Foraging and Drifting Patterns of the Highly Eusocial Neotropical Stingless Bee Melipona fasciculata Assessed by Radio-Frequency Identification Tags

Bees play a key role in ecosystem services as the main pollinators of numerous flowering plants. Studying factors influencing their foraging behavior is relevant not only to understand their biology, but also how populations might respond to changes in their habitat and to the climate. Here, we used radio-frequency identification tags to monitor the foraging behavior of the neotropical stingless bee Melipona fasciculata with special interest in drifting patterns i.e., when a forager drifts into a foreign nest. In addition, we collected meteorological data to study how abiotic factors affect bees’ activity and behavior. Our results show that only 35% of bees never drifted to another hive nearby, and that factors such as temperature, humidity and solar irradiation affected the bees drifting rates and/or foraging activity. Moreover, we tested whether drifting levels would decrease after marking the nest entrances with different patterns. However, contrary to our predictions, there was an increase in the proportion of drifting, which could indicate factors other than orientation mistakes playing a role in this behavior. Overall, our results demonstrate how managed bee populations are affected by both nearby hives and climate factors, offering insights on their biology and potential commercial application as crop pollinators.

Analysis of Honeybee Drone Activity during the Mating Season in Northwestern Argentina

Males in Hymenopteran societies are understudied in many aspects and it is assumed that they only have a reproductive function. We studied the time budget of male honey bees, drones, using multiple methods. Changes in the activities of animals provide important information on biological clocks and their health. Yet, in nature, these changes are subtle and often unobservable without the development and use of modern technology. During the spring and summer mating season, drones emerge from the hive, perform orientation flights, and search for drone congregation areas for mating. This search may lead drones to return to their colony, drift to other colonies (vectoring diseases and parasites), or simply get lost to predation. In a low percentage of cases, the search is successful, and drones mate and die. Our objective was to describe the activity of Apis mellifera drones during the mating season in Northwestern Argentina using three methods: direct observation, video recording, and radio frequency identification (RFID). The use of RFID tagging allows the tracking of a bee for 24 h but does not reveal the detailed activity of drones. We quantified the average number of drones' departure and arrival flights and the time outside the hive. All three methods confirmed that drones were mostly active in the afternoon. We found no differences in results between those obtained by direct observation and by video recording. RFID technology enabled us to discover previously unknown drone behavior such as activity at dawn and during the morning. We also discovered that drones may stay inside the hive for many days, even after initiation of search flights (up to four days). Likewise, we observed drones to leave the hive for several days to return later (up to three days). The three methods were complementary and should be considered for the study of bee drone activity, which may be associated with the diverse factors influencing hive health.

Low-Cost Electronic Tagging System for Bee Monitoring

This paper introduces both a hardware and a software system designed to allow low-cost electronic monitoring of social insects using RFID tags. Data formats for individual insect identification and their associated experiment are proposed to facilitate data sharing from experiments conducted with this system. The antennas’ configuration and their duty cycle ensure a high degree of detection rates. Other advantages and limitations of this system are discussed in detail in the paper.

In search for a robust design of environmental sensor networks

This paper presents an approach to the design of environmental sensor networks (ESN) which aims at providing a robust, fit-for-purpose network with minimum redundancy. A set of near optimum ESN designs is sought using an evolutionary algorithm, which incorporates redundancy and robustness as fitness functions. This work can assist the decision-making process when determining the number of sensor nodes and how the nodes are going to be deployed in the region of interest.

Mobile platform sampling for designing environmental sensor networks

This paper proposes a method to design the deployment of sensor nodes in a new region where historical data is not available. A number of mobile platforms are simulated to build initial knowledge of the region. Further, an evolutionary algorithm is employed to find the optimum placement of a given number of sensor nodes that best represents the region of interest.

Photodynamic therapy mediated by acai oil (Euterpe oleracea Martius) in nanoemulsion: A potential treatment for melanoma

Melanoma is the most aggressive and lethal form of skin cancer, responsible for >80% of deaths. Standard treatments for late-stage melanoma usually present poor results, leading to life-threatening side effects and low overall survival. Thus, it is necessary to rethink treatment strategies and design new tools for the treatment of this disease. On that ground, we hereby report the use of acai oil in nanoemulsion (NanoA) as a novel photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) used to treat melanoma in in vitro and in vivo experimental models. NIH/3T3 normal cells and B16F10 melanoma cell lines were treated with PDT and presented 85% cell death for melanoma cells, while maintaining high viability in normal cells. Flow cytometry indicated that cell death occurred by late apoptosis/necrosis. Tumor bearing C57BL/6 mice treated five times with PDT using acai oil in nanoemulsion showed tumor volume reduction of 82% in comparison to control/tumor group. Necrotic tissue per tumor area reached its highest value in PDT-treated mice, supporting PDT efficacy. Overall, acai oil in nanoemulsion was an effective photosensitizer, representing a promising source of new photosensitizing molecules for PDT treatment of melanoma, a tumor with an inherent tendency to be refractory for this type of therapy.

Incidence and prognosis of intraabdominal hypertension in a mixed population of critically ill patients: a multiple-center epidemiological study

OBJECTIVE

Intraabdominal hypertension is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in surgical and trauma patients. The aim of this study was to assess, in a mixed population of critically ill patients, whether intraabdominal pressure at admission was an independent predictor for mortality and to evaluate the effects of intraabdominal hypertension on organ functions.

DESIGN

Multiple-center, prospective epidemiologic study.

SETTING

Fourteen intensive care units in six countries.

PATIENTS

A total of 265 consecutive patients admitted for >24 hrs during the 4-wk study period.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Intraabdominal pressure was measured twice daily via the bladder. Data recorded on admission were the patient demographics with Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and type of admission; during intensive care stay, Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment score and intraabdominal pressure were measured daily together with fluid balance. Nonsurvivors had a significantly higher mean intraabdominal pressure on admission than survivors: 11.4 +/- 4.8 vs. 9.5 +/- 4.8 mm Hg. Independent predictors for mortality were age (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.06; p = .003), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (odds ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.15; p < .0001), type of intensive care unit admission (odds ratio, 2.5 medical vs. surgical; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-5.16; p = .01), and the presence of liver dysfunction (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-5.8; p = .04). The occurrence of intraabdominal hypertension during the intensive care unit stay was also an independent predictor of mortality (relative risk, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-3.06; p = .01). Patients with intraabdominal hypertension at admission had significantly higher Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment scores during the intensive care unit stay than patients without intraabdominal hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraabdominal hypertension on admission was associated with severe organ dysfunction during the intensive care unit stay. The mean intraabdominal pressure on admission was not an independent risk factor for mortality; however, the occurrence of intraabdominal hypertension during the intensive care unit stay was an independent outcome predictor.

Mycosis fungoides treated with Puva and Topical Corticosteroids

An 89-year old patient had mycosis fungoides with extensive skin involvement and palpable but pathologically uninvolved lymph nodes. He was successfully treated with PUVA combined with topical 0.1% fluocinolone acetonide ointment. PUVA therapy is highly effective in the treatment of mycosis fungoides confined to the skin, especially in the elderly where more aggressive therapy may not be tolerated.

Chemo-inflammation-an effective treatment for freckles

Freckles are fairly common and considered to be incurable. We have developed a new technique called "Chemo-inflammation" with which we have treated 5 patients (4 girls and one boy) having extensive freckles with excellent results. All the freckles disappeared completely from the treated areas and there has been no recurrence so far. The technique consists of applying a liquid based on an alkyl sulphate, on the affected skin and repeating the application every hour for a day till the entire skin develops adequate inflammation. The liquid is then washed off with tap water and the skin is treated with topical (or systemic) corticosteroids till the inflammation subsides and the treated skin peels off and attains its normal texture. This generally happens within a week or so. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmemation has to be prevented by adequate anti-inflammatory treatment. Otherwise there are no precautions.

Optic nerve cysticercosis: a case report

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