽

Different Strains ◽

Host Parasite ◽

First Time

AbstractExposure to a pathogen primes many organisms to respond faster or more efficiently to subsequent exposures. Such priming can be unspecific or specific, and has been found to extend across generations. Disentangling and quantifying specific and unspecific effects is essential for understanding the genetic epidemiology of a system. By combining a large infection experiment and mathematical modeling, we disentangle different transgenerational effects in the crustacean model Daphnia magna exposed to different strains of the bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa. In the experiments, we exposed hosts to a high-dose of one of three parasite strains, and subsequently challenged their offspring with multiple doses of the same or a different strain, i. e. homologously or heterogously. We find that exposure to Pasteuria decreases the susceptibility of a host’s offspring by approximately 50%. This transgenerational protection is not larger for homologous than for heterologous parasite challenges. Our work represents an important contribution not only to the analysis of immune priming in ecological systems, but also to the experimental assessment of vaccines. We present for the first time an inference framework to investigate specific and unspecific effects of immune priming on the susceptibility distribution of hosts — effects that are central to understanding immunity and the effect of vaccines.Author summaryImmune memory is a feature of immune systems that forms the basis of vaccination. In opposition to textbook accounts, the ability to specifically remember previous exposures has been found to extend to invertebrates and shown to be able to be passed on from mother to off-spring, i. e. to be transgenerational. In this paper, we investigate the extent of this specificity in unprecedented detail in water fleas. We exposed water flea mothers to different strains of a bacterial pathogen and challenged their offspring with a wide range of doses of a strain that were either identical to (homologous) or different from (heterologous) the strain, to which the mother had been exposed. We find that, while exposure of the mother reduces the susceptibility of the offspring, this effect is not specific. This work outlines the limits of specific transgenerational immune memory in this invertebrate system.

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Implementation of the Second-year course in an Engineering Professional Spine

Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA) ◽

10.24908/pceea.v0i0.13070 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Umar Iqbal ◽

Deena Salem ◽

David Strong

Keyword(s):

Learning Outcomes ◽

Research University ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Employability Skills ◽

First Year ◽

Computer Engineering ◽

Core Courses ◽

Second Year ◽

First Time ◽

Academic Year

The objective of this paper is to document the experience of developing and implementing a second-year course in an engineering professional spine that was developed in a first-tier research university and relies on project-based core courses. The main objective of this spine is to develop the students’ cognitive and employability skills that will allow them to stand out from the crowd of other engineering graduates.The spine was developed and delivered for the first time in the academic year 2010-2011 for first-year general engineering students. In the year 2011-2012, those students joined different programs, and accordingly the second-year course was tailored to align with the different programs’ learning outcomes. This paper discusses the development and implementation of the course in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department.

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Breast cancer associated with pregnancy: a clinical case

GYNECOLOGY ◽

10.26442/2079-5696_20.1.102-108 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 102-108

Author(s):

Yu E Dobrokhotova ◽

S E Arakelov ◽

S Zh Danelyan ◽

E I Borovkova ◽

A E Zykov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Radiation Therapy ◽

Clinical Case ◽

First Trimester ◽

First Year ◽

Total Mastectomy ◽

First Time

Associated with pregnancy is breast cancer, which was first detected during pregnancy, during the first year after childbirth or at any time against lactation. Diagnosis of the disease in the first trimester is an indication for abortion. The detection of the disease after 20 weeks and the desire of the woman to maintain pregnancy is the basis for conducting a total mastectomy followed by polychemotherapy with doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide or with fluorouracil. Radiation therapy during pregnancy is not applied. The timing and method of delivery are determined individually and depend on the stage of the process and the period of pregnancy, when it was identified. A clinical case of a patient with edematous-infiltrative form of breast cancer of the IV stage, diagnosed for the first time in 22 weeks of pregnancy, is presented.

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Effects of some bioinsecticides on the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control ◽

10.1186/s41938-020-00346-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alime Bayindir Erol ◽

Oktay Erdoğan ◽

İsmail Karaca

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Active Ingredient ◽

Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Tomato Leaf ◽

Tuta Absoluta ◽

Leaf Miner ◽

Verticillium Lecanii ◽

Main Body ◽

Tomato Leaf Miner

Abstract Background In this study, commercial bioinsecticides including entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Verticillium lecanii, and Spinetoram active ingredient insecticide were evaluated against the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) larvae. Main body The active ingredients were prepared at the recommended concentrations under laboratory conditions and applied to the 2nd instar larvae of T. absoluta by spraying with a hand sprayer. On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days of the application, evaluations were made by counting survived individuals. The findings showed that the highest mortality rates were detected in the case of Spinetoram with 56, 60, 88, and 100% on all counting days of the experiments, respectively. The highest mortality rate among bioinsecticides was recorded for M. anisopliae, with 87% mortality on the 7th day of application. Short conclusion As a result, Spinetoram was found the most effective insecticide when applied to T. absoluta, followed by M. anisopliae.

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Recognition Pattern of the Fasciola hepatica Excretome/Secretome during the Course of an Experimental Infection in Sheep by 2D Immunoproteomics

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10060725 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 725

Author(s):

David Becerro-Recio ◽

Javier González-Miguel ◽

Alberto Ucero ◽

Javier Sotillo ◽

Álvaro Martínez-Moreno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Infection ◽

Fasciola Hepatica ◽

Cathepsin L ◽

Helminth Parasites ◽

Glutathione S Transferase ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Secretory Products ◽

Immunogenic Proteins ◽

Host Parasite ◽

First Time

Excretory/secretory products released by helminth parasites have been widely studied for their diagnostic utility, immunomodulatory properties, as well as for their use as vaccines. Due to their location at the host/parasite interface, the characterization of parasite secretions is important to unravel the molecular interactions governing the relationships between helminth parasites and their hosts. In this study, the excretory/secretory products from adult worms of the trematode Fasciola hepatica (FhES) were employed in a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis, immunoblot and mass spectrometry, to analyze the immune response elicited in sheep during the course of an experimental infection. Ten different immunogenic proteins from FhES recognized by serum samples from infected sheep at 4, 8, and/or 12 weeks post-infection were identified. Among these, different isoforms of cathepsin L and B, peroxiredoxin, calmodulin, or glutathione S-transferase were recognized from the beginning to the end of the experimental infection, suggesting their potential role as immunomodulatory antigens. Furthermore, four FhES proteins (C2H2-type domain-containing protein, ferritin, superoxide dismutase, and globin-3) were identified for the first time as non-immunogenic proteins. These results may help to further understand host/parasite relationships in fasciolosis, and to identify potential diagnostic molecules and drug target candidates of F. hepatica.

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Effect of selenium supplementation on survival, liveweight and wool weight of young sheep on Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9790689 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 19 (101) ◽

pp. 689 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

SK Walker ◽

GP Hall ◽

DH Smith ◽

RW Ponzoni ◽

GJ Judson

Keyword(s):

Total Dose ◽

Whole Blood ◽

Sodium Selenite ◽

South Australia ◽

Selenium Concentration ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Selenium Supplementation ◽

First Year ◽

Weaning Weight ◽

Fleece Weight

The responses in liveweight, wool weight and survival, to selenium supplementation, were studied in young sheep from weaning to yearling age. The experiment was conducted over three years. In the first year, one sodium selenite supplementation rate was used (total dose 46.5 mg). During the following two years two supplementation rates were administered (total doses 46.5 mg and 93 mg). Mean concentrations of selenium in whole blood in unsupplemented sheep varied from 0.19-0.56 pmol l-l and from 0.20-0.44 pmol l-1 in the two years in which concentrations were measured. Supplementation, which commenced at lamb marking, increased the selenium concentration in sheep at weaning and thereafter. Selenium supplementation improved the break-of-season weight (P < 0.01) and yearling weight (P < 0.01 ) but not weaning weight (0.05 < P < 0.1 ). Hogget fleece weight was improved (P < 0.01 ) and mortality reduced (P < 0.01) by selenium supplementation. There was a treatment x year interaction in mortality rates (P < 0.01 ). There were no significant differences between the two supplementation rates

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Indeterminate Chagas’ disease: Trypanosoma cruzi strain and re-infection are factors involved in the progression of cardiopathy

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs1040415 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 415-420 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Juan M. BUSTAMANTE ◽

Héctor W. RIVAROLA ◽

Alicia R. FERNÁNDEZ ◽

Julio E. ENDERS ◽

Ricardo FRETES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Chagas Disease ◽

Infected Group ◽

World Health ◽

Cardiac Lesions ◽

Health Organization ◽

Host Parasite ◽

Β Adrenergic Receptors ◽

First Time

Chagas' disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by reduviid bugs. The World Health Organization has estimated that about 16–18 million people in the Americas are infected, and that more than 100 million are at risk. In the present study we have used a murine model to analyse if particular T. cruzi strains (Tulahuen strain and SGO-Z12 isolate from a chronic patient) and/or re-infection may determine, during the indeterminate phase of experimental Chagas' disease, changes that could explain the different evolution of cardiac lesions. Re-infected mice reached higher parasitaemias than those infected for the first time. The survival in the indeterminate phase of mice infected with Tulahuen strain was 50.0%, while the SGO-Z12-infected group presented a significantly higher survival rate (77.1%; P<0.01). The SGO-Z12-re-infected group showed a survival rate (70.9%) significantly higher than that of the Tulahuen-re-infected group (37.0%; P<0.01). Electrocardiographic abnormalities were found in 66% of Tulahuen-infected mice, while in SGO-Z12-infected group such abnormalities were found in only 36% of animals (P<0.01). The two groups exhibited similar percentages of electrocardiographic dysfunction on re-infection, although intraventricular blocks were more frequent in Tulahuen-re-infected mice (P<0.01). Hearts from infected or re-infected mice with either parasite showed mononuclear infiltrates. The SGO-Z12-re-infected and Tulahuen-re-infected groups exhibited a significantly diminished affinity (P<0.05) and a significantly increased density (P<0.05) of cardiac β-adrenergic receptors compared with the infected and non-infected groups. The indeterminate phase of Chagas' disease is defined as a prolonged period that is clinically silent, but the present findings show that different T. cruzi strains and re-infection are able to alter the host–parasite equilibrium, and these factors may be responsible for inducing progressive cardiopathy.

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Plasma Vitamin B12 Levels, High-Dose Vitamin B12 Treatment, and Risk of Dementia

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201096 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 1601-1612

Author(s):

Johan Frederik Håkonsen Arendt ◽

Erzsébet Horváth-Puhó ◽

Henrik Toft Sørensen ◽

Ebba Nexø ◽

Lars Pedersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin B12 ◽

Vascular Dementia ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

High Dose ◽

Plasma Vitamin ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

B12 Deficiency ◽

First Time

Background: It is controversial whether B12 deficiency causes dementia or B12 treatment can prevent dementia. Objective: To assess associations between low plasma (P-)B12 levels, B12 treatment, and risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD; primary outcome) and all-cause or vascular dementia (secondary outcomes). Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study using Danish registry data to assess associations between low P-B12 levels, high-dose injection or oral B12 treatment, and risk of dementia (study period 2000–2013). The primary P-B12 cohort included patients with a first-time P-B12 measurement whose subsequent B12 treatment was recorded. The secondary B12 treatment cohort included patients with a first-time B12 prescription and P-B12 measurement within one year before this prescription. For both cohorts, patients with low P-B12 levels (<200 pmol/L) were propensity score-matched 1:1 with patients with normal levels (200–600 pmol/L). We used multivariable Cox regression to compute 0–15-year hazard ratios for dementia. Results: For low P-B12 and normal P-B12 level groups, we included 53,089 patients in the primary P-B12 cohort and 13,656 patients in the secondary B12 treatment cohort. In the P-B12 cohort, hazard ratios for AD centered around one, regardless of follow-up period or treatment during follow-up. In the B12 treatment cohort, risk of AD was unaffected by low pre-treatment P-B12 levels, follow-up period and type of B12 treatment. Findings were similar for all-cause and vascular dementia. Conclusion: We found no associatio1n between low P-B12 levels and dementia. Associations were unaffected by B12 treatment. Results do not support routine screening for B12 deficiency in patients with suspected dementia.

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“Painful, yet Beautiful, Moments”: Pathways Through Infant Feeding and Dynamic Conceptions of Breastfeeding Success

Qualitative Health Research ◽

10.1177/10497323211032158 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104973232110321

Author(s):

Mackenzie D. M. Whipps ◽

Hirokazu Yoshikawa ◽

Jill R. Demirci ◽

Jennifer Hill

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Infant Feeding ◽

The United States ◽

High Income ◽

First Year ◽

Cultural Narratives ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Written Narratives ◽

Intensive Mothering ◽

First Time

What is breastfeeding “success”? In this article, we challenge the traditional biomedical definition, instead centering visions of success described by breastfeeding mothers themselves. Using semi-structured interviews, quantitative surveys, and written narratives of 38 first-time mothers in the United States, we describe five common pathways through the first-year postpartum, a taxonomic distinction far more complex than a success–failure dichotomy: sustained breastfeeding, exclusive pumping, combination feeding, rapid weaning, and grinding back to exclusivity. We also explore the myriad ways in which mothers define and experience breastfeeding success, and in the process uncover the ways that cultural narratives—especially intensive mothering—color those experiences. Finally, we discuss how these experiences are shaped by infant feeding pathway. In doing so, we discover nuance that has gone unexplored in the breastfeeding literature. These findings have implications for supporting, promoting, and protecting breastfeeding in the United States and other high-income countries.

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