Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution and Host Plant Leaf Chemistry on the Immune Defense and Life History Traits of an Insect Herbivore

Siirretty Doriast

La difusión de la moda en la era de la globalización

Este trabajo se propone investigar cómo, tras el impacto de la globalización, se hace necesario abordar el tema de la difusión de la moda desde una perspectiva diferente. Sobre todo, se hace preciso examinar si el modelo de «filtrado descendente» mantiene su vigencia o si, por el contrario, le sustituyen con ventaja otros modelos que aparecen tras el impacto de la globalización económica y cultural.This study proposes investigating how, after the impact of globalization, it is necessary to deal with the question of the diffusion of fashion from a different perspective; in particular, it is necessary to explore if the model of «descending filtration» is still valid, or if, on the contrary, it is superseded by other models that appear after the impact of economic and cultural globalization

Revamping the European Union's enforcement systems with a view to eastern enlargement

Political Science; European Unio

Transgenerational Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution on Immune Defense of the Blow Fly Protophormia terraenovae

Recently environmental conditions during early parental development have been found to have transgenerational effects on immunity and other condition-dependent traits. However, potential transgenerational effects of heavy metal pollution have not previously been studied. Here we show that direct exposure to heavy metal (copper) upregulates the immune system of the blow fly, Protophormia terraenovae, reared in copper contaminated food. In the second experiment, to test transgenerational effects of heavy metal, the parental generation of the P. terraenovae was reared in food supplemented with copper, and the immunocompetence of their offspring, reared on uncontaminated food, was measured. Copper concentration used in this study was, in the preliminary test, found to have no effect on mortality of the flies. Immunity was tested on the imago stage by measuring encapsulation response against an artificial antigen, nylon monofilament. We found that exposure to copper during the parental development stages through the larval diet resulted in immune responses that were still apparent in the next generation that was not exposed to the heavy metal. We found that individuals reared on copper-contaminated food developed more slowly compared with those reared on uncontaminated food. The treatment groups did not differ in their dry body mass. However, parental exposure to copper did not have an effect on the development time or body mass of their offspring. Our study suggests that heavy metal pollution has positive feedback effect on encapsulation response through generations which multiplies the harmful effects of heavy metal pollution in following generations