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The occurrence of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has prompted extensive research on the role of viruses, including Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV), and Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), in honeybee health. This study investigated the presence and the genetic characteristics of DWV, ABPV, and BQCV in Apis mellifera colonies in a Brazilian apiary in Jaguariúna, SP, Brazil. A total of 11 apparently healthy colonies were sampled, and adult honeybees were submitted to a multiplex PCR. Results showed that six studied colonies tested positive for ABPV in at least one sampling, while one tested positive for BQCV. DWV was not detected, nor were co-infections observed in the sampled colonies. Although the infected colonies did not exhibit clinical signs of disease, the fluctuating presence of ABPV and BQCV suggests temporal variations in viral dynamics, possibly influenced by environmental and nutritional factors. The absence of DWV detection may be attributed to low infestation levels of the Varroa destructor mite in the sampled apiary. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close genetic relationships between the obtained ABPV and BQCV sequences and strains from South America. These findings contribute to the limited knowledge of viral epidemiology in Brazilian honeybee populations.

Symbiotic interactions between microorganisms and social insects have been described as crucial for the maintenance of these multitrophic systems, as observed for the stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis and the yeast Zygosaccharomyces sp. SDBC30G1. The larvae of S. depilis ingest fungal filaments of Zygosaccharomyces sp. SDBC30G1 to obtain ergosterol, which is the precursor for the biosynthesis of ecdysteroids that modulate insect metamorphosis. In this work, we find a similar insect-microbe interaction in other species of stingless bees. We analyzed brood cell samples from 19 species of stingless bees collected in Brazil. The osmophilic yeast Zygosaccharomyces spp. was isolated from eight bee species, namely Scaptotrigona bipunctata, S. postica, S. tubiba, Tetragona clavipes, Melipona quadrifasciata, M. fasciculata, M. bicolor, and Partamona helleri. These yeasts form pseudohyphae and also accumulate ergosterol in lipid droplets, similar to the pattern observed for S. depilis. The phylogenetic analyses including various Zygosaccharomyces revealed that strains isolated from the brood cells formed a branch separated from the previously described Zygosaccharomyces species, suggesting that they are new species of this genus and reinforcing the symbiotic interaction with the host insects.

This work aimed to develop and validate a simple, fast and low cost analytical method for the quantification of the bioactive piperine in nanoemulsions by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Nanoemulsions were prepared by spontaneous emulsification and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. Considering the chromatographic conditions, the mobile phase was composed by methanol:water (70:30, v/v), Gemini® C18 column, and UV detection at 343 nm. The method was linear in the concentration range of 5-50 μg mL-1 (r = 0.9999), specific, precise (repeatability of RSD 0.38 % and intermediate precision of RSD 1.11 %), accurate (101.3 %) and robust. Nanoemulsions showed nanometric droplet size, polidispersity index below 0.11 and negative zeta potential. The piperine content in the samples was 0.99 ± 0.01 mg mL-1. Regarding these features, the analytical conditions proposed in this work were adequate and effective to determine the piperine content in nanoemulsions.

Although common in ants and termites, worker differentiation into physical castes is rare in social bees and unknown in wasps. Here, Grüter and colleagues find a guard caste in ten species of stingless bees and show that the evolution of the guard caste is associated with parasitization by robber bees.

Nectar and pollen are the basic food resources of stingless bees. The current advance of meliponiculture led to the search for supplementary feeding. Despite little is known about native bee supplementation, several alternative foods have been tested as protein substitutes, with soy being one of the most commonly used. In this study, we compared the effect of a semiartificial soy-based diet versus a natural diet on the longevity of adult worker of Melipona flavolineata Friese and Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Latreille). A total of 200 workers of each species (40 from each colony) were used, of which 100 comprised the control group (consumed honey and pollen) and 100 the experimental group (honey and a semiartificial food based on soybean extract). The workers were divided into groups of 20 individuals confined in MDF boxes not completely enclosed, without a queen, and kept in BOD incubators. Dead bees were counted and removed daily. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted for each species. We found greater longevity in workers who consumed only natural pollen (71 days for M. flavolineata, 78 days for S. aff. postica, in average) compared to those consuming the soy-based diet (62 days for M. flavolineata, 61 days for S. aff. postica, in average). Workers of M. flavolineata that consumed pollen lived nine days more (21.8%) than those fed on the soy-based diet, while S. aff. postica workers lived seven days more (12.7%). As longevity was only slightly reduced, we can recommend a soy-based diet for stingless bees during dearth periods or for supplemental feeding of newly formed colonies.

The Brazilian stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis requires the brood cells-associated fungus Zygosaccharomyces sp. as steroid source for metamorphosis. Besides the presence of Zygosaccharomyces sp., other fungi inhabit S. depilis brood cells, but their biological functions are unknown. Here we show that Candida sp. and Monascus ruber, isolated from cerumen of S. depilis brood provisions, interact with Zygosaccharomyces sp. and modulate its growth. Candida sp. produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that stimulate Zygosacchromyces sp. development. Monascus ruber inhibits Zygosacchromyces sp. growth by producing lovastatin, which blocks steroid biosynthesis. We also observed that in co-cultures M. ruber inhibits Candida sp. through the production of monascin. The modulation of Zygosaccharomyces sp. growth by brood cell-associated fungi suggests their involvement in S. depilis larval development. This tripartite fungal community opens new perspectives in the research of microbial interactions with bees.

Here we describe the life histories of adult males of the the Amazonian stingless bee Melipona flavolineata Friese, commonly known as “uruçu amarela”. Males reach sexual maturity inside nests, presenting seminal vesicles full of sperm cells and becoming able to fl y at a mean age of 10 and 15 days, respectively. They aggregate twice in their lives, once before leaving the nest, and another at external congregation sites, by using their capacity to reach congregation sites dependent on morphological attributes, such as large eyes and elongated thorax. Furthermore, we describe three atypical phenomena for Meliponini males: M. fl avolineata males have dimorphic color pattern; they lose their genital capsules, even when they fail to copulate; and penisless (sterile) males can stay alive for up to two days. The life history strategies of Meliponini males have only just started to be told and provide many interesting questions for future studies.

Very little is known about stingless bee reproductive biology or male behaviour. In this note we provide the first observations on the male aggregations (congregation sites and roosting sites) of some stingless bee species. Our observations show that males of two stingless bee species can congregate on the same site. We also report for the first time the substrates used by stingless bee males for resting at night, that at least one species forms large sleeping roosts composed of hundreds of individuals, and that sleeping roost locations are not reused on subsequent nights.

Stingless bees are an important asset to assure plant biodiversity in many natural ecosystems, and fulfill the growing agricultural demand for pollination. However, across developing countries stingless beekeeping remains an essentially informal activity, technical knowledge is scarce, and management practices lack standardization. Here we profited from the large diversity of stingless beekeepers found in Brazil to assess the impact of particular management practices on productivity and economic revenues from the commercialization of stingless bee products. Our study represents the first large-scale effort aiming at optimizing stingless beekeeping for honey/colony production based on quantitative data. Survey data from 251 beekeepers scattered across 20 Brazilian States revealed the influence of specific management practices and other confounding factors over productivity and income indicators. Specifically, our results highlight the importance of teaching beekeepers how to inspect and feed their colonies, how to multiply them and keep track of genetic lineages, how to harvest and preserve the honey, how to use vinegar traps to control infestation by parasitic flies, and how to add value by labeling honey containers. Furthermore, beekeeping experience and the network of known beekeepers were found to be key factors influencing productivity and income. Our work provides clear guidelines to optimize stingless beekeeping and help transform the activity into a powerful tool for sustainable development.

Existem poucos estudos acerca da qualidade e da constituição do alimento larval das abelhas sem ferrão. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi acrescentar dados sobre as características do alimento larval, que embasem futuras pesquisas sobre a influência da alimentação das larvas na determinação de castas no gênero Melipona. Um favo recém construído foi retirado de uma colônia forte de Melipona scutellaris e o alimento de 25 alvéolos foram estudados em relação ao volume total de alimento, volume da camada superior e inferior, quantidade e concentração de proteínas e atividades enzimáticas. Ficou evidenciado que o número de variáveis na alimentação larval não se restringe ao volume total (CV=14,19%) mas, também, à quantidade de proteínas da camada superior do alimento (CV=13,75%) e, principalmente, de pólen (CV=34,09%). O monitoramento dessas variáveis em diferentes estações do ano pode fornecer pistas sobre quais elementos da alimentação são refletidos na proporção de rainhas produzidas.

Schefflera arboricola (Hayata) Merr (Araliaceae) é uma planta exótica, porém amplamente cultivada no Brasil para ornamentação. Devido à abundância de flores que produz, esta árvore é altamente atrativa para abelhas Apis mellifera, bem como para diversos meliponíneos nativos. Schefflera arboricola oferece aos seus visitantes florais pólen e néctar, que são disponibilizados ao amanhecer. Apis mellifera possui ampla vantagem na coleta desses recursos devido à sua capacidade de forragear mais cedo do que os meliponíneos de pequeno e médio porte. Através de experimentos de exclusão verificou-se que as abelhas nativas mudam seu comportamento nas flores de S. arboricola em função da competição. Quando Apis mellifera compete pelos mesmos recursos florais, os espécimes de Scaptotrigona visitam três vezes mais flores e mudam o recurso preferencialmente coletado, pois passam a coletar pólen ao invés de néctar. Os dados obtidos sugerem que Apis mellifera pode estar interferindo na dinâmica de forrageamento das abelhas Scaptotrigona.

ABSTRACT Objective The therapeutic decision in cases of adult spinal deformity takes numerous factors into account with a consequent variability in treatment options. The objective is to compare the impact of the MISDEF (minimally invasive spine deformity) algorithm on therapeutic decisions in cases of adult spinal deformity. Methods Prospective radiographic analysis of 40 cases of adult deformity. The cases were sent, in two steps, to 20 Latin American surgeons who had to choose among six treatment options with and without the use of the MISDEF. Results For the conducts of decompression, decompression and short fusion, decompression and fusion with interbody device, and osteotomy with extension of fusion to the thoracic spine, no significant differences were found when comparing decisions made with and without MISDEF. For osteotomy, we observed a tendency for the number of surgeons choosing this conduct to increase when the decision is made with MISDEF. We observed that the number of surgeons who decided on conservative treatment decreased with the use of MISDEF (p

In this study, we investigated the chemical compositions and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of propolis produced by the stingless bee Frieseomelitta longipes and the honeybee Apis mellifera collected from colonies in North Brazil. In terms of volatile composition, both mono- and sesquiterpenes were detected in the propolis of F. longipes while only sesquiterpenes were detected in that of A. mellifera. Out of 50 volatiles identified in all samples, 26 were found exclusively in F. longipes propolis and 8 were found exclusively in A. mellifera propolis. The chemical profiles of the propolis extracts were determined by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry allowed to identify several prenylated benzophenones. A. mellifera extracts exhibited major antioxidant activity as assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method and all extracts exhibited antioxidant activity as assessed by the β-carotene/linoleic acid method. The ethanolic extracts of the propolis showed promisor activity against all tested microorganisms.

Background: This study sought to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a remote geriatric assessment (GA) and implementation (GAIN) program in Brazil. The authors also explored the effect of this program on health‐related quality of life (HR‐QOL) outcomes 3 months after initiating treatment. Methods: This is a longitudinal study enrolling older adults (65+ years), diagnosed with any type of solid tumor, scheduled to initiate chemotherapy in a networked Brazilian cancer center. The GA was performed through telehealth. We assessed the feasibility of the remote GA, acceptability to patients, and changes in patient‐centered outcomes (HR‐QOL, mood, function) from baseline to month 3. Linear mixed model analysis was done, adjusting for age, gender, race, income, and disease stage. Results: Fifty‐six patients completed all intended assessments. Notably, the threshold of feasibility was 70% and there was 92% complete adherence. Average age was 76 years old (SD = 7.2). Most patients were female (57%), married (59%), and had a college degree (46%). The most common diagnoses were gastrointestinal (39%) and gynecological cancers (18%); most were diagnosed at an advance disease stage (77%). A total of 32 patients were referred to a remote appointment and 86% followed this recommendation(s). Significant improvement in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy ‐ General FACT‐G (mean difference, 6.04; p <.001), Geriatric Depression Scale (mean difference, −0.86; p =.008), and instrumental activities of daily living ratio (mean difference, 0.17; p <.001) were found. Conclusion: Remote GAIN is feasible and acceptable to older adults with cancer receiving treatment in Brazil. The authors also found significant improvement in HR‐QOL outcomes over time. Notably, this GAIN program could guide early detection of chemotherapy toxicity and improving patient‐reported outcomes in low‐resource environments. Geriatric assessment has been considered standard of care to avoid the risk of over‐ or under‐treatment and minimize the risk of adopting an ageist approach. This study found that a remote program is feasible and effective in improving patients' quality of life in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of some volatile (2-heptanol) and nonvolatile constituents (a homologous 9-alkene/alkane series) of Mormolyca ringens flowers and Scaptotrigona sp. queen waxes (homologous 9-alkene/alkane series) and cephalic extracts (homologous series of 2-alkanols, including 2-heptanol) involved with the pseudocopulation or sexual mimicry in Orchidaceae pollination is compared. The similarity in chemical composition of flowers and insects is assigned to the chemically induced copulatory activity in Scaptotrigona males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]