PeterB  quoted the authors' last paragraph from the Discussion, having said
>"Honestly, I thought the paper went way out on a limb and hung there.
Read the following unedited "discussion" and see if you can make any
sense of it. I especially liked the use of the phrase "It is easy to
infer"."<
I have read it several times and still have no problem understanding it. Presumably neither did the  peer reviewers otherwise they would not have been allowed to get away with statements like that. PLoS One is a peer reviewed Journal of respected standing after all, intended to promote community discussion.
Excerpt from http://www.plos.org/journals/journals.php
>Fast, efficient, and economical, publishing peer-reviewed research in all areas of science and medicine. The peer review process does not judge the importance of the work, rather focuses on whether the work is done to high scientific and ethical standards, is appropriately described, and that the data support the conclusions. Combining tools for commentary and rating, PLoS ONE is also a unique forum for community discussion and assessment of articles.<

For my money, the authors have observed a significant difference in the innate immune capacity of cerana  compared to that of mellifera. They also have commented on the fact that cerana does not use a behavioural protective mechanism (collection and use of propolis) to provide protection against microbes. Anything beyond that is speculation since they have no evidence to test the hypothesis (which they haven't proposed, and certainly neither am I,) that cerana doesn't need propolis because it has these 13 hymenoptaecin peptides, and mellifera does because it only has one. So they are quite entitled to use the phrase "It is easy to infer..." because under the circumstances they describe, it is! Essentially they are asking a question that sooner or later someone will be motivated to answer, with supporting evidence to prove their conclusions. As always, the more questions we ask the more research is required to provide answers. Or to quote Albert Einstein "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." (From the Collected Quotes of Albert Einstein, Copyright: Kevin Harris 1995). 

But Peter, I am still curious about your statement >"I am not sure that the breeding  
of bees has been beneficial overall."<


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