Search results for "Unity"
showing 10 items of 3852 documents
Data from: Surrounding pathogens shape maternal egg care but not egg production in the European earwig
2017
Pathogens are ubiquitous in nature and typically entail major fitness costs in their hosts. These costs can be particularly important when individuals exhibit poor immune defenses, as it is often the case during early developmental stages. Hence, selection should favor parental strategies limiting the risks of pathogen exposure and infection in their offspring. In this study, we investigated 1) whether females of the European earwig Forficula auricularia avoid areas contaminated with spores of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum prior to and at egg laying, as well as 2) whether spore presence entails an increase in females’ investment into both pre-hatching forms of care and cl…
Data from: Host infection history modifies co-infection success of multiple parasite genotypes
2016
1. Co-infections by multiple parasite genotypes are common and have important implications for host-parasite ecology and evolution through within-host interactions. Typically, these infections take place sequentially and therefore, the outcome of co-infection may be shaped by host immune responses triggered by previous infections. For example, in vertebrates specific immune responses play a central role in protection against disease over the course of life, but co-infection research has mostly focused on previously uninfected individuals. 2. Here, we investigated whether sequential exposure and activation of host resistance in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss affects infection success and …
Data from: Personality, immune response and reproductive success: an appraisal of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis
2018
The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis is an extended concept of the life-history theory that includes behavioural traits. The studies challenging the POLS hypothesis often focus on the relationships between a single personality trait and a physiological and/or life-history trait. While pathogens represent a major selective pressure, few studies have been interested in testing relationships between behavioural syndrome, and several fitness components including immunity. The aim of this study was to address this question in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a model species in immunity studies. The personality score was estimated from a multidimensional syndrome based of four repeat…
Data from: Inbreeding-related trade-offs in stress-resistance in the ant Formica exsecta
2014
Inbred individuals and populations are predicted to suffer from inbreeding depression, especially in times of stress. Under natural conditions, organisms are exposed to more than one stressor at any one time, highlighting the importance of stress resistance traits. We studied how inbreeding- and immunity-related traits are correlated under different dietary conditions in the ant Formica exsecta. Its natural diet varies in the amount and nature of plant secondary compounds and the level of free radicals, all of which require detoxification to maintain organismal homeostasis. We found that inbreeding decreased general antibacterial activity under dietary stress, suggesting inbreeding-related …
Data from: Aposematism in the burying beetle? Dual function of anal fluid in parental care and chemical defense
2017
Burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) bear distinctive and variable orange-black patterning on their elytra and produce an anal exudate from their abdomen when threatened. During breeding, the anal exudates contribute to the antimicrobial defense of the breeding resource. We investigated whether the anal exudates also provide a responsive chemical defense, which is advertised to potential avian predators by the beetle’s orange and black elytral markings. We found that that the orange-black elytral markings of the burying beetle are highly conspicuous for avian predators against range of backgrounds, by using computer simulations. Using bioassays with wood ants, we also showed that the …
The Human Mammary Odour Factor: Variability and Regularities in Sources and Functions
2019
In the course of evolution, human mothers have been, and still are, under strong selective pressure to induce their newborns’ colostrum ingestion promptly after birth. As a concentrate of nutrients, passive immunity, antioxidants, growth factors and symbiotic microbiota, colostrum functions as the evolved antidote to ubiquitous pathogens and threats of neonatal exhaustion. Under such constraints, any means to speed up colostrum/milk intake can only have been beneficial to neonatal viability and adaptive life onset along evolutionary time. The areolar-nipple areas of human lactating females emit lacteal substrates conveying chemostimuli that are attractive and release mouthing and sucking in…
Protection against autoimmunity is driven by thymic epithelial cell–mediated regulation of Tregdevelopment
2021
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are key antigen-presenting cells mediating T cell tolerance to prevent harmful autoimmunity. mTECs both negatively select self-reactive T cells and promote...
Assessment of oral hygiene habits, oral hygiene practices and tooth wear among fertilizer factory workers of Northern India: A Cross sectional study
2015
Background: The association between oral hygiene habits & practices and severity of tooth wear lesion varies from community to community and also from occupation to occupation. The present study was conducted with to assess oral hygiene habits & practices and tooth wear among fertilizer factory workers of Punjab, India. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted among 965 male workers who were aged between 19–58 years, who were the workers of fertilizers factory of Bathinda, India. An interview on the demographic profile, oral hygiene practices, and adverse habits followed a clinical examination for recording the Tooth Wear (Smith and Knight Index 1984) using T…
Aldara-Induced Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation: Isolation and Characterization of Cutaneous Dendritic Cells and Innate Lymphocytes
2014
Psoriasis is a chronic auto-inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology affecting millions of people worldwide. Dissecting the cellular networks and molecular signals promoting the development of psoriasis critically depends on appropriate animal models. Topical application of Aldara cream containing the Toll-like receptor (TLR)7-ligand Imiquimod induces skin inflammation and pathology in mice closely resembling plaque-type psoriasis in humans. The particular power of the Aldara model lies in examining the early events during psoriatic plaque formation, which is difficult to achieve in patients. Hence, recent reports using this model have challenged currently prevailing concepts concernin…
Fluoride ingestion and thyroid function in children resident of naturally fluoridated areas - An observational study
2019
Background Literature shows association between systemic fluorides with water fluoride level above 3ppm and endocrine disorders especially related to thyroid. Aim & Objectives: To estimate serum T3, T4, TSH, Fluoride levels among children with normal nutritional status and optimal iodine intake, residing in three different ranges of drinking water fluoride levels below 3ppm. Material and methods Present double blinded observational trial comprised of 293 children aged between 9-13 years consuming naturally fluoridated water of 3 different ranges: Group I: 0.01 - 0.6ppm, Group II: 0.7-1.2ppm and Group III: 1.3-1.8ppm. For each child demographic data, BMI and Clinical Fluorosis Index were rec…