Individual Defense Research Articles

Gene selection for studying frugivore-plant interactions: a review and an example using Queensland fruit fly in tomato.

Fruit production is negatively affected by a wide range of frugivorous insects, among them tephritid fruit flies are one of the most important. As a replacement for pesticide-based controls, enhancing natural fruit resistance through biotechnology approaches is a poorly researched but promising alternative. The use of quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) is an approach to studying gene expression which has been widely used in studying plant resistance to pathogens and non-frugivorous insect herbivores, and offers a starting point for fruit fly studies. In this paper, we develop a gene selection pipe-line for known induced-defense genes in tomato fruit, Solanum lycopersicum, and putative detoxification genes in Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, as a basis for future RT-qPCR research. The pipeline started with a literature review on plant/herbivore and plant/pathogen molecular interactions. With respect to the fly, this was then followed by the identification of gene families known to be associated with insect resistance to toxins, and then individual genes through reference to annotated B. tryoni transcriptomes and gene identity matching with related species. In contrast for tomato, a much better studied species, individual defense genes could be identified directly through literature research. For B. tryoni, gene selection was then further refined through gene expression studies. Ultimately 28 putative detoxification genes from cytochrome P450 (P450), carboxylesterase (CarE), glutathione S-transferases (GST), and ATP binding cassette transporters (ABC) gene families were identified for B. tryoni, and 15 induced defense genes from receptor-like kinase (RLK), D-mannose/L-galactose, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), lipoxygenase (LOX), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathways and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), proteinase inhibitors (PI) and resistance (R) gene families were identified from tomato fruit. The developed gene selection process for B. tryoni can be applied to other herbivorous and frugivorous insect pests so long as the minimum necessary genomic information, an annotated transcriptome, is available.

Disease defences across levels of biological organization: individual and social immunity in acorn ants

Eusocial insect societies possess complex multilevel disease defences, including individual level protection conferred by physical (e.g. cuticle) and immunological obstacles and colony level protection mediated by collective behaviours (social immunity). It remains unclear whether and how these two levels of disease protection are related to one another in jointly driving colonies’ susceptibility to disease. Here, we examine whether a relationship exists between individual worker survival after exposure to a fungal pathogen (a proxy for immunity) and corpse removal (a colony level social immunity metric) in the acorn ant Temnothorax curvispinosus . Since behavioural avoidance is the first line of defence against infection, we also tested whether individual ants exhibited parasite avoidance behaviour during exploration and whether colonies exhibit avoidance behaviour during foraging. We found that individual level and colony level immunity were negatively correlated: colonies that removed corpses more rapidly contained workers with weaker individual defences. We did not detect parasite avoidance behaviour by individual workers or whole colonies, nor were these two factors related. These data suggest that individual immunity and social immunity may trade off, regulating overall parasite protection. Alternatively, optimized social immunity at the colony level may compensate for disease vulnerability to infection at the individual level, and thus provide a protective benefit in overall colony defence in the absence of pathogen avoidance. • We measured individual and collective disease protection in acorn ants. • Colonies with stronger individual protection had weaker collective protection. • Avoidance was not detected at the individual or collective level. • Multilevel disease protection trade-offs may vary across colonies and environments.

Parasite spread in experimental metapopulations: resistance, tolerance and host competence

Host competence, defined as the likelihood that a host will transmit infection, may be affected by an individual's resistance to infection and its ability to withstand damage caused by infection (tolerance). Host competence may therefore be one of the most important factors to impact host–parasite dynamics, yet the relationships among resistance, tolerance and competence are poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to determine whether individual host resistance (ability to resist or minimize infection) and/or tolerance (ability to withstand or minimize reduction in fitness due to infection) contributed to the competence (ability to spread infection) of hosts using guppies infected with the ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus turnbulli. This individual‐fish level analysis used data collected from a previous metapopulation experiment that had tracked host–parasite dynamics at the metapopulation scale using individually marked guppies that were moved among experimental tanks within replicate metapopulations. Fish tolerance was measured as the residual from a fish's expected survival post‐infection for a given parasite burden. Fish resistance was measured as the peak parasite load (– log‐transformed). Host competence was measured as the incidence (number of new infections over two days after the arrival of a fish to a tank) weighted by the density of available uninfected fish in the tank. In contrast to the assumption of a trade‐off between resistance and tolerance, individual fish tolerance and resistance were both negatively associated with competence. Connectivity (the number of fish with which an individual came into contact) was not associated with competence. Our results indicate that resistance and tolerance are both important to disease spread. These findings highlight the importance of understanding how individual defence against parasites may contribute to its competence as a host, and therefore impact metapopulation‐level dynamics.

Radical Nostalgia

Radical Nostalgia

Análise da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em pessoas vivendo com HIV submetidos à terapia antirretroviral (TARV) após a prática de atividade física

A Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida (AIDS) é uma doença causada pelo vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (HIV) que ataca as células de defesa do indivíduo, os linfócitos TCD4+ causando um distúrbio grave do sistema imunológico. Seu tratamento é baseado em terapia combinada com medicações antirretrovirais que conseguem controlar a carga viral e diminuir as taxas de mortalidade da doença. Como alternativa, estratégias de intervenção através da prática de exercícios físicos com a finalidade de auxiliar no tratamento e qualidade de vida de pessoas vivendo com HIV vem sendo utilizadas pelos benefícios à saúde. Este estudo tem como objetivo comparar a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) medida por um cardiofrequêncímetro, em pacientes HIV positivos submetidos a terapia antirretroviral (TARV) em repouso e após a realização de um treinamento concorrente (TC). O presente estudo constitui-se de uma pesquisa analítica, observacional e transversal. A amostra será composta por 15 pessoas que vivem com HIV e que se encontram em acompanhamento clínico ambulatorial do Serviço de Atendimento Especializado (SAE) (Casa Rosa) em Barretos interior do estado de São Paulo. Para apresentação dos dados foi utilizado o teste de Wilcoxon para encontrar quais foram diferentes, o nível de significância adotado foi de p<0,05. Para verificar a relação dos resultados, foi utilizado o teste coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. O tamanho de efeito também foi calculado utilizando o teste de Cohen (d). Os dados analisados correlacionaram nível de significância em todas as variáveis no domínio da frequência e do tempo, excetuando SDNN e SD2. Houve tamanho de efeito grande somente para o parâmetro HF (Δ% = 279,92% de redução) no domínio da frequência e nos parâmetros RMSSD (Δ% = 79,58% de redução) e SD1 (Δ% = 79,62% de redução) no domínio do tempo no TC, nos outros parâmetros não houve efeito grande. Dessa forma, observa-se um que a retomada vagal, que normalmente ocorre após um treinamento físico, não ocorreu ou está retornando lentamente. Enquanto no parâmetro LF houve uma redução significativa, ou seja, uma retirada simpática após o TC, mesmo assim a retirada simpática não foi total, pois o parâmetro LF/HF (Δ% = 42,31% de aumento e TE = 0,70), que seu aumento significa atividade simpática, mostrou um aumento significativo após o TC. Em conclusão a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca dos pacientes em estudo diminuiu após o treinamento concorrente possivelmente pela disfunção autonômica evidenciada na literatura para pessoas vivendo com HIV.

Evidence for reduced immune gene diversity and activity during the evolution of termites.

The evolution of biological complexity is associated with the emergence of bespoke immune systems that maintain and protect organism integrity. Unlike the well-studied immune systems of cells and individuals, little is known about the origins of immunity during the transition to eusociality, a major evolutionary transition comparable to the evolution of multicellular organisms from single-celled ancestors. We aimed to tackle this by characterizing the immune gene repertoire of 18 cockroach and termite species, spanning the spectrum of solitary, subsocial and eusocial lifestyles. We find that key transitions in termite sociality are correlated with immune gene family contractions. In cross-species comparisons of immune gene expression, we find evidence for a caste-specific social defence system in termites, which appears to operate at the expense of individual immune protection. Our study indicates that a major transition in organismal complexity may have entailed a fundamental reshaping of the immune system optimized for group over individual defence.

Comparative morpho-physiological analyses revealed H2O2-Induced different cadmium accumulation in two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.)

Different wheat cultivars have their individual defense response to heavy metal stress, exploring which is beneficial to using targeted and effective agronomic practice to reduce cadmium (Cd) accumulation in plants. Our previous study shows Cd concentration is higher in the Cd-tolerant cultivar Bainong 160 than the sensitive one Pingan 8. In this experiment, Bainong 160 showed stronger Cd uptake capacity and lower Cd translocation than Pingan 8, leading to its higher Cd concentration in roots and shoots, as verified by both dose- and time-dependent experiments. This study aims at exploring the factors underpinning Cd resistance and accumulation in wheat, and whether there is an interaction between them. There was a positive correlation between Cd distribution in organelle and H2O2 concentration in both shoot (r = 0.7) and root (r = 0.94**), suggesting that the less Cd distribution in organelle of Bainong 160 contributes to its lower H2O2 concentration than Pingan 8. For Pingan 8, lower expression of TaNramp6 and Cd-induced programmed cell death in cortex lead to its weaker Cd uptake capacity; while for Bainong 160, there are stronger positive cellular responses to Cd stress, including severe lignification in cortex cell, casparian strip formation, increment of both GSH and phytochelatins, and significant increased expression of TaHMA3 and repressed expression of TaHMA2, which together result in its stronger Cd retention in root and so as to inhibit Cd root-to-shoot transfer. Correlation analysis shows most of these reactions are associated with H2O2 concentration. In conclusion, Cd stress induced higher H2O2 concentration in sensitive cultivar Pingan 8 than tolerant one Bainong 160. The excessive H2O2-associated passive reaction in sensitive cultivar caused its lower Cd uptake ability, and moderate H2O2-induced stronger active response in tolerant cultivar, promoting Cd retention in root.

Skin decontamination efficacy of sulfur mustard and VX in the pig model: A comparison between Fuller's earth and RSDL

Skin decontamination following exposure to chemical agents is a most important component of the individual defense doctrine, removing the agent, ceasing its penetration and preventing secondary contamination of the first responders.The goal of the current study was to compare the efficacy of Reactive Skin Decontaminant Lotion (RSDL) and Fuller's Earth (FE) following exposure to sulfur mustard (SM) and VX, aiming to find the optimal procedure for mass casualty decontamination protocol. Decontamination efficacy was evaluated in pigs by measurement of lesion area and erythema (SM) and cholinesterase inhibition and clinical symptoms (VX).FE and RSDL were highly effective against both agents. Following SM exposure, the two decontaminants demonstrated a significant decrease in lesions' size together with the decrease in exposure duration. Likewise, skin decontamination following exposure to VX with either FE or RSDL resulted in reduction in clinical symptoms and prevention of death. Decontamination was worthwhile even if postponed, up to 30 min (SM) and 2 h (VX).In conclusion, both decontamination products were efficient in ameliorating the toxic effects even though in a different mechanism. Finally, for mass casualty scenario, FE is preferred as a universal decontaminant, considering its safety, ease of use and longer shelf life.

Oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation and gene expression in occupationally exposed university hospital anesthesia providers.

Considering the importance and lack of data of toxicogenomic approaches on occupational exposure to anesthetics, we evaluated possible associations between waste anesthetic gases (WAGs) exposure and biological effects including oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and transcriptional modulation. The exposed group was constituted by anesthesia providers who were mainly exposed to the anesthetics sevoflurane and isoflurane (10 ppm) and to a lesser degree to nitrous oxide (150 ppm), and the control group was constituted by physicians who had no exposure to WAGs. The oxidative stress markers included oxidized DNA bases (comet assay), malondialdehyde (high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]), nitric oxide metabolites (ozone-chemiluminescence), and antioxidative markers, including individual antioxidants (HPLC) and antioxidant defense marker (ferric reducing antioxidant power by spectrophotometry). The inflammatory markers included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (chemiluminescent immunoassay) and the proinflammatory interleukins IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17A (flow cytometry). Telomere length and gene expression related to DNA repair (hOGG1 and XRCC1), antioxidant defense (NRF2) and inflammation (IL6, IL8 and IL17A) were evaluated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. No significant differences (p > .0025) between the groups were observed for any parameter evaluated. Thus, under the conditions of the study, the findings suggest that occupational exposure to WAGs is not associated with oxidative stress or inflammation when evaluated in serum/plasma, with DNA damage evaluated in lymphocytes and leucocytes or with molecular modulation assessed in peripheral blood cells in university anesthesia providers. However, it is prudent to reduce WAGs exposure and to increase biomonitoring of all occupationally exposed professionals.

Risks of the European Reduction Program Incidence of Epidemic Parotitis Delayed Implementation in Russian Federation of WHO European Region

Analyzing mumps incidence worldwide, we revealed that all European countries are endemic to this viral infection. In the Russian Federation Epidemic Parotitis (EP) was taken under control since 1981, when mass pediatric vaccination has begun, followed by introduction in 1998 of children’s revaccination at the age of 6. During four decades the EP incidence in Russia has decreased 300-400 times, mortality and a number of residual phenomena have been eliminated. In 2002 the WHO Regional Committee has adopted a program to eliminate measles, reduce congenital rubella syndrome to 0.01 per 1 000 live births and the EP incidence to 1.0 or less per 100 000 population by 2010. For eighteen years the program has been delayed several times and still has not reached its goals. The main goal of our study was to evaluate humoral immunity in EP in patient cohorts of different age. We also detected specific immunoglobulin levels and dynamics in people from 3 mumps foci; identified objective causes interfering the epidemiological well-being of the Russian population, despite vaccination coverage of 95-96%. Our observations identified 2 risk groups with high mumps probability: subjects in age groups of 20 – 29 and 30 – 39 years old. The study demonstrated that the efficacy of vaccination, the intensity and duration of neutralizing mumps antibody retention is related directly to the personal immunological status and vaccine quality. In addition, our observations of subjects from 3 mumps foci as well as those, who we studied in our laboratory directly during the sporadic EP incidence increase, showed that stable, strong herd immunity cannot be achieved in long term only through pediatric vaccination and revaccination even with high population coverage. There always will be subjects non immune to EP. This number will grow after a certain time and result in an outbreak. The global goal is to monitor herd immunity both in Europe as a whole and in certain territories, including Russia. The main reason that the European community has not been able to reduce the EP incidence to goal point is the absence of a single international antibody standard that will allow to compare the individual defense level with the amount actually necessary for the protection, detected by standardized anti-mumps IgG test-system. We hope WHO will hear us and under its auspices a single certified international serum standard with known antibody level in IU will be created, and make real EP protection potential assessment possible.

'Race' and Resistance to Policing Before the 'Windrush Years': The Colonial Defence Committee and the Liverpool 'Race Riots' of 1948.

Between 31 July and 2 August 1948, Liverpool experienced three nights of racial violence on a scale not witnessed since the end of the First World War. Despite being initiated by white rioters, the so-called 'race riots' of 1948 were more significant in terms of the relationship between the police and Liverpool's black population. Previous studies have sought to understand why and what happened during the riots; however, there has been little analysis of the aftermath. This article looks specifically at how black people responded to the 'race riots' in 1948 and argues that this episode led to a period of heightened political activity at a local and national level centred around the issue of policing. It focusses on the Colonial Defence Committee (CDC) that was formed immediately after the riots to organize the legal defence of individuals believed to have been wrongfully arrested. In its structure and organizational methods, the CDC represented a prototype of the defence committees that became a hallmark of black political opposition to policing during the 1970s and 1980s. Examining the aftermath of the Liverpool 'race riots' in 1948, thus, offers new perspectives on the historical development of black political resistance to policing in twentieth-century Britain. On the one hand, it reveals a longer history of struggle against racially discriminatory policing, which predates the 'Windrush years' migration of the 1950s and early 1960s. It also highlights the historical continuities in the way that black resistance to policing manifested itself over the twentieth century.

Elevational gradients in constitutive and induced oak defences based on individual traits and their correlated expression patterns

Elevational gradients are useful ecological settings for revealing the biotic and abiotic drivers of plant trait variation and plant–insect interactions. However, most work focusing on plant defences has looked at individual traits and few studies have assessed multiple traits simultaneously, their correlated expression patterns, and abiotic factors associated with such patterns across elevations. To address this knowledge gap, we studied elevational variation in direct (phenolic compounds) and indirect (volatile organic compounds) constitutive defences and their inducibility after feeding by a specialist beetle Altica quercetorum in saplings of 18 wild populations of Quercus pyrenaica. We tested for: 1) clines in each defensive trait individually, 2) their patterns of correlated expression and 3) associations between any such clines and climatic factors. We found that constitutive direct defences (lignins and hydrolysable tannins) decreased with increasing elevation. We observed no elevational gradient for constitutive indirect defences (volatile organic compounds) or the inducibility of direct or indirect defensive traits when looking at groups of compounds. However, at individual tree‐level, increased induction of two monoterpenes (α‐fenchene and camphene) at higher elevation was shown. Furthermore, we show a significant pattern of co‐expression of constitutive and induced phenolics across populations, which weakened with increasing elevation. Finally, we found no evidence that climatic factors were associated with either individual or correlated trait expression patterns across elevations. Overall, these findings call for moving beyond elevational clines in individual plant defences, and argue that assessing elevational shifts in trait correlated expression patterns and their underlying mechanisms can increase our understanding of plant defence evolution and plant–herbivore interactions along environmental gradients.

The effects of aging on host resistance and disease tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered a large-scale pandemic that is afflicting millions of individuals in over 200 countries. The clinical spectrum caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections can range from asymptomatic infection to mild undifferentiated febrile illness to severe respiratory disease with multiple complications. Elderly patients (aged 60 and above) with comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus appear to be at highest risk of a severe disease outcome. To protect against pulmonary immunopathology caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, the host primarily depends on two distinct defense strategies: resistance and disease tolerance. Resistance is the ability of the host to suppress and eliminate incoming viruses. By contrast, disease tolerance refers to host responses that promote host health regardless of their impact on viral replication. Disruption of either resistance or disease tolerance mechanisms or both could underpin predisposition to elevated risk of severe disease during viral infection. Aging can disrupt host resistance and disease tolerance by compromising immune functions, weakening of the unfolded protein response, progressive mitochondrial dysfunction, and altering metabolic processes. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying declining host defense in elderly individuals could thus pave the way to provide new opportunities and approaches for the treatment of severe COVID-19.

“Sometimes I’m Just Wearing the Prosecutor Down”: An Exploratory Analysis of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Plea Negotiations and Client Counseling

As plea bargains have proliferated in the criminal justice system, scholars have been working to better understand their mechanics. There have been a few recent examinations of plea bargaining, but the literature lacks qualitative research that gives the defense sufficient attention. Using a sample of courtroom practitioners in one large, urban county, we examine defense attorney bargaining and client counseling tactics. Results demonstrate that defense attorneys use a variety of strategies for negotiation, including sharing humanizing information about their clients with the prosecutor and utilizing delay tactics. Results also suggest that attorneys counsel their clients about plea offers in varying ways and that they are not in full agreement regarding the level of autonomy to give their clients. Overall, results support some prior literature but also prompt questions of other widely-held beliefs, such as the idea that all courtroom actors endorse “going rates” as the prevailing norm in the courtroom. Although there are likely some expectations for typical punishments, these results also point to individual defense attorneys' ability to alter the trajectory of a criminal case through their negotiation and client counseling strategies. We conclude that more research is necessary on defense counsel strategies and how they may impact case processing and outcomes.Â

Colony size as a predictor of breeding behaviour in a common waterbird.

The choice of colony size may have profound consequences for individual fitness in colonially breeding birds, but at the same time it may require certain behavioural adaptations. Here, we aimed to examine behavioural divergence of common terns Sterna hirundo nesting in colonies of different size. For this purpose, we promoted establishment of small (<35 pairs) and large (>100 pairs) tern colonies under uniform ecological and environmental conditions by providing attractive patches of nesting substrate (floating rafts) at a single site. We combined video recording and GPS-tracking to assess communal and individual defence initiation rate, intra-specific aggression rate, and foraging flight characteristics. We found that birds from larger colonies more frequently engaged in communal defence and they performed longer foraging flights, while terns from smaller colonies more frequently showed individual defence behaviours. Also, intra-specific aggression rate was higher in smaller colonies, but this effect was primarily attributed to a higher proportion of edge breeding pairs, which were more aggressive. Our results suggest that various colony sizes may be associated with different behavioural syndromes, which comprise of diverse personality traits, such as social responsiveness, social tolerance, or propensity for aggression. It remains to be tested whether these behavioural differences reflect processes of phenotypic sorting among colonies of different size or whether they are a result of behavioural plasticity under different social contexts.

Impact of supplemental individual verbal defense on confidence, engagement, and performance in a team-based learning therapeutics course

Background and purposeTeam-based learning (TBL) has been successfully applied to multiple healthcare education disciplines. A primary tenet of TBL is the development of solutions leveraging the collective knowledge of a team rather than the individual competency of any one student. In an effort to enhance individual student accountability, an individual verbal defense (IVD) format was implemented in a multi-campus TBL-based pharmacotherapeutics course. The study sought to investigate the use of TBL-IVD embedded within a traditional TBL format on student engagement, teaching style preferences, and exam performance compared to a TBL-only format. Educational activity and settingIn this cross-sectional study, second-year pharmacy students enrolled in a pharmacotherapeutics course during fall 2019 completed an 11-item survey. The survey was designed to assess TBL-IVD on student engagement and teaching style preference. Free-response qualitative feedback was solicited to assess positive-negative themes related to the activity. Aggregate exam performance for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) related content was compared to historical exam data to assess the impact on student performance. FindingsThe majority of students (72%, n = 54) preferred the TBL-IVD compared to a TBL-only format. Students reported higher engagement with TBL-IVD (84%, n = 63). Correct exam responses for CAP related content were higher in the TBL-IVD group (67% vs. 55%, P < .001). Positive themes included an increased opportunity to defend recommendations verbally and increased interaction with an on-campus faculty member. SummaryThe study demonstrates the addition of IVD can enhance student perceptions, confidence, and performance within a large, multi-campus, TBL-based pharmacotherapeutics course.

A trait‐based approach to assessing resistance and resilience to wildfire in two iconic North American conifers

Abstract Ongoing changes in fire regimes have the potential to drive widespread shifts in Earth's vegetation. Plant traits and vital rates provide insight into vulnerability to fire‐driven vegetation shifts because they can be indicators of the ability of individuals to survive fire (resistance) and populations to persist (resilience) following fire. In 15 study sites spanning climatic gradients in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA, we quantified variation in key traits and vital rates of two co‐occurring, widely distributed conifers (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex. P. Lawson &amp; C. Lawson and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). We used mixed‐effects models to explain inter‐ and intraspecific variation in tree growth, survival, bark thickness and seed cone production, as a function of species, tree life stage (i.e. diameter, height and age), average climate, local competition and site conditions. Pinus ponderosa was predicted to survive low‐severity fire at a 23% earlier age than P. menziesii. Pinus ponderosa had thicker bark and more rapid juvenile height growth, traits conferring greater fire resistance. In contrast, P. menziesii was predicted to produce seed cones at a 28% earlier age than P. ponderosa. For both species, larger individuals were more likely to survive fire and to produce cones. For P. ponderosa, cone production increased where average actual evapotranspiration (AET) was higher and local competition was lower. More frequent cone production on productive sites with higher AET is an important and underappreciated mechanism that may help to explain greater resilience to fire in these areas. Synthesis. Our analyses indicated that many plant traits and vital rates related to fire differed between Pinus ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii, with trade‐offs between investment in traits that promote individual defence to fire and those that promote recolonization of disturbed sites. Future changes in fire regimes will act as a filter throughout North American forests, with our findings helping to infer which individuals and populations of two iconic species are most vulnerable to future change and offering a framework for future inquiry in other forests facing an uncertain future.

Solitary breeding barn swallows pay a higher nest defense cost

Successful reproduction depends on the ability of parents to defend from nest predators. Breeding birds often put their life at risk to defend their offspring from predators. Communal nest defense has been proposed as an individual benefit of group living. We tested this by experimentally exposing a short-lived avian species to a potential risk of predation. We presented decoys of both a diurnal and a nocturnal predator to barn swallows Hirundo rustica breeding solitarily and in large colonies in South-western Spain. We found clear benefits of group living compared to solitary pairs in relation to investment in individual nest defense and the capacity to deter a challenging predator. Although we did not find differences in the time needed to detect the predator, we found that the number of individuals recruited to participate in nest defense was greater for colonial breeding pairs, leading to fewer attacks per individual in comparison to solitary breeding pairs. We also found that barn swallows defended their nests more vigorously against a nocturnal predator than against a diurnal predator. Therefore, barn swallows living in groups obtained clear benefits in communal nest defense by reducing the risk, energy and time dedicated to nest defense. Colonial breeding is thus a more effective strategy for decreasing nest predation rates.

Molecular mechanisms for Pb removal by Cyanidiales: a potential biomaterial applied in thermo-acidic conditions

Thermoacidophilic Cyanidiales are capable to survive in extreme environments (20–56 °C; pH 0.5–5.0) with concentrated metals, allowing them to serve as promising green materials applied in metal remediation. It is the first attempt to determine the capacity and related mechanisms for Pb(II) ions sorption on three Cyanidiales genera: Galdieria maximum (Gm), Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Cm), and Cyanidium caldarium (Cc) in relation to changes in Pb speciation obtained from Pb LIII-edge X-ray absorption, organic functional groups, and protein secondary structures derived from synchrotron-based Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Three-dimensional images of Cyanidiales were collected using Transmission X-ray microscopy. Lead tolerance on Cyanidiales was modulated according to four mechanisms: the defense line provide by polysaccharide, the inorganic Pb-PO4 precipitation, the organic Pb complexation concomitant with the transport to cell vacuoles, and the specific thiol-Pb chelation involved in disruption of protein secondary structures. Despite Cyanidiales generally performed all mechanisms against Pb toxicity, individual defense responses were highlighted by specific Cyanidiales species. The redistribution of Pb-polysaccharide species and inorganic Pb-PO4 precipitates toward organic complexation promoted Pb(II) ions sorption capacity of Cyanidiales, accounting for the almost eight-time-greater sorbed Pb (298.4 mg g−1) on Cc in comparison to Gm. The knowledge provided here could improve the application of the Cyanidiales in environmental remediation as an innovative green technology.

“We Have Been Thrown Under the Bus”: Corporate Versus Individual Defense Mechanisms Against Transnational Corporate Bribery Charges

The telecommunication company Telia’s dealings in Uzbekistan have resulted in bribery accusations both in Sweden and in abroad. The article analyzes the defense mechanisms produced by both the corporation and the prosecuted former executives of the company. Telia’s initially denial eventually changed into a partial acknowledgment in combination with a scapegoating discourse. While Telia hardly defended itself at all in the Swedish court, the company’s former executives employed a defense of legality, denial of knowledge, of deviance, and of responsibility as well as a claim of being scapegoated. We discuss these developments in the light of the transformation of the Telia case from a mediated corporate scandal to a criminal court case and from a focus on organizational to individual responsibility.