Stable pollination service in a generalist high Arctic community despite the warming climate.

Insects provide key pollination services in most terrestrial biomes, but this service depends on a multistep interaction between insect and plant. An insect needs to visit a flower, receive pollen from the anthers, move to another conspecific flower, and finally deposit the pollen on a receptive stigma. Each of these steps may be affected by climate change, and focusing on only one of them (e.g., flower visitation) may miss important signals of change in service provision. In this study, we combine data on visitation, pollen transport, and single-visit pollen deposition to estimate functional outcomes in the high Arctic plant-pollinator network of Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland, a model system for global warming-associated impacts in pollination services. Over two decades of rapid climate warming, we sampled the network repeatedly: in 1996, 1997, 2010, 2011, and 2016. Although the flowering plant and insect communities and their interactions varied substantially between years, as expected based on highly variable Arctic weather, there was no detectable directional change in either the structure of flower-visitor networks or estimated pollen deposition. For flower-visitor networks compiled over a single week, species phenologies caused major within-year variation in network structure despite consistency across years. Weekly networks for the middle of the flowering season emerged as especially important because most pollination service can be expected to be provided by these large, highly nested networks. Our findings suggest that pollination ecosystem service in the high Arctic is remarkably resilient. This resilience may reflect the plasticity of Arctic biota as an adaptation to extreme and unpredictable weather. However, most pollination service was contributed by relatively few fly taxa (Diptera: Spilogona sanctipauli and Drymeia segnis [Muscidae] and species of Rhamphomyia [Empididae]). If these key pollinators are negatively affected by climate change, network structure and the pollination service that depends on it would be seriously compromised.

Mobile emergency department care to nursing home residents: a novel outreach service.

BACKGROUND: Every month, 6% of Danish nursing home residents are admitted to hospital. However, these admissions might have limited benefits and are associated with an increased risk of complications. We initiated a new mobile service comprising consultants performing emergency care in nursing homes. OBJECTIVE: Describe the new service, the recipients of this service, hospital admission patterns and 90-day mortality. DESIGN: A descriptive observational study. MODEL: When an ambulance is requested to a nursing home, the emergency medical dispatch centre simultaneously dispatches a consultant from the emergency department who will provide an emergency evaluation and decisions regarding treatment at the scene in collaboration with municipal acute care nurses. METHOD: We describe the characteristics of all nursing home contacts from 1st November 2020 to 31st December 2021. The outcome measures were hospital admissions and 90-day mortality. Data were extracted from the patients' electronic hospital records and prospectively registered data. RESULTS: We identified 638 contacts (495 individuals). The new service had a median of two (interquartile range: 2-3) new contacts per day. The most frequent diagnoses were related to infections, unspecific symptoms, falls, trauma and neurologic disease. Seven out of eight residents remained at home following treatment, 20% had an unplanned hospital admission within 30 days and 90-day mortality was 36.4%. CONCLUSION: Transitioning emergency care from hospitals to nursing homes could present an opportunity for providing optimised care to a vulnerable population and limiting unnecessary transfers and admissions to hospitals.

Healthcare professionals' experience with emergency department-based acute care performed within nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: hospital admissions of residents from nursing homes often lead to delirium, infections, mortality and reduced functional capacity. We initiated a new service, 'emergency department-based acute care service', maintained by consultants from an emergency department (ED) moving emergency care from the hospitals into nursing homes. OBJECTIVE: this study explored healthcare professionals' experiences with this service. DESIGN: qualitative semi-structured focus group discussions. INTERVENTION/SETTING: the new service provides acute on-site evaluation and treatment to nursing home residents following calls to the emergency dispatch centre. METHODS: we conducted focus groups with general practitioners, prehospital personnel, municipal acute care nurses, ED staff and nursing home staff. The analysis was performed using the iterative and explorative approach, 'systematic text condensation'. RESULTS: the participants considered the service as a meaningful and appropriate alternative to hospital admission, as the treatment can be tailored to meet the residents' wishes and daily capabilities. This was experienced to promote dignity for the residents by reducing unnecessary transfers to the ED and the residents could remain in familiar surroundings with staff who knew their habitual behaviour and history. The nursing home staff contributed valuable information to the ED consultants' decision-making. The service made it possible to base the decision-making on complete patient pictures, as the ED consultants had the time to get to understand the residents. CONCLUSION: acute care at nursing homes provides an alternative to routine admissions to hospitals and enables healthcare professionals to provide more dignity in the care of nursing home residents.

Prehospital emergency medical technicians can perform ultrasonography and blood analysis in prehospital evaluation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION: Crowding of the emergency departments is an increasing problem. Many patients with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often treated in the emergency departments for a very short period before discharged to their homes. It is possible that this treatment could take place in the patients' homes with sufficient diagnostics supporting the treatment. In an effort to keep the diagnostics and treatment of some of these patients in their homes and thus to reduce the patient load at the emergency departments, we implemented a prehospital treat-and-release strategy based on ultrasonography and blood testing performed by emergency medical technicians (EMT) or paramedics (PM) in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD. METHOD: EMTs and PMs were enrolled in a six-hour educational program covering ultrasonography of the lungs and point of care blood tests. During the seasonal peak of COPD exacerbations (October 2018 - May 2019) all patients who were treated by the ambulance crews for respiratory insufficiency were screened in the ambulances. If the patient had uncomplicated COPD not requiring immediate transport to the hospital, ultrasonographic examination of the lungs, measurements of C-reactive protein and venous blood gases analyses were performed. The response to the initial treatment and the results obtained were discussed via telemedical consultation with a prehospital anaesthesiologist who then decided to either release the patient at the scene or to have the patient transported to the hospital. The primary outcome was strategy feasibility. RESULTS: We included 100 EMTs and PMs in the study. During the study period, 771 patients with respiratory insufficiency were screened. Uncomplicated COPD was rare as only 41patients were treated according to the treat-and-release strategy. Twenty of these patients (49%) were released at the scene. In further ten patients, technical problems were encountered hindering release at the scene. CONCLUSION: In a few selected patients with suspected acute exacerbations of COPD, it was technically and organisationally feasible for EMTs and PMs to perform prehospital POCT-ultrasound and laboratory testing and release the patients following treatment. None of the patients released at the scene requested a secondary ambulance within the first 48 h following the intervention.

Impact of tobacco smoking on response to tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: results from the Danish nationwide DANBIO registry.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between tobacco smoking and disease activity, treatment adherence and treatment responses in patients with AS treated with their first tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor (TNFi) therapy in routine care. METHODS: Observational cohort study based on the Danish nationwide DANBIO registry. Kaplan-Meier plots, Cox and logistic regression analyses by smoking status (current/never/previous) were calculated for treatment adherence and BASDAI 50%/20 mm-response. Additional stratified analyses were performed for gender and TNFi-type. RESULTS: Of 1576 AS patients included in the study, 1425(90%) had known smoking status (current/never/previous: 43%/41%/16%). The median follow-up time was 2.02 years (IQR 0.69-5.01). At baseline, current smokers compared with never smokers had longer disease duration (4 years (1-12)/2 years (0-10)), higher BASDAI (61 mm (47-73)/58 mm (44-70)), BASFI (53 mm (35-69)/46 mm (31-66)) and BASMI (40 mm (20-60)/30 mm (10-50)) scores (all P < 0.01). Current and previous smokers had shorter treatment adherence than never smokers (current: 2.30 years (1.81-2.79) (median (95% CI)); previous: 2.48 years (1.56-3.40), never: 4.12 years (3.29-4.95)), P < 0.0001). Similar results were found in multivariate analyses (current versus never smokers, HR 1.41 (95% CI 1.21-1.65), P < 0.001), most pronounced among men. Current smokers had poorer 6 months' BASDAI50%/20 mm-response rate than never smokers (42%/58%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, current smokers had lower odds of achieving BASDAI50%/20 mm-response than never smokers, both overall (OR 0.48 (95% CI 0.35-0.65), P < 0.0001) and for the different TNFi-types (adalimumab 0.45 (0.27-0.76)/etanercept 0.24 (0.10-0.61)/infliximab 0.57 (0.34-0.95)). CONCLUSION: In this study of TNFi-treated AS patients in clinical practice, current and previous smokers had significantly poorer patient-reported outcomes at baseline, shorter treatment adherence and poorer treatment response compared with never smokers.

The effect of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiac autonomic and hemodynamic function in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on cardiac autonomic function and vascular function in patients with psoriatic arthritis. METHODS: The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, where 145 patients with psoriatic arthritis were supplemented with 3 g of n-3 PUFA or olive oil (control) daily for 24 weeks. Blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), central blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and fatty acid composition of granulocytes, were determined at baseline and after supplementation. RESULTS: At baseline we found a significant difference in the mean of all normal RR intervals (inverse of heart rate, vary from beat to beat) when comparing subjects with the highest vs the lowest fish intake (p = 0.03). After supplementation for 24 weeks there was a trend towards an increase in RR (p = 0.13) and decrease in heart rate (p = 0.12) comparing the n-3 PUFA group with the control group. However, per-protocol analysis showed significantly increased RR (p = 0.01) and lowered heart rate (p = 0.01) in the n-3 PUFA supplemented patients compared with controls. Blood pressure, PWV and Central blood pressure did not change after supplementation with n-3 PUFA. Adjustment for disease activity and conventional cardiovascular risk factors did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: Marine n-3 PUFA increased RR intervals in patients with psoriatic arthritis which may suggest a protective effect of n-3 PUFA against cardiovascular disease in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01818804.

Impact of different infliximab dose regimens on treatment response and drug survival in 462 patients with psoriatic arthritis: results from the nationwide registries DANBIO and ICEBIO.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe dose regimens, dose escalation and clinical outcomes in TNF-α inhibitor (TNFi)-naive patients with PsA treated with infliximab in routine rheumatology care. METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study based on the nationwide Danish Rheumatologic Database (DANBIO) and Center for Rheumatology Research (ICEBIO) registries. Stratified by country, characteristics of patients treated with ≤3 mg infliximab/kg body weight, 3-5 mg/kg or ≥5 mg/kg every 8 weeks were described. Outcomes were evaluated by ACR 20%, 50% and 70% (ACR20/50/70) responses and European League Against Rheumatism good response after 6 months, disease activity after 12 months, Kaplan-Meier plots and regression analyses. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-two patients (376 Danish, 86 Icelandic) received treatment with infliximab. In Danish patients, the starting dose was ≤3 mg/kg in 110 patients (29%), 3-5 mg/kg in 157 (42%), ≥5 mg/kg in 38 (10%) and unregistered in 71 (19%). In Icelandic patients, corresponding numbers were 64 (74%), 17 (27%), 0 (0%) and 5 (6%). Patients with a higher body weight received lower doses per kilogram. Danish patients received higher doses than Icelandic patients at baseline [median 3.1 (interquartile range 3.0-3.8) vs 2.3 (2.1-2.9) mg/kg, P < 0.05] and after 12 months [3.3 (3.0-4.5) vs 2.9 (2.2-3.5) mg/kg, P < 0.0001]. After 12 months, 58% of Danish and 66% of Icelandic patients maintained treatment. Danish patients had shorter drug survival than Icelandic patients (1183 vs 483 days). In univariate analyses stratified by country, time until dose escalation, response rates, drug survival and 1-year's disease activity were independent of starting dose. Drug survival was shorter among patients not receiving concomitant MTX. CONCLUSION: In clinical practice, > 70% of Icelandic and Danish PsA patients treated with infliximab received sustained doses below the 5 mg/kg every 8 weeks recommended in international guidelines. Lower starting doses did not affect drug survival or response.

Taxonomic Impediment for Conservation: The Case of Bees in an Undersampled Tropical Mid-Elevation Site, San Martín, Peru.

In this first field survey of an entire bee fauna for any part of Peru, we report a total of 1796 bees belonging to 181 species or morphospecies in four families. The taxonomic impediment was pronounced with only 80 species of 181 that could be named. With such a high proportion of undetermined species, it is not possible to adequately compare pollinator communities across different studies, assess historical changes or analyze endemism patterns to document ecology, behavior and evolution of the species and genera. This information is required to provide a sound basis for policymakers to protect habitats for the conservation of native pollinators.

Nutrients or resin? - The relationship between resin and food foraging in stingless bees.

Stingless bees are important pollinators in tropical forests. Yet, we know little about their foraging behavior (e.g., their nutritional requirements or their floral sources visited for resource collection). Many stingless bees not only depend vitally on pollen and nectar for food but also on resin for nest building and/or defense. However, it is unclear whether the large effort devoted to collecting resin as a non-food resource by certain stingless bees affects their foraging behavior. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed differences in foraging patterns (i.e., foraging activity, proportion of collected resources, and specialization in plants visited) and resource nutritional composition (i.e., sucrose amount in nectar and amino acids in pollen) of seven different stingless bee species (eleven wild colonies) in north-western Ecuador with a particular focus on the role of resin collection. We found that species with a high resin intake tended to be more active than species with a low resin intake. The foragers per minute invested for pollen collection were similar across all species. Sucrose intake per minute differed between some species but was not affected by increased resin intake. Interestingly, high and low resin collectors partly differed in the plants visited for pollen collection. Pollen amino acid profiles largely, but not completely, overlapped between the two resin collection groups. Our findings show that the foraging patterns and plant choices of stingless bees may vary depending on their resin intake, highlighting the need for more research focusing on resin collection and use by stingless bees.

Las abejas sin aguijón son polinizadores importantes en los bosques tropicales. Sin embargo, sabemos poco acerca de su comportamiento de forrajeo (e.g., sus requisitos nutricionales o las fuentes florales visitadas para la recolección de recursos). Muchas abejas sin aguijón dependen vitalmente no solo de polen y de néctar como alimento, sino también de resinas para la construcción de su nido y/o defensa. Sin embargo, no está claro si el gran esfuerzo dedicado a la recolección de resina como recurso no alimentario de ciertas abejas sin aguijón afecta su comportamiento de forrajeo. Por lo tanto, en este estudio, analizamos las diferencias en los patrones de forrajeo (i.e., actividad de forrajeo, proporción de recursos recolectados y especialización en las plantas visitadas) y la composición nutricional de los recursos recolectados (i.e., cantidad de sacarosa en el néctar y de aminoácidos en el polen) de siete especies diferentes de abejas sin aguijón (once colonias silvestres) en el noroeste de Ecuador, con un enfoque particular en el rol de la recolección de resina. Encontramos que las especies con una recolección alta de resina tienden a ser más activas que las especies con una recolección baja de resina. La cantidad de forrajeadores por minuto dedicada a la recolección de polen fue similar en todas las especies. La ingesta de sacarosa por minuto difirió entre algunas especies, pero no se vio afectada por un aumento en la recolección de resina. Interesantemente, las abejas con una recolección alta y baja de resina difirieron parcialmente en las plantas que visitaron para la recolección de polen. Entre los dos grupos de recolección de resina también hubo diferencias con respecto al perfil de aminoácidos en el polen que recolectaron. El perfil de aminoácidos se sobrelapaba, pero no completamente, entre los dos grupos. Nuestros resultados muestran que los patrones de forrajeo y las elecciones de plantas de las abejas sin aguijón pueden variar según su consumo de resina, destacando la necesidad de hacer más investigaciones centradas en la recolección y el uso de resina por parte de las abejas sin aguijón.

The taxonomic identity of Trigona lacteipennis Friese, 1900 and description of a new bee species of the Trigona cilipes (Fabricius, 1804) group (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini).

A critical study of type material for Trigona lacteipennis Friese, 1900 and allied species is presented along with a discussion of literature data. This work reveals that T. lacteipennis is a junior subjective synonym of Melipona paupera Provancher, 1889 (new synonymy), a species currently classified placed in the genus Frieseomelitta. Similarly, T. lehmanni Friese, 1901 and T. parastigma Cockerell, 1918 are also junior subjective synonyms of Melipona paupera (new synonymies). Morphological characters, photographic illustrations of type specimens, and data on distribution are provided for Frieseomelitta paupera. Also, we describe a new species of Trigona cilipes species group, Trigona (Aphaneuropsis) silveirai sp. nov., which is very similar to the former and had been misidentified with it.

Optimising gout treatment: insights from a nurse-led cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Currently, gout management, particularly urate-lowering therapy (ULT), is often suboptimal. Nurses successfully manage various diseases including gout. As gout prevalence is rising, and rheumatologists and general practitioners face shortages, a new approach is imperative. This real-life prospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of nurse-led care employing a treat-to-target strategy for gout management over a 2-year period. METHODS: All consecutively confirmed gout patients were included. The nurse-led clinic provided a structured treatment plan with consultations, patient leaflets, telephone contacts and laboratory monitoring. After a year of nurse-led care, patients transitioned to continued care in general practice. Follow-up data were complete through registries. The primary outcome was achieving target p-urate levels (<0.36 mmol/L) at 2 years after diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included treatment continuation and achievement of target p-urate levels in specific subgroups. The results were compared with patients diagnosed in the same clinic but followed up in 'usual care'. RESULTS: In the nurse-led group (n=114), 83% achieved target p-urate levels and ULT was continued by 98%. This trend persisted across various patient subgroups. Only 44% of patients in usual care achieved target p-urate and with insufficient doses of allopurinol . Nurse-led care involved an average of two visits and three telephone contacts over 336 days. The 2-year mortality rate was 15%. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led gout care, employing a targeted approach, was associated with a very high uptake of and adherence to ULT. The encouraging results were not achieved in usual care although a direct comparison might be influenced by selection bias.

Genes versus environment: geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale.

Chemical compounds are highly important in the ecology of animals. In social insects, compounds on the body surface represent a particularly interesting trait, because they comprise different compound classes that are involved in different functions, such as communication, recognition and protection, all of which can be differentially affected by evolutionary processes. Here, we investigate the widely unknown and possibly antagonistic influence of phylogenetic and environmental factors on the composition of the cuticular chemistry of tropical stingless bees. We chose stingless bees because some species are unique in expressing not only self-produced compounds, but also compounds that are taken up from the environment. By relating the cuticular chemistry of 40 bee species from all over the world to their molecular phylogeny and geographical occurrence, we found that distribution patterns of different groups of compounds were differentially affected by genetic relatedness and biogeography. The ability to acquire environmental compounds was, for example, highly correlated with the bees' phylogeny and predominated in evolutionarily derived species. Owing to the presence of environmentally derived compounds, those species further expressed a higher chemical and thus functional diversity. In Old World species, chemical similarity of both environmentally derived and self-produced compounds was particularly high among sympatric species, even when they were less related to each other than to allopatric species, revealing a strong environmental effect even on largely genetically determined compounds. Thus, our findings do not only reveal an unexpectedly strong influence of the environment on the cuticular chemistry of stingless bees, but also demonstrate that even within one morphological trait (an insect's cuticular profile), different components (compound classes) can be differentially affected by different drivers (relatedness and biogeography), depending on the functional context.

Incidences of overall and site specific cancers in TNFα inhibitor treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritides - a follow-up study from the DANBIO Registry.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of cancer in arthritis patients treated with or without TNFα inhibitors (TNF-I). METHODS: Arthritis patients from the DANBIO database were followed-up for cancer in the Danish Cancer Registry during 2000-2008. RESULTS: Hazard ratio for cancer overall was 1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-1.30) in 3347 TNF-I-treated RA patients compared to non-treated. Excess among TNF-I-treated was found for colon cancer (HR 3.52 (95%CI 1.11-11.15), whereas 6 and 0 ovarian cancer cases were observed in treated and non-treated patients, respectively. Compared to the general population, TNF-I-treated RA patients had increased risk for cancer overall, cancer in lymphatic-haematopoietic tissue and non-melanoma skin cancer, while non-RA patients had no increase in overall cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that TNF-I therapy in routine care is not associated with an overall excess of cancer in arthritis patients, but observed increased risks of colon and ovarian cancer need further investigation.

Clinical response, drug survival and predictors thereof in 432 ankylosing spondylitis patients after switching tumour necrosis factor α inhibitor therapy: results from the Danish nationwide DANBIO registry.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate frequencies and reasons for switching, treatment responses and drug survival in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) switching tumour-necrosis-factor-α inhibitor (TNFi) treatment in routine clinical care. METHODS: AS patients were identified in the Danish nationwide DANBIO registry. Disease activity, treatment responses (50% or 20 mm reduction in Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)), duration and rates of drug survival and predictors thereof were studied in patients receiving ≥2 different biological drugs. RESULTS: Of 1436 AS patients starting TNFi treatment, 432 patients (30%) switched to a second and 137 (10%) to a third biological drug. Compared with non-switchers, switchers were more frequently women (33%/22%), had shorter disease duration (3 years/5 years) and higher BASDAI (62(52-76) mm/56(43-69) mm (median(interquartile-range))), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI) (54(39-71) mm/47(31-65) mm) and visual-analogue-scale (VAS) global, pain and fatigue scores when they started the first TNFi (all p<0.01). Main reason for switching was lack of response (56%). During the first, second and third treatment BAS- and VAS scores had decreased after 6 months' treatment (all p<0.05). Median drug survivals were 3.1, 1.6 and 1.8 years respectively (p<0.001). After 2 years of treatment 52% of switchers and 63% of non-switchers had achieved response (number needed to treat 1.9 and 1.6, respectively, p=0.01). Drug survivals were similar regardless of the reason for switching. Male gender and low BASFI predicted drug survival of the second TNFi. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one-third of AS patients in clinical practice switched biological treatment. Response rates and drug survivals were lower among switchers, however, half of switchers achieved treatment response.

Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) of the Indian subcontinent: Diversity, taxonomy and current status of knowledge.

Eight named species of stingless bees are known from the Indian subcontinent: Lepidotrigona arcifera (Cockerell), Lisotrigona cacciae (Nurse), Lisotrigona mohandasi Jobiraj & Narendran, Tetragonula aff. laeviceps (Smith), Tetragonula bengalensis (Cameron), Tetragonula gressitti (Sakagami), Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith), Tetragonula praeterita (Walker), and Tetragonula ruficornis (Smith). Lectotypes are newly designated for T. bengalensis and T. ruficornis. Keys, comparative notes, and illustrations for species identification are provided. The distribution of stingless bees throughout the Indian subcontinent are summarized and concluding that they are found in most parts of the Indian subcontinent, except at higher elevation or the drier interior regions. Additional collections and studies are urgently needed to clearly define the species limits of the complex "iridipennis" species group.

Nomenclatural issues in ornithology: the incredible controversy on the identity of a long overlooked Brazilian bird.

The identity of Scytalopus speluncae (Ménétriés, 1835) (Aves: Passeriformes: Rhinocryptidae), a tapaculo from southeastern Brazil, has been the matter of debate during the last eight years. A group of ornithologists considers that the nomen Scytalopus speluncae should be attributed to a species endemic to coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil, whereas another group considers it a species from the drier environments of another mountain belt in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Both research groups disagree on the identity of the still extant but damaged alleged holotype, deposited at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, on the identity of the holotype specimen illustration from a plate accompanying the species description, and even on the type locality. To further complicate this matter of identity, members of each research group, based on their own interpretations of the identity of Scytalopus speluncae, described and named again the two species with different nomina, erecting at least one unnecessary nomen. After almost ten years of a debate, there is still no consensus on the identity of the species, and there are now at least three available nomina for apparently only two distinct biological species. As taxonomists belonging to fields of zoology other than ornithology, and realizing the above situation is mainly a nomenclatural one, we herein present a summary of the contentious issue, try to distinguish what seems to be facts and speculation and based on these we consider the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (the Code) whenever appropriate, in the hope of bringing some objectivity to the debate. We conclude that no unequivocal evidence was presented to decide to which species the type specimen belongs solely based on its morphological characters, since the holotype presents considerable damage. On the other hand, the original designation of the type locality by Ménétriés (1835) as São João del Rei, in southeastern Brazil, is unquestionable. Thus, the posterior re-designation of the type locality by a group of ornithologists was not done according to the Code. Contrary to the proposition made by a group of ornithologists that the nomen Scytalopus speluncae should be maintained to the species so called up to 2006 until further evidence confirms the identity of the holotype, we here argue that for now the nomen should be applied to the only species known to occur in the vicinities of the type locality, as established by the author of the species. Nevertheless, we also agree that obtaining molecular data from the holotype should be attempted to definitely solve the query.

Stingless bee classification and biology (Hymenoptera, Apidae): a review, with an updated key to genera and subgenera.

Stingless bees (Meliponini) are a ubiquitous and diverse element of the pantropical melittofauna, and have significant cultural and economic importance. This review outlines their diversity, and provides identification keys based on external morphology, brief accounts for each of the recognized genera, and an updated checklist of all living and fossil species. In total there are currently 605 described extant species in 45 extant genera, and a further 18 extinct species in nine genera, seven of which are extinct. A new fossil genus, Adactylurina Engel, gen. nov., is also described for a species in Miocene amber from Ethiopia. In addition to the systematic review, the biology of stingless bees is summarized with an emphasis on aspects related to their nesting biology and architecture.

Influenza Vaccine Type-Dependent Antibody Response in Patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to explore influenza antibody response in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatoid diseases (AIIRDs) stratified by the different vaccine types applied in Denmark during the 2018-2019 influenza season. METHODS: Included patients were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or spondyloarthritis receiving biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) with or without conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Influenza vaccination status in the 2018-2019 season and vaccine type received were reviewed in the Denmark. Blood samples were drawn ≥ 14 days post vaccination, and antibody titers were determined by the hemagglutinin inhibition (HAI) assay for the serotypes A/Michigan/H1N1, A/Singapore/H3N2, and B/Colorado included in the influenza vaccines in the 2018-2019 season. An overall serotype HAI geometric mean titer (GMT) was calculated from the 3 serotype-specific HAI titers. An overall serotype HAI GMT ≥ 40 was considered protective. RESULTS: Of the 205 included patients, 105 (51%) had received influenza vaccination. One-quarter of vaccinated patients achieved post-vaccination overall serotype HAI GMT ≥40. For patients vaccinated with Influvac, a significantly higher proportion had HAI titers ≥ 40 for 2 serotypes, namely, A/Michigan/H1N1 and A/Singapore/H3N2, than patients vaccinated with Vaxigrip or VaxigripTetra. The same applied to all serotypes HAI GMT, where significantly more patients who received Influvac achieved postvaccination HAI GMT≥40 versus patients who received Vaxigrip (p=0.02) or VaxigripTetra (p=0.002). The latter outcome was explored in a multivariable logistic regression analysis and remained significant when including the following variables: age, sex, treatment with methotrexate and/or prednisolone, type of influenza vaccine, time interval from vaccination to antibody measurement, and previous vaccination status. CONCLUSION: Influenza antibody levels following vaccination with Influvac in bDMARD-treated patients with AIIRDs were superior to Vaxigrip and VaxigripTetra. Treatment with methotrexate (MTX) did not reduce the antibody response.

[Severe tophaceous gouty arthritis can be treated but is still overlooked in healthcare].

This is a case report of a 68-year-old male with severe tophaceous gouty arthritis, diabetes, kidney impairment and ischaemic heart disease. The patient had repeated attacks of acute gout during a 20-year period and excessive tophaceous depositions. Walking was severely hampered by feet deformity and pain. No urate-lowering therapy was initiated despite contacts to several medical specialties. After the diagnosis was established, the patient was finally treated with allopurinol with an obvious beneficial effect on his symptoms and the size of the tophaceous depositions.

The Native Bees of Lolland (Denmark) Revisited after 100 Years: The Demise of the Specialists.

There is a global concern over insect declines, including both species loss and population declines. In particular, declines of species, such as bees that anchor trophic interactions and shoulder many of the essential ecosystem services, have been the focus of broad public concern. However, our understanding of what characterizes those species that are lost because of declines over long periods is limited by a scarcity of comparative studies. We here compare the species composition from a collection of bees sampled over two decades (2000-2019) from the island of Lolland in Denmark, with a collection also sampled over two decades (1900-1919), but a century ago by Jørgensen and his contemporaries. We further test if (1) the probability that bee species that were sampled a century ago are also found today depends on their degree of floral specialization; (2) and use information from pollen samples from bees from the historical records to assess if certain floral resources have been lost. In total, 203 species were recorded in the two periods, but less than half, 92 species, occurred in both sampling periods. A total of 174 species of bees were recorded from 1900-1919, and 121 species were recorded from 2000-2019, including 29 species not reported in 1900-1919. Notably, we report a reduction in the species composition among forage specialist bees from 26.4% to 15.7% of the bee fauna, a consistent and highly significant decline both when correcting for parasitic and social species. Pollen swabs from bees collected in the first period, 1900-1919, did not identify any plants that are not available today but documented a series of plants that were important to bees back then. These plants are still common today, such as Taraxacum and Salix. Our findings highlight the importance of local and historical faunistic studies, such as that of Jørgensen, who was a resident schoolteacher on the island of Lolland in southern Denmark, for documenting how changes over time affect the species composition in bee communities.