scholarly journals Lepidopterans as model organisms in studies of insect immunity: a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 89 (4 - Ahead of print) ◽  
pp. 207-225
Author(s):  
Danail Ilchev Takov ◽  
Andrey Ivanov Tchorbanov ◽  
Daniela Kirilova Pilarska ◽  
Peter Vladislavov Ostoich
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Insect Immunity ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Storage Pests ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Antiviral Responses ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Increasing Demand

Lepidoptera are one of the largest order among insects. Their role and importance for ecosystems is essential, especially in forestry and agricultural communities. Among the butterflies there are a large number of representatives, whose larvae are typically phyllophagous and play a significant role in the defoliation of a number of deciduous tree species. Many of them are storage pests or pests of fruit trees and crops. With an increasing demand and use of biological control approaches, such as applying entomopathogens, the question of immune mechanisms in these insects and their contribution to the study of insect immunity have become very significant. This review presents a summary including more than 40 lepidopteran species, which have been the subject of studies related to basic defense mechanisms, namely, the presence of antimicrobial peptides, hemocytes, immune and antiviral responses and signaling pathways.

scholarly journals Order Diptera as a model in the studies of insect immunity: a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-489
Author(s):  
Danail Ilchev TAKOV ◽  
Peter Vladislavov OSTOICH ◽  
Andrey Ivanov TCHORBANOV ◽  
Daniela Kirilova PILARSKA
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Insect Immunity ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Important Group ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Dipteran Species

Order Diptera is the most important group of animals when it comes to insect immunity research. The largest share of experimental data in the group falls on the genus Drosophila - a model species with a number of advantages. Other crucial representatives are those of the mosquito group, as they are vectors of a number of infectious diseases infecting higher vertebrates and humans. As representatives of the genera, Anopheles, Aedes and Culex are very significant model organisms. In total, more than 40 dipteran species are being actively studied as models in various aspects related to immunity. Together with the representatives of the order Lepidoptera, they are the major source of the knowledge gained so far on the defense mechanisms in insects. The current review demonstrates that the studies conducted on dipteran species concern all existing mechanisms of immune defense, namely antimicrobial peptides, signalingpathways, pathogen recognition, the different types of hemocytes, antiviral and other immune responses (phagocytosis, nodulation, melanization and encapsulation).

The Dynamics of TAT Process

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoît Verdon ◽  
Catherine Chabert ◽  
Catherine Azoulay ◽  
Michèle Emmanuelli ◽  
Françoise Neau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Rorschach Test ◽  
Mental Functioning ◽  
Projective Tests ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Latent Content ◽  
Rigorous Method

After many years of clinical practice, research and the teaching of projective tests, Shentoub and her colleagues (Debray, Brelet, Chabert & al.) put forward an original and rigorous method of analysis and interpretation of the TAT protocols in terms of psychoanalysis and clinical psychopathology. They developed the TAT process theory in order to understand how the subject builds a narrative. Our article will emphasize the source of the analytical approach developed by V. Shentoub in the 1950s to current research; the necessity of marking the boundary between the manifest and latent content in the cards; the procedure for analyzing the narrative, supported by an analysis sheet for understanding the stories' structure and identifying the defense mechanisms; and how developing hypotheses about how the mental functions are organized, as well as their potential psychopathological characteristics; and the formulation of a diagnosis in psychodynamic terms. In conjunction with the analysis and interpretation of the Rorschach test, this approach allows us to develop an overview of the subject's mental functioning, taking into account both the psychopathological elements that may threaten the subject and the potential for a therapeutic process. We will illustrate this by comparing neurotic, borderline, and psychotic personalities.

scholarly journals Indigenous Water Rights in Comparative Law

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-402
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Macpherson
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wall Street ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Academy Award ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Poor Management

At the end of the 2015 Academy Award-winning film The Big Short, which explores the origins of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, a caption notes that the Wall Street investor protagonist of the film who predicted the collapse of the United States (US) housing market would now be ‘focused on one commodity: water’. Water is sometimes described in popular culture as ‘the new oil’ or ‘more valuable than gold’. It is predicted to be the subject of increasing uncertainty, competition, conflict, and even war, as increasing demand from a growing human population and development meets reduced supply as a result of poor management, overuse, and climate change.

scholarly journals Role of Selenium and Selenoproteins in Male Reproductive Function: A Review of Past and Present Evidences

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izhar Hyder Qazi ◽  
Christiana Angel ◽  
Haoxuan Yang ◽  
Evangelos Zoidis ◽  
Bo Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Male Fertility ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Antioxidant Defense ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Male Reproductive Function ◽  
The Subject

Selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral having many essential roles at the cellular and organismal levels in animal and human health. The biological effects of Se are mainly carried out by selenoproteins (encoded by 25 genes in humans and 24 in mice). As an essential component of selenoproteins, Se performs structural and enzymic roles; in the latter context it is well known for its catalytic and antioxidative functions. Studies involving different animal models have added great value to our understanding regarding the potential implications of Se and selenoproteins in mammalian fertility and reproduction. In this review, we highlight the implications of selenoproteins in male fertility and reproduction followed by the characteristic biological functions of Se and selenoproteins associated with overall male reproductive function. It is evident from observations of past studies (both animal and human) that Se is essentially required for spermatogenesis and male fertility, presumably because of its vital role in modulation of antioxidant defense mechanisms and other essential biological pathways and redox sensitive transcription factors. However, bearing in mind the evidences from mainstream literature, it is also advisable to perform more studies focusing on the elucidation of additional roles played by the peculiar and canonical selenoproteins i.e., glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) in the male reproductive functions. Nevertheless, search for the elucidation of additional putative mechanisms potentially modulated by other biologically relevant selenoproteins should also be included in the scope of future studies. However, as for the implication of Se in fertility and reproduction in men, though a few clinical trials explore the effects of Se supplementation on male fertility, due to inconsistencies in the recruitment of subjects and heterogeneity of designs, the comparison of such studies is still complicated and less clear. Therefore, further research focused on the roles of Se and selenoproteins is awaited for validating the evidences at hand and outlining any therapeutic schemes intended for improving male fertility. As such, new dimensions could be added to the subject of male fertility and Se supplementation.

scholarly journals A practical guide to buildde-novoassemblies for single tissues of non-model organisms: the example of a Neotropical frog

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Montero-Mendieta ◽  
Manfred Grabherr ◽  
Henrik Lantz ◽  
Ignacio De la Riva ◽  
Jennifer A. Leonard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Assembly Pipeline ◽  
Wide Variability ◽  
History Of ◽  
Inexperienced User

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a very valuable resource to understand the evolutionary history of poorly known species. However, in organisms with large genomes, as most amphibians, WGS is still excessively challenging and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) represents a cost-effective tool to explore genome-wide variability. Non-model organisms do not usually have a reference genome and the transcriptome must be assembledde-novo. We used RNA-seq to obtain the transcriptomic profile forOreobates cruralis, a poorly known South American direct-developing frog. In total, 550,871 transcripts were assembled, corresponding to 422,999 putative genes. Of those, we identified 23,500, 37,349, 38,120 and 45,885 genes present in the Pfam, EggNOG, KEGG and GO databases, respectively. Interestingly, our results suggested that genes related to immune system and defense mechanisms are abundant in the transcriptome ofO. cruralis. We also present a pipeline to assist with pre-processing, assembling, evaluating and functionally annotating ade-novotranscriptome from RNA-seq data of non-model organisms. Our pipeline guides the inexperienced user in an intuitive way through all the necessary steps to buildde-novotranscriptome assemblies using readily available software and is freely available at:https://github.com/biomendi/TRANSCRIPTOME-ASSEMBLY-PIPELINE/wiki.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Antiviral Responses in Brachypodium distachyon and Setaria viridis Reveals Conserved and Unique Outcomes Among C3 and C4 Plant Defenses

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1277-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kranthi K. Mandadi ◽  
Jesse D. Pyle ◽  
Karen-Beth G. Scholthof
Keyword(s):  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Brachypodium Distachyon ◽  
Brome Mosaic Virus ◽  
Setaria Viridis ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Host Immune Responses ◽  
Antiviral Responses ◽  
Virus Interactions ◽  
Model C

Viral diseases cause significant losses in global agricultural production, yet little is known about grass antiviral defense mechanisms. We previously reported on host immune responses triggered by Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV) in the model C3 grass Brachypodium distachyon. To aid comparative analyses of C3 and C4 grass antiviral defenses, here, we establish B. distachyon and Setaria viridis (a C4 grass) as compatible hosts for seven grass-infecting viruses, including PMV and SPMV, Brome mosaic virus, Barley stripe mosaic virus, Maize mild mottle virus, Sorghum yellow banding virus, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV). Etiological and molecular characterization of the fourteen grass-virus pathosystems showed evidence for conserved crosstalk among salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid, and ethylene pathways in B. distachyon and S. viridis. Strikingly, expression of PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4, an upstream modulator of SA signaling, was consistently suppressed during most virus infections in B. distachyon and S. viridis. Hierarchical clustering analyses further identified unique antiviral responses triggered by two morphologically similar viruses, FoMV and WSMV, and uncovered other host-dependent effects. Together, the results of this study establish B. distachyon and S. viridis as models for the analysis of plant-virus interactions and provide the first framework for conserved and unique features of C3 and C4 grass antiviral defenses.

Roman Climate Awareness in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-282
Author(s):  
Jane Millar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Agricultural Labor ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Untapped Resource

This article examines the past and potential contributions of Pliny the Elder’s Natural History (NH) on the subject of Roman perceptions and experiences of environmental change. It asks in particular how classicists, archaeologists, and environmental historians can responsibly use the NH as a source on ancient climate. First, it briefly reviews relevant topics in the paleoclimatology of the Roman world, a rapidly advancing discipline enabling the identification of ancient climate changes with increasing precision and confidence (I). The article then turns to the reliability of Pliny as an authority on ancient climate by examining his accuracy, objectivity, and use of source material in literary and historical context, including his rhetorical goals, which have gone understudied until quite recently (II). A close reading of passages on environmental and climate change follows, highlighting areas in which Pliny’s observations are at odds with his source material. The examples discussed demonstrate the importance of phenology (III) and meteorology (IV) in Pliny’s encyclopedic account of the natural world, one characterized by anthropocentrism, pragmatism, and an emphasis on local knowledge. The evidence for ancient climate change is plentiful but not conclusive on the details and timing, and further studies will continue to refine local records. Rather than presenting a synthetic reconstruction based on Pliny’s observations, I argue that his encyclopedia offers an untapped resource on ancient climate and weather, not only by providing evidence of climate change, but also by recommending increased attention to seasonality, agricultural communities, and the lived experience of agricultural labor in order to better understand the effects of climate change on ancient populations.

Comunicare con il bambino malato: la preparazione all'intervento chirurgico e il ricovero in ospedale. Una rassegna della letteratura empirica

2009 ◽  
pp. 47-66
Author(s):  
Claudia Bonomo ◽  
Carlo A. Clerici
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Threatening Situation ◽  
Medical Process ◽  
Data Banks

- Through the analysis of the literature about the subject of hospitalization and surgery in paediatric field, the objective of this work is to individualize some effective technique of communication with child to reduce anxiety associated with medical process and surgery, and to identify main factors that affect the child's answer to this communication. The considered literature was found by data banks PsycInfo, Medline and Cochrane Library and includes empirical studies on the theme of child communication during hospitalization. The studies suggest that giving to a child some explanation with a language appropriated to the age could reduces the anxiety for an unfamiliar environment, helps him to elaborate the information on the illness and on the hospital and to cooperate with the treatments. A good communication could allow the child to manage worry and to activate some thought about threatening situation in advance, this permits to activate some defense mechanisms and some resources to face the illness. Nevertheless, some studies show how the thecniques to reduce the anxiety are not always useful to lower the stress. This could depend on the age, on different coping styles and on the individual difference of the response to the stress situation. The communication with child about the subject of hospitalization and surgery is historically considered from clinic and dynamic area, but remains object of a poor number of empirical studies. Academy education and vocational training are also limitated for the health worker that takes care of this kind of patients.

scholarly journals The ethno-techno-conservation approach in the utilization of Black Fruit (Haplolobus sp.) by the Wandamen ethnic of Papua, Indonesia

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1336-1343
Author(s):  
ANTONI UNGIRWALU ◽  
SAN AFRI AWANG ◽  
PRIYONO SURYANTO ◽  
AHMAD MARYUDI
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Adaptive Resource Management ◽  
Traditional Management ◽  
Conservation Values ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Adaptive Resource ◽  
Over Time

Ungirwalu A, Awang SA, Suryanto P, Maryudi A. 2017. The ethno-techno-conservation approach in the utilization of Black Fruit (Haplolobus sp.) by the Wandamen people of Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 1336-1343. Identities and cultures are developed by societies through interaction with their environments. In caring for and using their environment, ecological knowledge is created. Deep knowledge of sustainable utilization and conservation of forest resources exist in Papua, but this traditional wisdom is poorly reflected in scientific literature. Such knowledge includes for example the adaptive traditional management of Black Fruit trees (Haplolobus sp.) by the Wandamen people of Papua, which is the subject of the case study reported in this paper. Our research focused on developing an understanding of how local knowledge about utilization, conservation, and protection of Black Fruit was constructed over time. It employed ethnoecology as the analytical lens. The study was conducted in Teluk Wondama District, West Papua. We found that the adaptive resource management of Black Fruit by the Wandamen is based on an approach which we have called “ethnotechno- conservation”. This approach is an attitude of mind by which Wandamen communities manage their Black Fruit trees to meet the dual goals of fulfilling subsistence needs and conserving the resource. This adaptive strategy has evolved over time as a response to the dynamics of the environment and exemplifies the co-evolution of culture and environment that is a defining feature of the world we all inhabit. The traditional concepts and knowledge of the Wandaman elaborate conservation values in the utilization of the Black Fruit. These adaptive concepts and knowledge are codified in their beliefs, myths, and handed-down wisdom.

scholarly journals PROBIÓTICOS COMO HERRAMIENTA BIOTECNOLÓGICA EN EL CULTIVO DE CAMARÓN: RESEÑA

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Villamil Díaz ◽  
María Angélica Martínez Silva
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Shrimp Farming ◽  
Probiotic Bacteria ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Diet Supplement ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Working Mechanisms

Probiotic bacteria are dened as live microorganisms that administered as a diet supplement can cause modications in the microbiota associated with the gastrointestinal tract of the host and generate benecial effects such as an increase in the food intake conversion, disease resistance and water quality. During the last decade, its application in shrimp farming has become frequent since several commercial products designed for this purpose have emerged. At the same time, although there are a number of scientic articles published on the subject, it is evident that there is a lack of studies oriented to understand the probiotics working mechanisms and to establish the protocols for its implementation, taking into account critical factors such as the stage of cultivation, culture density and dosage in relation to the shrimp immune defense mechanisms and presence of potentially pathogenic organisms. This paper aims to review the most prominent publications regarding the use of probiotics in aquaculture, particularly in shrimp farming, since its use seems to be the alternative with better perspectives to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics that cause problems such as the emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains that could alter the ecosystems near acuaculture sites and even affect consumer health.

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