The importance of the holobiont has been studied across many bee species, but less is known about the changes in the microbiome throughout the course of development, particularly in subsocial bees. This study used 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing of pollen provisions and individuals of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, across stages of development to characterize the composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi in the microbiome. Pollen provisions and larval stages showed similar beta diversity, but differences in taxa composition. There was no significant decrease in diversity during the transition between larval and pupal stages that was expected post defecation. However, there were unexpected and progressive declines in diversity as development progressed from the early to late pupal stages and again from the callow to adult stages. Bees across all stages lacked members of the Lactobacillus (now Apilactobacillus) genus, which has been shown in other studies to be part of the core bacterial community in C. calcarata and all bees. Three correlations between bacteria and fungi were found, suggesting common beneficial bacteria may protect the bees from prevalent fungal pathogens. Low alpha diversity, particularly in the later stages of development through adulthood, is concerning as the microbiome plays an important role in maintaining wild bee health.
The mobilization of social resources for educational development in schools is considered an important demonstration of the roles and responsibilities of parents and the community for the cause of education. This paper describes the frequency and efficiency of nine categories of social resources mobilization used in secondary schools in the South of Vietnam. The research team identified the reasons for and methods by which the mobilization of social resources takes place in six secondary schools in Southern Vietnam. We combined a questionnaire, completed by 202 school teachers and school managers, with in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis. The results showed high levels of both implementation and efficiency (scale reliability Cronbach alpha 0.93 and 0.92) of the mobilization of social resources, revealing a high interest in and engagement with social resources mobilization by social educational forces. Based on those results, we make a number of suggestions for improving the efficiency of this work, particularly in the South of Vietnam in reality.
The mobilization of social resources for educational development in schools is considered an important demonstration of the roles and responsibilities of parents and the community for the cause of education. This paper describes the frequency and efficiency of nine categories of social resources mobilization used in secondary schools in the South of Vietnam. The research team identified the reasons for and methods by which the mobilization of social resources takes place in six secondary schools in Southern Vietnam. We combined a questionnaire, completed by 202 school teachers and school managers, with in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis. The results showed high levels of both implementation and efficiency (scale reliability Cronbach’s alpha 0.93 and 0.92) of the mobilization of social resources, revealing a high interest in and engagement with social resources mobilization by social educational forces. Based on those results, we make a number of suggestions for improving the efficiency of this work, particularly in the South of Vietnam in reality.
Background
External quality assessments (EQAs) for the molecular detection of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are necessary to ensure the standardisation of reliable results. The Phase II, 2019–2020 World Health Organization (WHO) RSV EQA included 28 laboratories in 26 countries. The EQA panel evaluated performance in the molecular detection and subtyping of RSV‐A and RSV‐B. This manuscript describes the preparation, distribution, and analysis of the 2019–2020 WHO RSV EQA.
Methods
Panel isolates underwent whole genome sequencing and in silico primer matching. The final panel included nine contemporary, one historical virus and two negative controls. The EQA panel was manufactured and distributed by the UK National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS). National laboratories used WHO reference assays developed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an RSV subtyping assay developed by the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (Australia), or other in‐house or commercial assays already in use at their laboratories.
Results
An in silico analysis of isolates showed a good match to assay primer/probes. The panel was distributed to 28 laboratories. Isolates were correctly identified in 98% of samples for detection and 99.6% for subtyping.
Conclusions
The WHO RSV EQA 2019–2020 showed that laboratories performed at high standards. Updating the composition of RSV molecular EQAs with contemporary strains to ensure representation of circulating strains, and ensuring primer matching with EQA panel viruses, is advantageous in assessing diagnostic competencies of laboratories. Ongoing EQAs are recommended because of continued evolution of mismatches between current circulating strains and existing primer sets.
Bees and their microbes interact in complex networks in which bees form symbiotic relationships with their bacteria and fungi. Microbial composition and abundance affect bee health through nutrition, immunity, and fitness. In ever-expanding urban landscapes, land use development changes bee habitats and floral resource availability, thus altering the sources of microbes that wild bees need to establish their microbiome. Here, we implement metabarcoding of the bacterial 16S and fungal ITS regions to characterize the diversity and composition of the microbiome in 58 small carpenter bees, Ceratina calcarata, across urban land use gradients (study area 6,425 km2). By categorizing land use development, green space, precipitation, and temperature variables as indicators of habitat across the city, we found that land use variables can predict microbial diversity. Microbial composition was also found to vary across urban land use gradients, with certain microbes such as Acinetobacter and Apilactobacillus overrepresented in less urban locations and Penicillium more abundant in developed areas. Environmental features may also lead to differences in microbe interactions, as co-occurrences between bacteria and fungi varied across percent land use development, exemplified by the correlation between Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas being more prevalent in areas of higher urban development. Surrounding landscapes change the microbial landscape in wild bees and alter the relationships they have with their microbiome. As such, urban centres should consider the impact of growing cities on their pollinators’ health and protect wild bees from the effects of anthropogenic activities.
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