Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| revisiting greek propolis: chromatographic analysis and antioxidant activity study. | propolis is a bee product that has been extensively used in alternative medicine and recently has gained interest on a global scale as an essential ingredient of healthy foods and cosmetics. propolis is also considered to improve human health and to prevent diseases such as inflammation, heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. however, the claimed effects are anticipated to be correlated to its chemical composition. since propolis is a natural product, its composition is consequently expected t ... | 2017 | 28103258 |
| late onset of acute urticaria after bee stings. | here we report the cases of five patients with a late onset of acute urticaria after a bee sting. the ages of the five japanese patients ranged from 33 to 86 years (median: 61). all patients had no history of an allergic reaction to bee stings. the onset of urticaria was 6-14 days (median: 10) after a bee sting. although four of the patients did not describe experiencing a bee sting at their presentation, the subsequent examination detected anti-bee-specific ige antibodies. so, we think a histor ... | 2017 | 28101020 |
| support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in a solitary bee: links between sucrose response and reproductive status. | in social bees, foraging behaviour is correlated with reproductive status and sucrose sensitivity via endocrine pathways. this association led to the hypothesis that division of labour in social insect societies is derived from an ancestral ground plan that functions to synchronize dietary preferences with reproductive needs in solitary insects. however, the relationship between these traits is unknown for solitary bees, which represent the ancestral state of social bees. we used the proboscis e ... | 2017 | 28100820 |
| microrna-34 directly targets pair-rule genes and cytoskeleton component in the honey bee. | micrornas (mirnas) are key regulators of developmental processes, such as cell fate determination and differentiation. previous studies showed dicer knockdown in honeybee embryos disrupt the processing of functional mature mirnas and impairs embryo patterning. here we investigated the expression profiles of mirnas in honeybee embryogenesis and the role of the highly conserved mir-34-5p in the regulation of genes involved in insect segmentation. a total of 221 mirnas were expressed in honey bee e ... | 2017 | 28098233 |
| does nosema ceranae wipe out nosema apis in turkey? | the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the nosema ceranae and nosema apis among apiaries using both spore counts and multiplex pcr and the replacement of n. apis by n. ceranae in some regions of turkey. | 2017 | 28096862 |
| genetic structure of mount huang honey bee (apis cerana) populations: evidence from microsatellite polymorphism. | the mount huang eastern honey bees (apis cerana) are an endemic population, which is well adapted to the local agricultural and ecological environment. in this study, the genetic structure of seven eastern honey bees (a. cerana) populations from mount huang in china were analyzed by ssr (simple sequence repeat) markers. | 2016 | 28096770 |
| environment or beekeeping management: what explains better the prevalence of honey bee colonies with high levels of varroa destructor? | varroa destructor is one of the major threats to honey bee colonies. the mite abundance in the colonies is affected by environmental conditions as well as by beekeeping management. the aim of this study was to recognize the main drivers associated with autumn v. destructor infestation in honey bee colonies when different regions from argentina are compared. a total of 361 colonies distributed in five argentinean eco-regions were examined to evaluate varroa mite infestation rate during autumn and ... | 2017 | 28095337 |
| toxicity of new pyrethroid in pest insects ascia monuste and diaphania hyalinata, predator solenopsis saevissima and stingless bee tetragonisca angustula. | there is increasing demand for new products for vegetable pest management. thus, the aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of pyrethroids with acid moiety modifications to measure the insecticidal activity of these compounds on the lepidopteran vegetable pests diaphania hyalinata (l.) (lepidoptera: pyralidae) and ascia monuste (latreille) (lepidoptera: pieridae) and evaluate their selectivity for the predatory ant solenopsis saevissima (f. smith) (hymenoptera: formicidae) and pollinator t ... | 2017 | 28095121 |
| molecular tracing of the origin of six different plant species in bee honey using real-time pcr. | the quality of honey is significantly influencedby floral origin. mislabeling floral species occursfrequently in beehoney products. to protectconsumers from economic fraud and maintain afair market environment, methods to identify floralspecies in honey are necessary. in our study, realtimepcrs were established, targeting six honeytypes mainly produced in china (canola, chinesemilkvetch, chinese chaste tree, locust tree, litchi,and longan). sensitivity testing on dna from planttissues exhibited ... | 2017 | 28094000 |
| effects of different types of virtual reality display on presence and learning in a safety training scenario. | the increasing availability of head-mounted displays (hmds) for home use motivates the study of the possible effects that adopting this new hardware might have on users. moreover, while the impact of display type has bee respectively representative of: (i) desktop vr (a standard desktop monitor), (ii) many setups for immersive vr used in the literature (an hmd with narrow field of view and a 3-dof tracker), and (iii) new setups for immersive home vr (an hmd with wide field of view and 6-dof trac ... | 2017 | 28092563 |
| an inert pesticide adjuvant synergizes viral pathogenicity and mortality in honey bee larvae. | honey bees are highly valued for their pollination services in agricultural settings, and recent declines in managed populations have caused concern. colony losses following a major pollination event in the united states, almond pollination, have been characterized by brood mortality with specific symptoms, followed by eventual colony loss weeks later. in this study, we demonstrate that these symptoms can be produced by chronically exposing brood to both an organosilicone surfactant adjuvant (os ... | 2017 | 28091574 |
| insights into the molecular basis of long-term storage and survival of sperm in the honeybee (apis mellifera). | honeybee males produce ejaculates consisting of large numbers of high quality sperm. because queens never re-mate after a single mating episode early in life, sperm are stored in a specialised organ for years but the proximate mechanisms underlying this key physiological adaptation are unknown. we quantified energy metabolism in honeybee sperm and show that the glycolytic metabolite glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (ga3p) is a key substrate for honeybee sperm survival and energy production. this relia ... | 2017 | 28091518 |
| carbonic anhydrase from apis mellifera: purification and inhibition by pesticides. | carbonic anhydrase (ca) enzymes have been shown to play an important role in ion transport and in ph regulation in several organisms. despite this information and the wealth of knowledge regarding the significance of ca enzymes, few studies have been reported about bee ca enzymes and the hazardous effects of chemicals. using apis mellifera as a model, this study aimed to determine the risk of pesticides on apis mellifera carbonic anhydrase enzyme (am ca). ca was initially purified from apis mell ... | 2017 | 28090787 |
| a "tuned" mask learnt approach based on gravitational search algorithm. | texture image classification is an important topic in many applications in machine vision and image analysis. texture feature extracted from the original texture image by using "tuned" mask is one of the simplest and most effective methods. however, hill climbing based training methods could not acquire the satisfying mask at a time; on the other hand, some commonly used evolutionary algorithms like genetic algorithm (ga) and particle swarm optimization (pso) easily fall into the local optimum. ... | 2016 | 28090204 |
| royal jelly ameliorates diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance by promoting brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in mice. | identification of thermogenic food ingredients is potentially a useful strategy for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders. it has been reported that royal jelly (rj) supplementation improves insulin sensitivity; however, its impacts on energy expenditure and adiposity remain elusive. we investigated anti-obesity effects of rj supplementation and their relation to physical activity levels and thermogenic capacities of brown (bat) and white adipose tissue (wat). | 2017 | 28089395 |
| first confirmed report of a bacterial brood disease in stingless bees. | susceptibility to brood pathogens in eusocial stingless bees (meliponini), alternative pollinators to honey bees, is unknown. brood losses in managed colonies of the australian stingless bee, tetragonula carbonaria, were studied over 20months. we isolated a disease-causing bacterium, lysinibacillus sphaericus (firmicutes, bacillaceae), from worker and queen larvae, brood cell provisions and honey stores. pathogenicity experiments confirmed this bacterium as the causal organism. it took 22days fr ... | 2017 | 28088343 |
| pre-hospital treatment of bee and wasp induced anaphylactic reactions: a retrospective study. | bee and wasp stings are among the most common triggers of anaphylaxis in adults representing around 20% of fatal anaphylaxis from any cause. data of pre-hospital treatment of bee and wasp induced anaphylactic reactions are sparse. this study aimed to estimate the incidence of bee and wasp induced anaphylactic reactions, the severity of the reactions and to correlate the pre-hospital treatment with the severity of the anaphylactic reaction. | 2017 | 28088250 |
| quantifying exposure of wild bumblebees to mixtures of agrochemicals in agricultural and urban landscapes. | the increased use of pesticides has caused concern over the possible direct association of exposure to combinations of these compounds with bee health problems. there is growing proof that bees are regularly exposed to mixtures of agrochemicals, but most research has been focused on managed bees living in farmland, whereas little is known about exposure of wild bees, both in farmland and urban habitats. to determine exposure of wild bumblebees to pesticides in agricultural and urban environments ... | 2017 | 28087090 |
| long-term prevalence of the protists crithidia bombi and apicystis bombi and detection of the microsporidium nosema bombi in invasive bumble bees. | an initial survey in 2009 carried out at a site in northwestern patagonia region, argentina, revealed for the first time in south america the presence of the flagellate crithidia bombi and the neogregarine apicystis bombi, two pathogens associated with the palaearctic invasive bumble bee bombus terrestris. in order to determine the long-term persistence and dynamics of this microparasite complex, four additional collections at the same site (san carlos de bariloche) were conducted along the foll ... | 2017 | 28085231 |
| influence of varroa mite (varroa destructor) management practices on insecticide sensitivity in the honey bee (apis mellifera). | since varroa mites may cause devastating losses of honey bees through direct feeding, transmitting diseases, and increasing pathogen susceptibility, chemical and mechanical practices commonly are used to reduce mite infestation. while miticide applications are typically the most consistent and efficacious varroa mite management method, miticide-induced insecticide synergism in honey bees, and the evolution of resistance in varroa mites are reasonable concerns. we treated colonies with the mitici ... | 2017 | 28085045 |
| a 'landscape physiology' approach for assessing bee health highlights the benefits of floral landscape enrichment and semi-natural habitats. | understanding how anthropogenic landscape alteration affects populations of ecologically- and economically-important insect pollinators has never been more pressing. in this context, the assessment of landscape quality typically relies on spatial distribution studies, but, whether habitat-restoration techniques actually improve the health of targeted pollinator populations remains obscure. this gap could be filled by a comprehensive understanding of how gradients of landscape quality influence p ... | 2017 | 28084452 |
| effect of varroa destructor, wounding and varroa homogenate on gene expression in brood and adult honey bees. | honey bee (apis mellifera) gene expression related to immunity for hymenoptaecin (amhym) and defensin-1 (amdef-1), longevity for vitellogenin (amvit2) and stem cell proliferation for poly u binding factor 68 kda (ampuf68) was compared following varroa destructor parasitism, buffer injection and injection of v. destructor compounds in its homogenate. in adults, v. destructor parasitism decreased expression of all four genes, while buffer injection decreased expression of amhym, ampuf68 and amvit2 ... | 2017 | 28081188 |
| the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid impacts upon bumblebee colony development under field conditions. | the impacts of pesticides, and in particular of neonicotinoids, on bee health remain much debated. many studies describing negative effects have been criticized as the experimental protocol did not perfectly simulate real-life field scenarios. here, we placed free-flying bumblebee colonies next to raspberry crops that were either untreated or treated with the neonicotinoid thiacloprid as part of normal farming practice. colonies were exposed to the raspberry crops for a two week period before be ... | 2017 | 28079366 |
| new propolis type from north-east brazil: chemical composition, antioxidant activity and botanical origin. | propolis is a bee product with wide diversity of biological activity. it has a complex composition, which is dependent on its botanical source. the present study aimed to determine the chemical profile, antioxidant activity and botanical origin of two samples of a propolis type from two locations of the state of rio grande do norte (rn, north-east brazil). | 2017 | 28078783 |
| virion structure of black queen cell virus, a common honeybee pathogen. | viral diseases are a major threat to honeybee (apis mellifera) populations worldwide and therefore an important factor in reliable crop pollination and food security. black queen cell virus (bqcv) is the etiological agent of a fatal disease of honeybee queen larvae and pupae. the virus belongs to the genus triatovirus from the family dicistroviridae, which is part of the order picornavirales here we present a crystal structure of bqcv determined to a resolution of 3.4 å. the virion is formed by ... | 2017 | 28077635 |
| involvement of blood mononuclear cells in the infertility, age-associated diseases and cancer treatment. | blood mononuclear cells consist of t cells and monocyte derived cells. beside immunity, the blood mononuclear cells belong to the complex tissue control system (tcs), where they exhibit morphostatic function by stimulating proliferation of tissue stem cells followed by cellular differentiation, that is stopped after attaining the proper functional stage, which differs among various tissue types. therefore, the term immune and morphostatic system (ims) should be implied. the tcs-mediated morphost ... | 2016 | 28074124 |
| pollination reservoirs in lowbush blueberry (ericales: ericaceae). | pollinator-dependent agriculture heavily relies upon a single pollinator-the honey bee. to diversify pollination strategies, growers are turning to alternatives. densely planted reservoirs of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers (pollination reservoirs, hereafter "prs") may improve pollination services provided by wild bees. our focal agroecosystem, lowbush blueberry (vaccinium angustifolium aiton), exists in a simple landscape uniquely positioned to benefit from prs. first, we contrast bee visitatio ... | 2017 | 28069631 |
| a swarm of bee research. | 2017 | 28068337 | |
| evaluation of sink effects on vocs from a latex paint. | the sink strength of two common indoor materials, a carpet and a gypsum board, was evaluated by environmental chamber tests with four volatile organic compounds (vocs): propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol (bee), and texanol. these oxygenated compounds represent the major vocs emitted from a latex paint. each chamber test included two phases. phase 1 was the dosing/sorption period during which sink materials (pieces of carpet and gypsum board samples) were exposed to the ... | 1998 | 28067152 |
| energy expenditure in people with diabetes mellitus: a review. | physical activity (pa) is an important non-therapeutic tool in primary prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus (dm). to improve activity-based health management, patients need to quantify activity-related energy expenditure and the other components of total daily energy expenditure. this review explores differences between the components of total energy expenditure in patients with dm and healthy people and presents various tools for assessing the energy expenditure in subjects with dm. fr ... | 2016 | 28066773 |
| time indices of multiphasic development in genotypes of sweet cherry are similar from dormancy to cessation of pit growth. | the archetypical double sigmoid-shaped growth curve of the sweet cherry drupe (prunus avium) does not address critical development from eco-dormancy to anthesis and has not been correlated to reproductive bud development. accurate representation of the growth and development of post-anthesis ovaries is confounded by anthesis timing, fruiting-density and the presence of unfertilized and defective ovaries whose growth differs from those that persist to maturation. these factors were addressed to a ... | 2017 | 28064193 |
| effect of the egyptian propolis on the hepatic antioxidant defense and pro-apoptotic p53 and anti-apoptotic bcl2 expressions in aflatoxin b1 treated male mice. | aflatoxins are potent hepatotoxic due to their role in producing reactive oxygen species and consequently peroxidative damage. propolis is a honey bee product known for its antioxidant capacity. the aim of this study was to verify the antioxidant effect of the egyptian propolis extract (epe) against aflatoxin b1 (afb1)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. forty eight male mice were divided: first, second and third groups were used as control receiving saline, olive oil and epe respectively, fourth wa ... | 2017 | 28063405 |
| a comparison of honey bee-collected pollen from working agricultural lands using light microscopy and its metabarcoding. | taxonomic identification of pollen has historically been accomplished via light microscopy but requires specialized knowledge and reference collections, particularly when identification to lower taxonomic levels is necessary. recently, next-generation sequencing technology has been used as a cost-effective alternative for identifying bee-collected pollen; however, this novel approach has not been tested on a spatially or temporally robust number of pollen samples. here, we compare pollen identif ... | 2017 | 28062536 |
| dissection and observation of honey bee dorsal vessel for studies of cardiac function. | the european honey bee, apis mellifera l., is a valuable agricultural and commercial resource noted for producing honey and providing crop pollination services, as well as an important model social insect used to study memory and learning, aging, and more. here we describe a detailed protocol for the dissection of the dorsal abdominal wall of a bee in order to visualize its dorsal vessel, which serves the role of the heart in the insect. a successful dissection will expose a functional heart tha ... | 2016 | 28060305 |
| taxonomic description of in situ bee pollen from the middle eocene of germany. | the middle eocene messel and eckfeld localities are renowned for their excellently preserved faunas and diverse floras. here we describe for the first time pollen from insect-pollinated plants found in situ on well-preserved ancient bees using light and scanning electron microscopy. there have been 140 pollen types reported from messel and 162 pollen types from eckfeld. here we document 23 pollen types, six from messel and 18 from eckfeld (one is shared). the taxa reported here are all pollinate ... | 2017 | 28057943 |
| nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potentials of some major honey plants in saudi arabia. | the contribution of a bee plant species to honey production depends on the plant's nectar secretion quality and quantity, which is mainly governed by biotic and abiotic factors. the aim of the current study, was to investigate the nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potential of 14 major bee plant species of the target area. we examined the quantity and dynamics of nectar sugar per flower five times a day using a nectar sugar washing technique and direct measuring of nectar with calib ... | 2017 | 28053589 |
| cryo-em study of slow bee paralysis virus at low ph reveals iflavirus genome release mechanism. | viruses from the family iflaviridae are insect pathogens. many of them, including slow bee paralysis virus (sbpv), cause lethal diseases in honeybees and bumblebees, resulting in agricultural losses. iflaviruses have nonenveloped icosahedral virions containing single-stranded rna genomes. however, their genome release mechanism is unknown. here, we show that low ph promotes sbpv genome release, indicating that the virus may use endosomes to enter host cells. we used cryo-em to study a heterogene ... | 2017 | 28053231 |
| dynamics of weight change and temperature of apis mellifera (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies in a wintering building with controlled temperature. | honey bee wintering in a wintering building (indoors) with controlled microclimate is used in some cold regions to minimize colony losses due to the hard weather conditions. the behavior and possible state of bee colonies in a dark room, isolated from natural environment during winter season, was studied by indirect temperature measurements to analyze the expression of their annual rhythm when it is not affected by ambient temperature, rain, snow, wind, and daylight. thus, the observed behavior ... | 2017 | 28053207 |
| caste-biased gene expression in a facultatively eusocial bee suggests a role for genetic accommodation in the evolution of eusociality. | developmental plasticity may accelerate the evolution of phenotypic novelty through genetic accommodation, but studies of genetic accommodation often lack knowledge of the ancestral state to place selected traits in an evolutionary context. a promising approach for assessing genetic accommodation involves using a comparative framework to ask whether ancestral plasticity is related to the evolution of a particular trait. bees are an excellent group for such comparisons because caste-based societi ... | 2017 | 28053060 |
| analytical methods used in the quality control of honey. | honey is a natural sweet substance produced by bees (apis mellifera). in this work, the main parameters used in routine quality control of honey and the most commonly used analytical methods for their determination are reviewed. honey can be adulterated with cheaper sweeteners or, indirectly, by feeding the bees with sugars. therefore, methods for detecting and quantifying adulteration are necessary. chromatographic techniques are widely used in honey analysis. more recently, techniques such as ... | 2017 | 28051308 |
| kounis syndrome: acute myocardial injury caused by multiple bee stings. | 2016 | 28050107 | |
| expression of acetylcholinesterase 1 is associated with brood rearing status in the honey bee, apis mellifera. | acetylcholinesterase 1 (amache1) of the honey bee, apis mellifera, has been suggested to have non-neuronal functions. a systematic expression profiling of amache1 over a year-long cycle on a monthly basis revealed that amache1 was predominantly expressed in both head and abdomen during the winter months and was moderately expressed during the rainy summer months. interestingly, amache1 expression was inhibited when bees were stimulated for brood rearing by placing overwintering beehives in straw ... | 2017 | 28045085 |
| exploring poisonous mechanism of honeybee, apis mellifera ligustica spinola, caused by pyrethroids. | as the important intracellular secondary messengers, calcium channel is the target of many neurotoxic pesticides as calcium homeostasis in the neuroplasm play important role in neuronal functions and behavior in insects. this study investigated the effect of deltamethrin (dm) on calcium channel in the brain nerve cells of adult workers of apis mellifera ligustica spinola that were cultured in vitro. the results showed that the intracellular calcium concentration was significantly elevated even w ... | 2017 | 28043325 |
| comparative genome analysis of multiple vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium isolated from two fatal cases. | enterococcus faecium is both a commensal of the human intestinal tract and an opportunistic pathogen. the increasing incidence of enterococcal infections is mainly due to the ability of this organism to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics, including vancomycin. the aim of this study was to perform comparative genome analyses on four vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium (vrefm) strains isolated from two fatal cases in a tertiary hospital in malaysia. two sequence types, st80 and st203 ... | 2017 | 28039075 |
| potential supply of floral resources to managed honey bees in natural mistbelt forests. | honey bees play a vital role in the pollination of flowers in many agricultural systems, while providing honey through well managed beekeeping activities. managed honey bees rely on the provision of pollen and nectar for their survival and productivity. using data from field plot inventories in natural mistbelt forests, we (1) assessed the diversity and relative importance of honey bee plants, (2) explored the temporal availability of honey bee forage (nectar and pollen resources), and (3) eluci ... | 2017 | 28038411 |
| honey bee colonies remote monitoring system. | bees are very important for terrestrial ecosystems and, above all, for the subsistence of many crops, due to their ability to pollinate flowers. currently, the honey bee populations are decreasing due to colony collapse disorder (ccd). the reasons for ccd are not fully known, and as a result, it is essential to obtain all possible information on the environmental conditions surrounding the beehives. on the other hand, it is important to carry out such information gathering as non-intrusively as ... | 2016 | 28036061 |
| impact of bee venom enzymes on diseases and immune responses. | bee venom (bv) is used to treat many diseases and exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antimutagenic, radioprotective, anti-nociceptive immunity promoting, hepatocyte protective and anti-cancer activity. according to the literature, bv contains several enzymes, including phospholipase a2 (pla2), phospholipase b, hyaluronidase, acid phosphatase and α-glucosidase. recent studies have also reported the detection of different classes of enzymes in bv, including esterases, proteases and peptid ... | 2016 | 28035985 |
| flower visitors of campanula: are oligoleges more sensitive to host-specific floral scents than polyleges? | the pollen diet provided by adult bees to their offspring varies immensely. while some species collect pollen on several plants irrespective of their phylogenetic relatedness (polyleges), others collect only on plants within a genus or family (oligoleges). floral scents play a central role in bee-plant interactions. to locate flowers, polyleges are assumed to rely on compounds commonly found as floral scent constituents, whereas oligoleges rely on unusual compounds to recognize host flowers unam ... | 2017 | 28032267 |
| evaluation of oxalic acid treatments against the mite varroa destructor and secondary effects on honey bees apis mellifera. | the varroa destructor varroasis is a very serious parasite of honeybee apis mellifera. the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of varroa treatment using organic acid (oxalic acid) in algeria identifying its side effects on bee colonies. | 2016 | 28032102 |
| sublethal effects of imidacloprid on honey bee colony growth and activity at three sites in the u.s. | imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid pesticide heavily used by the agricultural industry and shown to have negative impacts on honey bees above certain concentrations. we evaluated the effects of different imidacloprid concentrations in sugar syrup using cage and field studies, and across different environments. honey bee colonies fed sublethal concentrations of imidicloprid (0, 5, 20 and 100 ppb) over 6 weeks in field trials at a desert site (arizona), a site near intensive agriculture (arkansas) an ... | 2016 | 28030617 |
| acute exposure to worst-case concentrations of amitraz does not affect honey bee learning, short-term memory, or hemolymph octopamine levels. | amitraz, an acaricide used to treat varroa destructor anderson & trueman, is one of the most commonly detected pesticides in honey bee (apis mellifera l.) hives. acaricides sometimes negatively impact honey bee cognition, but potential effects of amitraz on honey bee learning have been rarely studied. we topically exposed foragers to 95th percentile field-relevant levels of amitraz and, 24 h later, tested the ability of bees to associate a sucrose reward with a conditioned odor (learning respons ... | 2017 | 28028168 |
| native bee diversity and pollen foraging specificity in cultivated highbush blueberry (ericaceae: vaccinium corymbosum) in rhode island. | we identified 41 species of native bees from a total of 1,083 specimens collected at cultivated highbush blueberry plantings throughout rhode island in 2014 and 2015. andrena spp., bombus spp., and xylocopa virginica (l.) were collected most often. bombus griseocollis (degeer), b. impatiens cresson, b. bimaculatus cresson, b. perplexus cresson, and andrena vicina smith collected the largest mean numbers of blueberry pollen tetrads. the largest mean percent blueberry pollen loads were carried by ... | 2016 | 28028090 |
| diversity and resource use patterns of anthophile insects in cuatro ciénegas, coahuila, mexico. | bees and flies are the main pollinators responsible for the maintenance of plant diversity and crop production. studies of pollinator communities have focused on bees; however, community structures may vary among groups of pollinators. we describe and compare the diversity and resource use patterns of six apoidea and two diptera anthophile families in cuatro ciénegas in the northeast of mexico. we sampled insects in two distinct geographic units (valley and mountains) and two seasons (rainy and ... | 2016 | 28028085 |
| genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics: enabling insights into social evolution and disease challenges for managed and wild bees. | globally, there are over 20 000 bee species (hymenoptera: apoidea: anthophila) with a host of biologically fascinating characteristics. although they have long been studied as models for social evolution, recent challenges to bee health (mainly diseases and pesticides) have gathered the attention of both public and research communities. genome sequences of twelve bee species are now complete or under progress, facilitating the application of additional 'omic technologies. here, we review recent ... | 2017 | 28026896 |
| making a queen: an epigenetic analysis of the robustness of the honeybee (apis mellifera) queen developmental pathway. | specialized castes are considered a key reason for the evolutionary and ecological success of the social insect lifestyle. the most essential caste distinction is between the fertile queen and the sterile workers. honeybee (apis mellifera) workers and queens are not genetically distinct, rather these different phenotypes are the result of epigenetically regulated divergent developmental pathways. this is an important phenomenon in understanding the evolution of social insect societies. here, we ... | 2017 | 28026884 |
| nosema ceranae winter control: study of the effectiveness of different fumagillin treatments and consequences on the strength of honey bee (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies. | in uruguay, colonies of honey bees moving to eucalyptus grandis plantation in autumn habitually become infected with the microsporidian nosema ceranae , a parasite that attacks the digestive system of bees. beekeepers attributed to n. ceranae depopulation of the colonies that often occurs at the end of the blooming period, and many use the antibiotic fumagillin to reduce the level of infection. the aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of four different fumagillin treatments and det ... | 2017 | 28025388 |
| towards prostate cancer gene therapy: development of a chlorotoxin-targeted nanovector for toxic (melittin) gene delivery. | prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in men. owing to shortcomings in the current treatments, other therapies are being considered. toxic gene delivery is one of the most effective methods for cancer therapy. cationic polymers are able to form stable nanoparticles via interaction with nucleic acids electrostatically. branched polyethylenimine that contains amine groups has notable buffering capacity and the ability to escape from endosome through the proton sponge e ... | 2017 | 28024889 |
| age structure is critical to the population dynamics and survival of honeybee colonies. | age structure is an important feature of the division of labour within honeybee colonies, but its effects on colony dynamics have rarely been explored. we present a model of a honeybee colony that incorporates this key feature, and use this model to explore the effects of both winter and disease on the fate of the colony. the model offers a novel explanation for the frequently observed phenomenon of 'spring dwindle', which emerges as a natural consequence of the age-structured dynamics. furtherm ... | 2016 | 28018627 |
| a simple computational model of the bee mushroom body can explain seemingly complex forms of olfactory learning and memory. | honeybees are models for studying how animals with relatively small brains accomplish complex cognition, displaying seemingly advanced (or "non-elemental") learning phenomena involving multiple conditioned stimuli. these include "peak shift" [1-4]-where animals not only respond to entrained stimuli, but respond even more strongly to similar ones that are farther away from non-rewarding stimuli. bees also display negative and positive patterning discrimination [5], responding in opposite ways to ... | 2017 | 28017607 |
| long-term effect of temperature on honey yield and honeybee phenology. | there is growing concern about declines in pollinator species, and more recently reservations have been expressed about mismatch in plant-pollinator synchrony as a consequence of phenological change caused by rising temperatures. long-term changes in honeybee apis mellifera phenology may have major consequences for agriculture, especially the pollinator market, as well as for honey production. to date, these aspects have received only modest attention. in the current study, we examine honeybee a ... | 2016 | 28013383 |
| optimal location selection for the installation of urban green roofs considering honeybee habitats along with socio-economic and environmental effects. | this study proposes a new framework for the selection of optimal locations for green roofs to achieve a sustainable urban ecosystem. the proposed framework selects building sites that can maximize the benefits of green roofs, based not only on the socio-economic and environmental benefits to urban residents, but also on the provision of urban foraging sites for honeybees. the framework comprises three steps. first, building candidates for green roofs are selected considering the building type. s ... | 2017 | 28012387 |
| herbivory as an important selective force in the evolution of floral traits and pollinator shifts. | floral trait evolution is frequently attributed to pollinator-mediated selection but herbivores can play a key role in shaping plant reproductive biology. here we examine the role of florivores in driving floral trait evolution and pollinator shifts in a recently radiated clade of flowering plants, oenothera sect. calylophus we compare florivory by a specialist, internal feeder, mompha, on closely related hawkmoth- and bee-pollinated species and document variation in damage based on floral trait ... | 2016 | 28011456 |
| establishment of lactobacillus plantarum strain in honey bee digestive tract monitored using gfp fluorescence. | lactic acid bacteria are symbiotic bacteria that naturally reside in the gastrointestinal tract of honey bees. they serve a multitude of functions and are considered beneficial and completely harmless. in our experiments lactobacillus plantarum strain b35, isolated from honey bee digestive tract, was modified using pad43-25 plasmid carrying a functional gfp gene sequence (gfpmut3a) and used as a model for monitoring and optimisation of the mode of application. the establishment of this strain in ... | 2016 | 28008785 |
| lacidipine decreases the honeybee venom-induced vasoconstriction of the isolated porcine coronary artery. | the venom of the honeybee apis mellifera induces cardiovascular dysfunction. as its effects on coronary arteries have not yet been described, we studied the effects of the whole honeybee venom (non-volatile part) in the isolated porcine left anterior descending coronary artery (lad) and the influence of l-type ca(2+) channel blocker, lacidipine, upon the venom effects in lad. the venom produced concentration dependent contractions (7 - 70 μg/ml) of the porcine lad; maximal effect of the venom wa ... | 2000 | 28008513 |
| direct determination of the mutation rate in the bumblebee reveals evidence for weak recombination-associated mutation and an approximate rate constancy in insects. | accurate knowledge of the mutation rate provides a base line for inferring expected rates of evolution, for testing evolutionary hypotheses and for estimation of key parameters. advances in sequencing technology now permit direct estimates of the mutation rate from sequencing of close relatives. within insects there have been three prior such estimates, two in nonsocial insects (drosophila: 2.8 × 10(-)(9) per bp per haploid genome per generation; heliconius: 2.9 × 10(-)(9)) and one in a social s ... | 2017 | 28007973 |
| a simple and quick method of displaying liquid-preserved morphological structures for microphotography. | stabilising microstructures and small organisms for microphotography can be frustrating. if it is desired to take photographs in water from structures just cleared in potassium hydroxide, some sort of stabilisation is necessary otherwise the structures drift. similarly, specimens taken from glycerol or alcohol, or those placed in alcohol, drift even more as the alcohol evaporates. bits of crushed coverslip, glass beads, micro pins and dobs of vaseline® have all been used to help keep the structu ... | 2016 | 28006800 |
| distribution, phenology and host plants of danish bees (hymenoptera, apoidea). | based on the examination of 47.629 specimens of bees from denmark (54.6ºn to 57.8ºn) we summarize for the first time the distribution, phenology and host-plants for all 286 known species occurring in the country. the mapped occurrence records distinguish whether species are found only in 1974 or earlier, 1975 or later, or in both periods. danish bees are recorded active from february 29 through october 21 and have been collected in 79% of the 10x10 km universal transverse mercator (utm) squares ... | 2016 | 28006791 |
| unbiased rna shotgun metagenomics in social and solitary wild bees detects associations with eukaryote parasites and new viruses. | the diversity of eukaryote organisms and viruses associated with wild bees remains poorly characterized in contrast to the well-documented pathosphere of the western honey bee, apis mellifera. using a deliberate rna shotgun metagenomic sequencing strategy in combination with a dedicated bioinformatics workflow, we identified the (micro-)organisms and viruses associated with two bumble bee hosts, bombus terrestris and bombus pascuorum, and two solitary bee hosts, osmia cornuta and andrena vaga. i ... | 2016 | 28006002 |
| strategies for the activation and release of the membranolytic peptide melittin from liposomes using endosomal ph as a trigger. | endosomolytic peptides are often coupled to drug delivery systems to enhance endosomal escape, which is crucial for the delivery of macromolecular drugs that are vulnerable to degradation in the endolysosomal pathway. melittin is a 26 amino acid peptide derived from bee venom that has a very high membranolytic activity. however, such lytic peptides also impose a significant safety risk when applied in vivo as they often have similar activity against red blood cells and other nontarget cell membr ... | 2017 | 28004569 |
| sepsis and hemocyte loss in honey bees (apis mellifera) infected with serratia marcescens strain sicaria. | global loss of honey bee colonies is threatening the human food supply. diverse pathogens reduce honey bee hardiness needed to sustain colonies, especially in winter. we isolated a free-living gram negative bacillus from hemolymph of worker honey bees (apis mellifera) found separated from winter clusters. in some hives, greater than 90% of the dying bees detached from the winter cluster were found to contain this bacterium in their hemolymph. throughout the year, the same organism was rarely fou ... | 2016 | 28002470 |
| physicochemical parameters and antioxidant activity of bee honey enriched with herbs. | three groups of products enriched with herbs were studied: (1) commercial herb honeys (n = 5) produced by bees fed a syrup with an herbal extract, (2) natural herbal honey (n = 3) produced by bees from the nectar of herbs, and (3) creamed multifloral honey with added dried herbs (n = 5). as a control, multifloral honey (n = 5) was used. the physicochemical parameters (i.e., sugar extract, water content, specific rotation, conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, ph and acidity), sugar profil ... | 2017 | 28000091 |
| israeli acute paralysis virus infection leads to an enhanced rna interference response and not its suppression in the bumblebee bombus terrestris. | rna interference (rnai) is the primary antiviral defense system in insects and its importance for pollinator health is indisputable. in this work, we examined the effect of israeli acute paralysis virus (iapv) infection on the rnai process in the bumblebee, bombus terrestris, and whether the presence of possible functional viral suppressors could alter the potency of the host's immune response. for this, a two-fold approach was used. through a functional rnai assay, we observed an enhancement of ... | 2016 | 27999371 |
| euglossine bees mediate only limited long-distance gene flow in a tropical vine. | euglossine bees (apidae: euglossini) have long been hypothesized to act as long-distance pollinators of many low-density tropical plants. we tested this hypothesis by the analysis of gene flow and genetic structure within and among populations of the euglossine bee-pollinated vine dalechampia scandens. using microsatellite markers, we assessed historical gene flow by the quantification of regional-scale genetic structure and isolation by distance among 18 populations, and contemporary gene flow ... | 2017 | 27997039 |
| insect venom immunotherapy: analysis of the safety and tolerance of 3 buildup protocols frequently used in spain. | hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (vit) is an effective treatment but not one devoid of risk, as both local and systemic adverse reactions may occur, especially in the initial phases. we compared the tolerance to 3 vit buildup protocols and analyzed risk factors associated with adverse reactions during this phase. | 2016 | 27996943 |
| ige-api m 4 is useful for identifying a particular phenotype of bee venom allergy. | different clinical behaviors have been identified in patients allergic to bee venom. compound-resolved diagnosis could be an appropriate tool for investigating these differences. the aims of this study were to analyze whether specific ige to api m 4 (sige-api m 4) can identify a particular kind of bee venom allergy and to describe response to bee venom immunotherapy (bvit). | 2017 | 27996941 |
| extending standard testing period in honeybees to predict lifespan impacts of pesticides and heavy metals using dynamic energy budget modelling. | concern over reported honeybee (apis mellifera spp.) losses has highlighted chemical exposure as a risk. current laboratory oral toxicity tests in a. mellifera spp. use short-term, maximum 96 hour, exposures which may not necessarily account for chronic and cumulative toxicity. here, we use extended 240 hour (10 day) exposures to examine seven agrochemicals and trace environmental pollutant toxicities for adult honeybees. data were used to parameterise a dynamic energy budget model (debtox) to f ... | 2016 | 27995934 |
| male bumblebees perform learning flights on leaving a flower but not when leaving their nest. | female bees and wasps demonstrate, through their performance of elaborate learning flights, when and where they memorise features of a significant site. an important feature of these flights is that the insects look back to fixate the site that they are leaving. females, which forage for nectar and pollen and return with it to the nest, execute learning flights on their initial departure from both their nest and newly discovered flowers. to our knowledge, these flights have so far only been stud ... | 2017 | 27994042 |
| morphology of rare exogenous materials in dermatopathology. | dermatopathologists are occasionally challenged by exogenous materials found in their biopsies. recognition of most of the structures and morphological parts of foreign materials is not always easy because most of the literature thus far has focused on the study of the histological and histopathological aspects of human tissues, as well as on the granulomatous response elicited by such foreign bodies. however, there are some cases of rare exogenous material in biopsies, mainly published as case ... | 2017 | 27991691 |
| a new widespread european bee species of the genus <i>dasypoda</i> latreille (hymenoptera, apoidea). | a new bee species of the genus dasypoda latreille (hymenoptera, apoidea, melittidae), d. morawitzi radchenko sp. nov., is described. this species is closely related to, and easily confusable with, d. hirtipes (fabricius), and its specimens have been previously attributed to the latter species. a comparative morphological analysis of d. morawitzi with other species of the d. hirtipes group is provided. the distribution and trophic links of this new species are discussed. | 2016 | 27988775 |
| eight new species of <i>andrena</i> fabricius (hymenoptera: apoidea: andrenidae) from israel-a mediterranean hotspot for wild bees. | more than 150 solitary bee species of the genus andrena fabricius are known from israel and the west bank, where they are distributed along a broad climatic gradient and diverse habitats and vegetation types. extensive collecting throughout israel in recent years has yielded eight new species and one new subspecies, adding to the rich bee fauna of the region: a. crocusella pisanty & scheuchl n. sp., a. danini pisanty & scheuchl n. sp., a. hermonella scheuchl & pisanty n. sp., a. israelica sche ... | 2016 | 27988745 |
| review of the oriental and palaearctic bee fly genus <i>euchariomyia</i> bigot (diptera: bombyliidae: bombyliinae). | the bee fly genus euchariomyia bigot is reviewed and new records from the oriental region are given. five names (for four species-level taxa) have been associated with species in the genus. examinations of types, as well as homotypic and topotypic specimens, shows all five names to belong to a highly variable single species, euchariomyia dives bigot. the following species are here shown to be the same as euchariomyia dives bigot: bombylius pulchellus wulp, 1880, bombylius scintillans brunetti, 1 ... | 2016 | 27988574 |
| a high-bandwidth dual-channel olfactory stimulator for studying temporal sensitivity of olfactory processing. | animals encounter fine-scale temporal patterns of odorant mixtures that contain information about the distance and number of odorant sources. to study the role of such temporal cues for odorant detection and source localization, one needs odorant delivery devices that are capable of mimicking the temporal stimulus statistics of natural odor plumes. however, current odorant delivery devices either lack temporal resolution or are limited to a single odorant channel. here, we present an olfactory s ... | 2017 | 27988494 |
| simplification of intradermal skin testing in hymenoptera venom allergic children. | the direct comparison between children and adults with hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis (hva) has never been extensively reported. severe hva with ige-documented mechanism is the recommendation for venom immunotherapy, regardless of age. | 2017 | 27986410 |
| urban growth modeling using cellular automata with multi-temporal remote sensing images calibrated by the artificial bee colony optimization algorithm. | cellular automata (ca) is one of the most common techniques used to simulate the urbanization process. ca-based urban models use transition rules to deliver spatial patterns of urban growth and urban dynamics over time. determining the optimum transition rules of the ca is a critical step because of the heterogeneity and nonlinearities existing among urban growth driving forces. recently, new ca models integrated with optimization methods based on swarm intelligence algorithms were proposed to o ... | 2016 | 27983633 |
| scale-up synthesis of fragrant nitrogen-doped carbon dots from bee pollens for bioimaging and catalysis. | fragrant nitrogen-doped carbon dots of gram scale can be prepared from commercial bee pollens by a hydrothermal process. these carbon dots of 1-2 nm in size show promising applications in cellular imaging and catalysis/photocatalysis. | 2015 | 27980929 |
| gel-coated tubes extend above-freezing storage of honey bee (apis mellifera) semen to 439 days with production of fertilised offspring. | honey bees are an important agricultural species; however, relatively little work has been done to improve artificial reproductive technologies for this animal. the collection and distribution of germplasm for breeding and conservation is critical for improving managed honey bee populations and conserving threatened subspecies. the most efficient method of controlling breeding in honey bees is by artificial insemination. the collection of semen for insemination requires the use of antibiotics, w ... | 2016 | 27977389 |
| effect of acute pesticide exposure on bee spatial working memory using an analogue of the radial-arm maze. | pesticides, including neonicotinoids, typically target pest insects by being neurotoxic. inadvertent exposure to foraging insect pollinators is usually sub-lethal, but may affect cognition. one cognitive trait, spatial working memory, may be important in avoiding previously-visited flowers and other spatial tasks such as navigation. to test this, we investigated the effect of acute thiamethoxam exposure on spatial working memory in the bumblebee bombus terrestris, using an adaptation of the radi ... | 2016 | 27958350 |
| honeybee product therapeutic as stem cells homing for ovary failure. | complexity of the method of isolation, cultivation in vitro and the expensive cost of transplantation process of stem cells, it would require an innovation to homing and differentiation of stem cells and increase folliculogenesis. the stem cells homing was achieved through the provision of food or beverages derived from natural materials like honeybee product. through honeybee product, there will be homing of stem cells and accompany with the sources from the body itself will take place in regen ... | 2016 | 27956789 |
| chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and mode of action of essential oils against paenibacillus larvae, etiological agent of american foulbrood on apis mellifera. | this study aimed to characterize the chemical composition of aloysia polystachia, acantholippia seriphioides, schinus molle, solidago chilensis, lippia turbinata, minthostachys mollis, buddleja globosa, and baccharis latifolia essential oils (eos), and to evaluate their antibacterial activities and their capacity to provoke membrane disruption in paenibacillus larvae, the bacteria that causes the american foulbrood (afb) disease on honey bee larvae. the relationship between the composition of th ... | 2016 | 27943550 |
| varroa destructor mites can nimbly climb from flowers onto foraging honey bees. | varroa destructor, the introduced parasite of european honey bees associated with massive colony deaths, spreads readily through populations of honey bee colonies, both managed colonies living crowded together in apiaries and wild colonies living widely dispersed in natural settings. mites are hypothesized to spread between most managed colonies via phoretically riding forager bees when they engage in robbing colonies or they drift between hives. however, widely spaced wild colonies show varroa ... | 2016 | 27942015 |
| amtar2: functional characterization of a honeybee tyramine receptor stimulating adenylyl cyclase activity. | the biogenic monoamines norepinephrine and epinephrine regulate important physiological functions in vertebrates. insects such as honeybees do not synthesize these neuroactive substances. instead, they employ octopamine and tyramine for comparable physiological functions. these biogenic amines activate specific guanine nucleotide-binding (g) protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs). based on pharmacological data obtained on heterologously expressed receptors, α- and β-adrenergic-like octopamine recepto ... | 2017 | 27939988 |
| how ants send signals in saliva. | adult ants use saliva to transfer juvenile hormone and other chemical signals to their larvae. | 2016 | 27938666 |
| automated detection of cancer associated genes using a combined fuzzy-rough-set-based f-information and water swirl algorithm of human gene expression data. | this study describes a novel approach to reducing the challenges of highly nonlinear multiclass gene expression values for cancer diagnosis. to build a fruitful system for cancer diagnosis, in this study, we introduced two levels of gene selection such as filtering and embedding for selection of potential genes and the most relevant genes associated with cancer, respectively. the filter procedure was implemented by developing a fuzzy rough set (fr)-based method for redefining the criterion funct ... | 2016 | 27936033 |
| bee communities along a prairie restoration chronosequence: similar abundance and diversity, distinct composition. | recognition of the importance of bee conservation has grown in response to declines of managed honey bees and some wild bee species. habitat loss has been implicated as a leading cause of declines, suggesting that ecological restoration is likely to play an increasing role in bee conservation efforts. in the midwestern united states, restoration of tallgrass prairie has traditionally targeted plant community objectives without explicit consideration for bees. however, restoration of prairie vege ... | 2017 | 27935661 |
| spontaneous honeybee behaviour is altered by persistent organic pollutants. | the effect of environmental pollutants on honeybee behaviour has focused mainly on currently used pesticides. however, honeybees are also exposed to persistent organic pollutants (pops). the aim of this laboratory based study was to determine if exposure to sublethal field-relevant concentrations of pops altered the spontaneous behaviour of foraging-age worker honeybees. honeybees (apis mellifera) were orally exposed to either a sublethal concentration of the polychlorinated biphenyl (pcb) mixtu ... | 2017 | 27933553 |
| identification of beak and feather disease virus in an unusual novel host (merops ornatus) using nested pcr. | the complete genome sequence of beak and feather disease virus (bfdv) was discovered from a rainbow bee-eater (merops ornatus), a species of coraciiformes the genome consisted of 1,996 bp encoding two major bidirectional transcribed open reading frames. this is the first evidence of bfdv infection and complete genome characterization for this novel host species. | 2016 | 27932660 |
| in vitro and in vivo anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects of ebv, a newly developed derivative of bee venom, through modulation of irf3 signaling pathway in a carrageenan-induced edema model. | bee venom (bv), a type of toxin extracted from honeybees (apis mellifera), has been empirically and widely used to treat inflammatory diseases throughout asia. essential bv (ebv) was developed by removing phospholipase a2 (pla2) and histamine to lower occurrence of allergic reaction. this study investigated the anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities of ebv in vitro and in vivo and its underlying mechanism of action. | 2016 | 27930719 |
| bee inspired novel optimization algorithm and mathematical model for effective and efficient route planning in railway system. | railway and metro transport systems (rs) are becoming one of the popular choices of transportation among people, especially those who live in urban cities. urbanization and increasing population due to rapid development of economy in many cities are leading to a bigger demand for urban rail transit. despite being a popular variant of traveling salesman problem (tsp), it appears that the universal formula or techniques to solve the problem are yet to be found. this paper aims to develop an optimi ... | 2016 | 27930659 |
| neuropharmacological manipulation of restrained and free-flying honey bees, apis mellifera. | honey bees demonstrate astonishing learning abilities and advanced social behavior and communication. in addition, their brain is small, easy to visualize and to study. therefore, bees have long been a favored model amongst neurobiologists and neuroethologists for studying the neural basis of social and natural behavior. it is important, however, that the experimental techniques used to study bees do not interfere with the behaviors being studied. because of this, it has been necessary to develo ... | 2016 | 27929455 |
| cryo-electron microscopy study of the genome release of the dicistrovirus israeli acute bee paralysis virus. | viruses of the family dicistroviridae can cause substantial economic damage by infecting agriculturally important insects. israeli acute bee paralysis virus (iapv) causes honeybee colony collapse disorder in the united states. high-resolution molecular details of the genome delivery mechanism of dicistroviruses are unknown. here we present a cryo-electron microscopy analysis of iapv virions induced to release their genomes in vitro we determined structures of full iapv virions primed to release ... | 2017 | 27928006 |