Effects of the social environment on the survival and fungal resistance of ant brood

The phenotype of social animals can be influenced by genetic, maternal and environmental effects, which include social interactions during development. In social insects, the social environment and genetic origin of brood can each influence a whole suite of traits, from individual size to caste differentiation. Here, we investigate to which degree the social environment during development affects the survival and fungal resistance of ant brood of known maternal origin. We manipulated one component of the social environment, the worker/brood ratio, of brood originating from single queens of Formica selysi. We monitored the survival of brood and measured the head size and ability to resist the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana of the resulting callow workers. The worker/brood ratio and origin of eggs affected the survival and maturation time of the brood and the size of the resulting callow workers. The survival of the callow workers varied greatly according to their origin, both in controls and when challenged with B. bassiana. However, there was no interaction between the fungal challenge and either the worker/brood ratio or origin of eggs, suggesting that these factors did not affect parasite resistance in the conditions tested. Overall, the social conditions during brood rearing and the origin of eggs had a strong impact on brood traits that are important for fitness. We detected a surprisingly large amount of variation among queens in the survival of their brood reared in standard queenless conditions, which calls for further studies on genetic, maternal and social effects influencing brood development in the social insects

Control of the Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with entomopathogenic fungi

The beetle Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), considered a worldwide pest in the poultry industry, is difficult to control and it is a vector for pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological control of the lesser mealworm, by strains of fungi Beauveria bassiana, Cladosporium sp. and Trichoderma sp. Larvae and adults of the A. diaperinus were inoculated with suspensions of conidia in the concentration of 10(7) conídia.mL-1. The B. bassiana isolate caused higher insect mortality as compared to Cladosporium sp. and Trichoderma sp. isolates, with the larvae being more susceptible than adults. The entomopathogenicity of B. bassiana was further evaluated with 200 larvae and 200 adults of A. diaperinus inoculated with suspensions 10(6), 10(7), and 10(8) conidia.mL-1, and observed for ten days. Larvae mortality started at the fourth day at the lowest concentration, and the adult mortality was only observed on the sixth day at the concentration of 10(8) conidia.mL-1

Estimulação sensoriomotora intra e extra-oral em neonatos prematuros: revisão bibliográfica

A prematuridade é um dos fatores mais incidentes no ambiente hospitalar infantil. O trabalho fonoaudiológico realizado em hospitais com foco no recém-nascido prematuro tem conquistado cada vez mais espaço e apresenta como proposta principal a detecção de problemas relacionados à deglutição, proporcionando recurso aos neonatos que fazem uso de via alternativa de alimentação, devido à imaturidade orgânica. O uso de técnicas para maturação do sistema sensório-motor-oral vem sendo explorado a fim de que o recém-nascido pré-termo realize transição, mais segura e em menor tempo, para alimentação plena por via oral. O objetivo deste estudo é realizar revisão sistemática da literatura nacional e internacional a fim de elencar diferentes técnicas e elucidar sobre a eficácia das mesmas, quanto à maturação do sistema sensório-motor-oral em neonatos prematuros que permanecem em ambiente hospitalar. Segundo a literatura, a técnica mais utilizada no Brasil é a sucção não nutritiva com dedo mínimo enluvado ou chupeta ortodôntica. Em outros países, as técnicas mais citadas foram a sucção não nutritiva com chupeta seguida da estimulação do sistema sensório-motor-oral. Tanto as técnicas utilizadas no Brasil quanto no exterior têm refletido positivamente no desenvolvimento das funções orais de neonatos. Levando em conta a necessidade de promoção do aleitamento materno exclusivo, publicações recentes evidenciaram alarmante e preocupante percentual de uso de bicos sintéticos para estimulação em unidades de terapia intensiva neonatal