Honey bee stressor networks are complex and dependent on crop and region

Honey bees play a major role in crop pollination but have experienced declining health throughout most of the globe. Despite decades of research on key honey bee stressors (e.g., parasitic Varroa destructor mites and viruses), researchers cannot fully explain or predict colony mortality, potentially because it is caused by exposure to multiple interacting stressors in the field. Understanding which honey bee stressors co-occur and have the potential to interact is therefore of profound importance. Here, we used the emerging field of systems theory to characterize the stressor networks found in honey bee colonies after they were placed in fields containing economically valuable crops across Canada. Honey bee stressor networks were often highly complex, with hundreds of potential interactions between stressors. Their placement in crops for the pollination season generally exposed colonies to more complex stressor networks, with an average of 23 stressors and 307 interactions. We discovered that the most influential stressors in a network-those that substantively impacted network architecture-are not currently addressed by beekeepers. Finally, the stressor networks showed substantial divergence among crop systems from different regions, which is consistent with the knowledge that some crops (e.g., highbush blueberry) are traditionally riskier to honey bees than others. Our approach sheds light on the stressor networks that honey bees encounter in the field and underscores the importance of considering interactions among stressors. Clearly, addressing and managing these issues will require solutions that are tailored to specific crops and regions and their associated stressor networks.

Environmental metagenetics unveil novel plant-pollinator interactions

Honey bees are efficient pollinators of flowering plants, aiding in the plant reproductive cycle and acting as vehicles for evolutionary processes. Their role as agents of selection and drivers of gene flow is instrumental to the structure of plant populations, but historically, our understanding of their influence has been limited to predominantly insect-dispersed flowering species. Recent metagenetic work has provided evidence that honey bees also forage on pollen from anemophilous species, suggesting that their role as vectors for transmission of plant genetic material is not confined to groups designated as entomophilous, and leading us to ask: could honey bees act as dispersal agents for non-flowering plant taxa? Using an extensive pollen metabarcoding dataset from Canada, we discovered that honey bees may serve as dispersal agents for an array of sporophytes (Anchistea, Claytosmunda, Dryopteris, Osmunda, Osmundastrum, Equisetum) and bryophytes (Funaria, Orthotrichum, Sphagnum, Ulota). Our findings also suggest that honey bees may occasionally act as vectors for the dispersal of aquatic phototrophs, specifically Coccomyxa and Protosiphon, species of green algae. Our work has shed light on the broad resource-access patterns that guide plant-pollinator interactions and suggests that bees could act as vectors of gene flow, and potentially even agents of selection, across Plantae.

Assessment of Chlorine, Fluorine, and Sulfur Concentrations in Depth Profile of Drill Cuttings from Onshore and Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration Wells

The assessment of chlorine, fluorine, and sulfur concentrations in depth profile of drill cuttings was performed using ion chromatography after sample preparation by pyrohydrolysis. The parameters for pyrohydrolysis were optimized using a Box-Behnken design, and the established conditions were 300 mg of sample, 300 mg of V2O5, temperature of 1000 °C, reaction time of 25 min, and absorbing solution of 50 mmol L-1 NH3 + 150 mmol L-1 H2O2. The accuracy was evaluated by the analysis of certified reference materials and recovery tests, and the results showed a good agreement between determined and certified values and recoveries (89-108%). The precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) < 10%), and the limits of detection (0.5-2.5 mg kg‑1) were suitable for drill cuttings analysis. The concentration of chlorine, fluorine, and sulfur in drill cuttings at different depths was at mg g-1 range, and its variation is related to the mineral composition of the samples.

Exploring the Barriers to Discussing Unconscious Racial Bias in Psychiatry Trainees

Introduction

Racism is present in most aspects of our society, including healthcare. Differences in health outcomes, and in the quality of mental health treatment for people coming from ethnic minority groups have been demonstrated in the literature. Psychiatry trainees are required to understand the impact of structural inequalities and power differences within mental health services, and to be able to deliver clinical care that is equitable for all.

Objectives

To provide psychiatry trainees with a space to reflect on unconscious racial bias in clinical work and to explore potential barriers when talking about such topics.

Methods

A Race and Equality Reflective Group for psychiatry trainees was organised as an opportunity to discuss unconscious racial bias. Due to an insufficient number of registrations, the session was cancelled. An anonymous feedback questionnaire was sent to all trainees to understand reasons behind this, and to explore potential barriers to participation. The results were analysed and were brought back to a regular Balint group for further exploration.

Results

Twelve trainees filled in the questionnaire. The main themes identified included this topic being a sensitive issue (5; 41.7%), discomfort in trainees (5; 41.7%), insufficient time to participate (4; 33%) and timetable clash (3; 25.9%). Barriers to discussing unconscious racial bias and inequality were identified in further exploration with trainees. The tendency for groups to adopt a split position that was observed, mirrors the dynamics seen in institutional racism.

Conclusions

This work has highlighted the need for ongoing focused, facilitated educational spaces where these issues can be openly discussed and reflected upon.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Selective Breeding for Low and High Varroa destructor Growth in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies: Initial Results of Two Generations

Simple Summary

The mite Varroa destructor is considered the most damaging parasite of honey bees worldwide. Beekeepers use synthetic chemical products to control mite infestations in colonies, but the parasites soon develop resistance to them, which compromises their control. One alternative control strategy is the development of Varroa-resistant honey bees. Therefore, a breeding program was initiated to select for lower and higher rates of Varroa-population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively) and deformed wing virus (DWV) levels, which is transmitted by the mites. After two years of bidirectional selection, LVG colonies had Varroa population increases over the summer of 1.7 fold compared to 9.6 fold for HVG colonies. Additionally, HVG colonies had higher mite infestation rates in adult bees compared to LVG colonies. DWV presence and levels were higher in HVG colonies than in LVG colonies and winter mortality rates were 26% and 14% for the HVG and LVG bee types, respectively. The results of this study thus far indicate that selection for LVG may result in colonies with lower Varroa infestation rates, lower prevalence, and levels of DWV and higher colony winter survivorship. Future work will focus on determining mechanisms responsible for genetic differences and in identifying genes associated with Varroa-resistance in honey bees.

Abstract

After two years of bidirectional selection for low and high rates of Varroa destructor population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively) in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Ontario, Canada, significant differences between the two genotypes were observed. LVG colonies had V. destructor population increases over the summer of 1.7 fold compared to 9.6 fold for HVG colonies by Generation 2. Additionally, HVG colonies had significantly higher mite infestation rates in adult bees compared to LVG colonies for both selected generations. DWV prevalence and levels were significantly higher in HVG colonies than in LVG colonies in Generation 1 but not in Generation 2. Winter mortality rates of Generation 1 colonies were significantly different at 26% and 14% for the HVG and LVG genotypes, respectively. The results of this study thus far indicate that selection for LVG may result in colonies with lower V. destructor infestation rates, lower prevalence, and levels of DWV and higher colony winter survivorship. Future work will focus on determining what mechanisms are responsible for the genotypic differences, estimating genetic parameters, and molecular analyses of the genotypes to identify candidate genes associated with resistance to V. destructor and DWV that could potentially be used for marker-assisted selection.

Control of the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae in honey bees (Apis mellifera) using nutraceutical and immuno-stimulatory compounds

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite that causes nosemosis in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). As alternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin, ten nutraceuticals (oregano oil, thymol, carvacrol, trans-cinnmaldehyde, tetrahydrocurcumin, sulforaphane, naringenin, embelin, allyl sulfide, hydroxytyrosol) and two immuno-stimulatory compounds (chitosan, poly I:C) were examined for controlling N. ceranae infections. Caged bees were inoculated with N. ceranae spores, and treatments were administered in sugar syrup. Only two compounds did not significantly reduce N. ceranae spore counts compared to the infected positive control, but the most effective were sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables, carvacrol from oregano oil, and naringenin from citrus fruit. When tested at several concentrations, the highest sulforaphane concentration reduced spore counts by 100%, but also caused 100% bee mortality. For carvacrol, the maximum reduction in spore counts was 57% with an intermediate concentration and the maximum bee mortality was 23% with the highest concentration. For naringenin, the maximum reduction in spore counts was 64% with the highest concentration, and the maximum bee mortality was only 15% with an intermediate concentration. In the longevity experiment, naringenin-fed bees lived as long as Nosema-free control bees, both of which lived significantly longer than infected positive control bees. While its antimicrobial properties may be promising, reducing sulforaphane toxicity to bees is necessary before it can be considered as a candidate for controlling N. ceranae. Although further work on formulation is needed with naringenin, its effect on extending longevity in infected bees may give it an additional value as a potential additive for bee feed in honey bee colonies.

P4735Preoperative frailty is a predictor of worse in-hospital outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and improves the predictive accuracy of EUROSCORE I and II

Introduction

Although coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most widely performed cardiovascular procedure in the world and is the standard treatment for complex coronary artery disease, the risk prediction for the procedure has major gaps. In this context, preoperative frailty may have a relevant role in the prediction of surgical risk.

Purpose

Our goal was to evaluate the impact of frailty on in-hospital outcomes after CABG and verify if any other comorbidity enhances the effects of fragility.

Methods

Prospective cohort of patients submitted consecutively to isolated CABG between Jan/2013 and Dec/2017. Frailty was defined as any deficiency in the Katz Index. Of the 1508 patients, 126 (8.4%) were classified as frail. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared by univariate analysis. Multivariate regression models were applied for the adjusted analysis of outcomes. The predictive accuracy of the regression models were analyzed using ROC curves. The additional predictive accuracy of the frailty and other risk variables were evaluated by comparing the ROC curves with the DeLong test.

Results

The frail patients presented more advanced age, more comorbidities and the majority were female. Frailty was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality (OR 5.55, p=0.002) and MACCE (OR 5.60, p=0.001). In addition, by means of an adjusted analysis, we identified that the frailty was associated with a longer time of hospitalization (B 4.61, 95% CI 2.12–7.10, p<0.001). We also identified that preoperative anemia was classified as an independent predictor for hospital mortality and MACCE and improved the effect of frailty on outcomes. In this way, we could verify that when associated with surgical risk scores, frailty and anemia significantly improved the predictive accuracy of EuroScore 1 and EuroScore 2 for in-hospital mortality.

Predictive accuracies

Conclusions

Frailty and preoperative anemia are independent predictors of hospital mortality and MACCE after CABG. Frailty was also a predictor of longer hospitalization time. The association of frailty and anemia with surgical risk scores resulted in a significant improvement in the predictive accuracy of the scores. Frailty screening by Katz Index improved the risk assessment for isolated CABG and, when associated with anemia, demonstrated that frail and anemic patients had worse surgical outcomes.

Acknowledgement/Funding

The development of the present study was funded entirely by the Institution itself.

Mechanisms and biomarker candidates in pterygium development

Pterygium pathogenesis has been mainly asso ciated with UV light exposure; however, this association remains quite controversial. The complete mechanism of pterygium also remains to be clarified. Factors such as inflammation, viral infection, oxidative stress, DNA methylation, inflammatory mediators, extracellular matrix modulators, apoptotic and oncogenic proteins, loss of heterozygosity, microsatellite instability, lymphangiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal cell transition, and alterations in cholesterol metabolism have been identified as causes. Several studies aimed to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth and proliferation of pterygium. Understanding its molecular basis provides new potential therapeutic targets for its prevention and treatment. A comprehensive search of the databases, namely, MedLine, EMBASE, and LILACS, was conducted with the following key words: pterygium, epidemiology, pathogenesis, biomarkers, and review. This review describes the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and current investigation of biological mediators involved in pterygium development.

Regret Anticipation Failures Scale (RAFS): Validation of the Portuguese version

Introduction

Failures in regret anticipation undermine regret avoidance, increasing regret frequency and ultimately the risk of regret-related problems. The Regret Anticipation Failures Scale (RAFS; Schmidt and Linden, 2011) was developed to evaluate interindividual differences in regret anticipation.

Objective

To investigate the psychometric properties of the RAFS Portuguese version.

Methods

A community sample composed of 108 university students and 79 employees (78.1% females; mean age = 33.16 ± 13.175; range: 17–62) answered the Portuguese preliminary version of the RAFS. To study the temporal stability, 31 participants (83.9% females; mean age = 26.54 ± 18.761) answered the RAFS again after approximately 6 weeks.

Results

The RAFS Cronbach alpha was “very good” (a = 0.81). All the items presented significant correlations with the total (excluding the item; > 0.20); only item 2 (Even when I’m stressed, I can foresee the regrets that certain behaviors could evoke in me) had the effect of lowering the internal consistency if deleted. The test-retest correlation coefficient was high, positive and significant (0.61; P < 0.001); there was not significant difference between test and re-test scores [14.26 ± 5.170 vs. 13.06 ± 4.761, t (30) = 1.532, P = 0.136]. Following Kaiser and Cattel Scree Plot criteria, only one factor was extracted, meaning that the scale is unidimensional.

Conclusions

The Portuguese version of RAFS has good reliability and construct validity. It could be very useful both in clinical and research contexts, namely in an ongoing project on the relationship between regret, personality and psychological distress.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Evidence of suppression of onchocerciasis transmission in the Venezuelan Amazonian focus

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set goals for onchocerciasis elimination in Latin America by 2015. Most of the six previously endemic countries are attaining this goal by implementing twice a year (and in some foci, quarterly) mass ivermectin (Mectizan®) distribution. Elimination of transmission has been verified in Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Challenges remain in the Amazonian focus straddling Venezuela and Brazil, where the disease affects the hard-to-reach Yanomami indigenous population. We provide evidence of suppression of Onchocerca volvulus transmission by Simulium guianense s.l. in 16 previously hyperendemic Yanomami communities in southern Venezuela after 15 years of 6-monthly and 5 years of 3-monthly mass ivermectin treatment.

METHODS

Baseline and monitoring and evaluation parasitological, ophthalmological, entomological and serological surveys were conducted in selected sentinel and extra-sentinel communities of the focus throughout the implementation of the programme.

RESULTS

From 2010 to 2012-2015, clinico-parasitological surveys indicate a substantial decrease in skin microfilarial prevalence and intensity of infection; accompanied by no evidence (or very low prevalence and intensity) of ocular microfilariae in the examined population. Of a total of 51,341 S. guianense flies tested by PCR none had L3 infection (heads only). Prevalence of infective flies and seasonal transmission potentials in 2012-2013 were, respectively, under 1% and 20 L3/person/transmission season. Serology in children aged 1-10 years demonstrated that although 26 out of 396 (7%) individuals still had Ov-16 antibodies, only 4/218 (2%) seropositives were aged 1-5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

We report evidence of recent transmission and morbidity suppression in some communities of the focus representing 75% of the Yanomami population and 70% of all known communities. We conclude that onchocerciasis transmission could be feasibly interrupted in the Venezuelan Amazonian focus.

The liver is the main organ to clear plasma and tissue kallikreins from rat plasma, in vivo

We report observations regarding the in vivo distribution of labelled kallikreins in plasma, liver and some other organs, twenty minutes following their intravenous injection in the rat. The kallikreins used were: tritiated homogeneous human plasma (HuPK) and horse urinary (HoUK) as well as highly purified iodinated rat plasma kallikrein (RPK). The main findings were: the liver cleared 15% of HuPK, 38% of RPK and 69% HoUK; with both types (plasma and tissue) of native kallikreins the liver was the main clearing organ.