Geographical variation in parasitism shapes larval immune function in a phytophagous insect

Two of the central goals of immunoecology are to understand natural variation in the immune system among populations and to identify those selection pressures that shape immune traits. Maintenance of the immune system can be costly, and both food quality and parasitism selection pressure are factors potentially driving immunocompetence. In tritrophic interactions involving phytophagous insects, host plants, and natural enemies, the immunocompetence of phytophagous insects is constrained by selective forces from both the host plants and the natural enemies. Here, we assessed the roles of host plants and natural enemies as selective pressures on immune variation among natural populations of Lobesia botrana. Our results showed marked geographical variation in immune defenses and parasitism among different natural populations. Larval immune functions were dependent of the host plant quality and were positively correlated to parasitism, suggesting that parasitoids select for greater investment into immunity in moth. Furthermore, investment in immune defense was negatively correlated with body size, suggesting that it is metabolically expensive. The findings emphasize the roles of host plants and parasitoids as selective forces shaping host immune functions in natural conditions. We argue that kinds of study are central to understanding natural variations in immune functions, and the selective forces beyond.     

Cold winter temperatures condition the egg-hatching dynamics of a grape disease vector

The leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus is the vector of a major phytoplasma grapevine disease, Flavescence dorée. The vector’s distribution is in Eastern and Northern Europe, and its population dynamics varies as a function of vineyard latitude. We tested the hypothesis that hatching dynamics are cued by cold temperatures observed in winter. We exposed eggs from a natural population to simulated “cold” and “mild” winters and varied the exposure time at 5 °C from 0 to 63 days. We show that temperature cooling mainly affected the onset of hatching and is negatively correlated to the cold time exposure. The majority of hatchings occurred more quickly in cold rather than in mild winter simulated conditions, but there was no significant difference between the duration of hatching of eggs whatever the cold time exposure. In agreement with the Northern American origin of the vector, the diapause termination and thus the timing regulation of egg hatching require cold winters.     

How application of agricultural waste can enhance soil health in soils acidified by tea cultivation: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Tea is one of the world’s most consumed beverages and an important crop of many developing countries. Intensive tea cultivation has negative impacts on soil...     

Determinants of environmental financing constraints: a case study from Vietnam

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Environment Fund is a state financial institution and a non-profit organization, operating mainly in concessional loans with low-interest rates...     

Study of aerosol optical properties at two urban areas in the north of Vietnam with the implication for biomass burning impacts

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The spatiotemporal distribution and characterization of aerosol optical properties in the north of Vietnam were investigated extensively using the...     

Livelihood vulnerability to climate change: a case of farm households in Northeast Vietnam

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study investigates the livelihood vulnerability to climate change of farm households in Northeast Vietnam. Data for the study is based on a survey...     

Application and validation of a biotic ligand model for calculating acute toxicity of lead to Moina dubia in lakes of Hanoi,Vietnam

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - It is increasingly being recognized that biotic ligand models (BLMs) can successfully predict the toxicity of divalent metals toward aquatic biota...     

Occurrence,toxicity and adsorptive removal of the chloramphenicol antibiotic in water: a review

Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum bacterial antibiotic used against conjunctivitis, meningitis, plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. As a consequence, chloramphenicol ends up polluting the aquatic environment, wastewater treatment plants, and hospital wastewaters, thus disrupting ecosystems and inducing microbial resistance. Here, we review the occurrence, toxicity, and removal of chloramphenicol with emphasis on adsorption techniques. We present the adsorption performance of adsorbents such as biochar, activated carbon, porous carbon, metal–organic framework, composites, zeolites, minerals, molecularly imprinted polymers, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The effect of dose, pH, temperature, initial concentration, and contact time is discussed. Adsorption is controlled by π–π interactions, donor–acceptor interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. We also discuss isotherms, kinetics, thermodynamic data, selection of eluents, desorption efficiency, and regeneration of adsorbents. Porous carbon-based adsorbents exhibit excellent adsorption capacities of 500–1240 mg g^?1. Most adsorbents can be reused over at least four cycles.

     

Contrasting seasonal pattern between ground-based PM2.5 and MODIS satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) at an urban site in Hanoi,Vietnam

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the seasonal variations of the ground-based PM2.5 concentration measured at an urban site and Terra MODIS satellite-based...     

Modelling urban heat island (UHI) and thermal field variation and their relationship with land use indices over Delhi and Mumbai metro cities

Environment, Development and Sustainability - According to the World Urbanization Prospects of United Nations, the global urban population has increased rapidly over past few decades, reaching...