Comparative analyses of mitogenomes in the social bees with insights into evolution of long inverted repeats in the Meliponini

The insect mitogenome is typically a compact circular molecule with highly conserved gene contents.Nonetheless,mitogenome structural variations have been reported in specific taxa,and gene rearrangements,usually the tRNAs,occur in different lineages.Because synapomorphies of mitogenome organizations can provide information for phylogenetic inferences,comparative analyses of mitogenomes have been given increasing attention.However,most studies use a very few species to represent the whole genus,tribe,family,or even order,overlooking potential variations at lower taxonomic levels,which might lead to some incorrect inferences.To provide new insights into mitogenome organizations and their implications for phylogenetic inference,this study conducted comparative analyses for mitogenomes of three social bee tribes(Meliponini,Bombini,and Apini)based on the phylogenetic framework with denser taxonomic sampling at the species and population levels.Comparative analyses revealed that mitogenomes of Apini and Bombini are the typical type,while those of Meliponini show diverse variations in mitogenome sizes and organizations.Large inverted repeats(IRs)cause significant gene rearrangements of protein coding genes(PCGs)and rRNAs in Indo-Malay/Australian stingless bee species.Molecular evolution analyses showed that the lineage with IRs have lower dN/dS ratios for PCGs than lineages without IRs,indicating potential effects of IRs on the evolution of mitochondrial genes.The finding of IRs and different patterns of gene rearrangements suggested that Meliponini is a hotspot in mitogenome evolution.Unlike conserved PCGs and rRNAs whose rearrangements were found only in the mentioned lineages within Meliponini,tRNA rearrangements are common across all three tribes of social bees,and are significant even at the species level,indicating that comprehensive sampling is needed to fully understand the patterns of tRNA rearrangements,and their implications for phylogenetic inference.

Effect of Apis mellifera on community composition of local pollinator bees and their pollination network in Qinling Mountains and surrounding areas

The Qinling Mountains, known for their rich vegetation and diverse pollinating insects, have seen a significant decline in bee species richness and abundance over recent decades, largely due to the introduction and spread of Apis mellifera. This decline has caused cascading effects on the region's community structure and ecosystem stability. To improve the protection of native bees in the natural and agricultural landscape of the Qinling Mountains and its surrounding areas, we investigated 33 sampling sites within three habitats: forest, forest-agriculture ecotones, and farmland. Using a generalized linear mixing model, t-test, and other data analysis methods, we explored the impact of Apis mellifera on local pollinator bee richness, abundance, and the pollination network in different habitats in these regional areas. The results show that(1)Apis mellifera significantly negatively affects the abundance and richness of wild pollinator bees,while Apis cerana abundance is also affected by beekeeping conditions.(2)There are significant negative effects of Apis mellifera on the community structure of pollinator bees in the Qinling Mountains and its surrounding areas: the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pielou evenness index, and Margalef richness index of bee communities at sites with Apis mellifera influence were significantly lower than those at sites without Apis mellifera influence.(3)The underlying driver of this effect is the monopolization of flowering resources by Apis mellifera. This species tends to visit flowering plants with large nectar sources, which constitute a significant portion of the local plant community. By maintaining a dominant role in the bee-plant pollination network, Apis mellifera competitively displaces native pollinator bees, reducing their access to floral resources. This ultimately leads to a reduction in local bee-plant interactions, decreasing the complexity and stability of the pollination network. These findings highlight the need for targeted conservation efforts to protect native pollinator species and maintain the ecological balance in the Qinling Mountains.

Adaptive Network Sustainability and Defense Based on Artificial Bees Colony Optimization Algorithm for Nature Inspired Cyber Security

Cyber Defense is becoming a major issue for every organization to keep business continuity intact.The presented paper explores the effectiveness of a meta-heuristic optimization algorithm-Artificial Bees Colony Algorithm(ABC)as an Nature Inspired Cyber Security mechanism to achieve adaptive defense.It experiments on the Denial-Of-Service attack scenarios which involves limiting the traffic flow for each node.Businesses today have adapted their service distribution models to include the use of the Internet,allowing them to effectively manage and interact with their customer data.This shift has created an increased reliance on online services to store vast amounts of confidential customer data,meaning any disruption or outage of these services could be disastrous for the business,leaving them without the knowledge to serve their customers.Adversaries can exploit such an event to gain unauthorized access to the confidential data of the customers.The proposed algorithm utilizes an Adaptive Defense approach to continuously select nodes that could present characteristics of a probable malicious entity.For any changes in network parameters,the cluster of nodes is selected in the prepared solution set as a probable malicious node and the traffic rate with the ratio of packet delivery is managed with respect to the properties of normal nodes to deliver a disaster recovery plan for potential businesses.

Correlation between the Change in the Number of Apis mellifera Worker Bees and Nectar Secretion of Nectariferous Plants

[Objective] This study aimed to clarify the correlation between changes of Apis mel ifera and the nectar secretion characteristics of nectariferous plants. [Method] Considering the nectar secretion characteristics of major and auxiliary nec-tariferous plants, six Apis mel ifera colonies were selected for measure the number of eggs, larvae, pupae and adult bees from Jan. to Dec. in 2012; based on that, their annual change curves were also plotted. [Result] The results showed that there were three peaks of the total number of A. mel ifera workers throughout the year：the first occurred on May 15th, with bees developed into an ideal population for col-lecting pomegranate nectar, and the second and third peaks occurred on July 15th and Oct. 15th, respectively, with bees developed into an ideal population for col ect-ing E. ciliate （Thuab） Hyland. [Conclusion] Prevention of Varroa jacobsoni should be carried out with two or more types of acaricides at the late nectar flow stages of the two nectariferous plants（pomegranate and E. ciliate （Thuab） Hyland） when there was a nectar deficiency. Prevention of Tropilaelaps clareae should be timely per-formed with sublimed sulfur in conjunction with acaricides. This study provides a theoretical basis for the high-quality and high-yielding production of honey, as wel as for the product safety.

Bio-Inspired Binary Bees Algorithm for a Two-Level Distribution Optimisation Problem

Two uncoupleable distributions, assigning missions to robots and allocating robots to home stations, accompany the use ofmobile service robots in hospitals.In the given problem, two workload-related objectives and five groups of constraints areproposed.A bio-mimicked Binary Bees Algorithm (BBA) is introduced to solve this multiobjective multiconstraint combinatorialoptimisation problem, in which constraint handling technique (Multiobjective Transformation, MOT), multiobjectiveevaluation method (nondominance selection), global search strategy (stochastic search in the variable space), local searchstrategy (Hamming neighbourhood exploitation), and post-processing means (feasibility selection) are the main issues.TheBBA is then demonstrated with a case study, presenting the execution process of the algorithm, and also explaining the change ofelite number in evolutionary process.Its optimisation result provides a group of feasible nondominated two-level distributionschemes.

Ornamental Bee Plants as Foraging Resources for Urban Bees in Southern Brazil

Ornamental plants are distinguished by the shape and color of their leaves/flowers and their use in landscaping and gardening. In urban areas, their presence is relevant for the maintenance of bees. Aiming to list the ornamental bee plants species occurring in Santa Catarina State (SC), southern Brazil, a survey of forage resources for bees, recorded in the State, was performed. We refer all published works developed in SC (resulting in the period 1983-2014) which include data from reports of scientific research, monographs, dissertations, Masters Dissertations, Doctoral Thesis, annals of scientific events, scientific articles and books. From the 28 ensuant works, we listed, as ornamental bee plants occurring in SC, 201 species, of 156 genera and 66 botanical families. Of these species, 92 are native (N), 26 endemic to Brazil and 109 exotic (E). Families with more ornamental bee species are: Fabaceae (22 species), Asteraceae (20), Solanaceae (11), Rosaceae (10) and Lamiaceae (8). The most cited species are: Lantana camara L. (N) (Verbenaceae) (9 quotes), Aloysia virgata (N) (Ruiz & Pav.) Juss. (Verbenaceae) (8), Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig (naturalized) (Zingiberaceae) (6) and Brachyscome multifida (E) (Asteraceae) (5), regarding habitus, herbs (48.5%) predominate, followed by bushes (21.5%), trees (16.5%) and vines (10.5%). Preferred colours of flowers by bees are, in decreasing order: white, yellow, red/pink, and others. The genus Ipomoea, Calliandra, Passiflora, Prunus and Senecio have more ornamental bee plant species. A large botanical diversity arises, demonstrating the possibilities for urban bee foraging and ornamental featuring, in a perspective of sustainability.

Design of a Two-dimensional Recursive Filter Using the Bees Algorithm

This paper presents the first application of the bees algorithm to the optimisation of parameters of a two-dimensional （2D） recursive digital filter. The algorithm employs a search technique inspired by the foraging behaviour of honey bees. The results obtained show clear improvement compared to those produced by the widely adopted genetic algorithm （GA）.

Profile Analysis of the Proteome of the Egg of the High Royal Jelly Producing Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

The protein composition of the egg development in the high royal jelly producing bees （Apis mellifera L.） was investigated. This pioneer study was to separate and quantify the proteins in the egg of the high royal jelly producing worker bees （Apis mellifera L.） by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis along with their three-day development. The results showed that 160, 195, and 176 proteins, with a wide range of molecular weight （17-80 KDa） and relatively narrow scope of pI （4. 00-8.40） could be detected on day 1, day 2, and day 3, respectively, during the developmental process of the egg. Meanwhile 44 protein spots were constantly detected along with the egg development. Among them 36% were in the uptrend along with the egg development, 14% were in the downtrend, and 39% were of the largest expressed volume on day 2. In addition, the specific proteins were expressed on day 1, day 2, and day 3 （89, 77, and 80, respectively）. Besides the coexistent and specific proteins, 24 proteins were expressed on day 1 and day 2, but silenced on day 3, 49 proteins were expressed on day 2 and day 3, but silenced on day 1, only 3 proteins were expressed on day 1 and day 3, but silenced on day 2. The result indicates that egg development is a sequential and complex gene controlled process, where the eggs of day 2 express the most active proteins. The coexistent proteins suggest that it is conservative and indispensable for this event. These specific proteins suggest that the different developmental stage needs specific proteins to regulate it.

Structure of the Venom Apparatus of Large Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa fenestrata （Fabricius） （Hymenoptera： Apidae）

The venom apparatus in the large carpenter bees, Xylocopafenestrata （Fabricius） （Hymenoptera： Apidae） has been studied It consists of typical parts, i.e., the venom sac, free filament, Dufour gland, sting shaft and accessory sclerites. It is highly sclerotized and concealed by the 7th abdominal tergite and sternite. The venom sac serves as a reservoir for the venom which synthesized by the convoluted gland present in it, which is remarkably uniform to that of ants. The median duct extends from lower portion of venom sac, which measures 2.5 ±0.17 mm （mean ＋ SD） （n = 20） in length. The Dufour gland is a tube-like structure which is inserted in the sting-bulb. The triangular plate is attached at terminal portion of rami, which is in turn attached with lancets. The gonostyli are paired long and tubular structure with 5.29 ± 0.23 mm （n = 20） in length. The sting length is 5.29 ±0.23 mm （n = 20）. The fulcral arm is well-developed with an inverse Y-shaped structure present beneath the sting-bulb. Barbs on the sting shaft are weakly developed in X fenestrata but well developed in ants. The venom apparatus ofX. fenestrata when compared is similar to the bees but differs from that of the wasps and ants.

Preliminary Analyses of Expression of Learning and Memory Related Genes in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) in Free-Choice Learning Paradigms

Honey bees are an established animal model for studying learning and memory related behaviors. In recent years, honey bees have become more common as a model for investigations of molecular biology, including gene expression. Honey bees have been used to extrapolate genetic functions found in other invertebrates, such as Drosophila melanogaster. The honey bee model has also provided a means for isolating novel genes, including non-coding microRNA fragments. Integrating the study of learning and memory with molecular genetics, the present work examines the effect of learning acquisition and memory consolidation in free-choice paradigms on the expression of a suite of genes of interest. Results suggest that short-term learning acquisition causes differential expression of microRNA fragments, while memory consolidation differentially affects the expression of the serine/threonine protein kinase gene in honey bees. These results corroborate previous findings suggesting the importance of protein kinases in the formation of long term memory, and suggest that microRNA may play a large role in regulation of cytoskeletal scaffolding proteins.

Characteristic of Species Composition of Fungi Involved in the Formation of Mycobiota of Honey Bees in Azerbaijan

The purpose of the presented work was dedicated to identifying the species composition of the mycobiota of honey bees in Azerbaijan condition. From the samples taken from bees, materials became clear that in the formation of mycobiota those materials (from bees, from where they live and their products) in generally participate 52 species of fungi. Among the recorded fungi, species take part such as Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl., Aspergillus flavus Link, Candida albicans (C.P. Robin) Berkhout, Cladosporium herbarum (Pers.) Link, Penicillium cuclopium Westling, P. granulatum Bainier and etc. which carry features conditionally pathogenicity, toxicity, allergens and danger to biological productivity of bees and as well as to pollution of their products. It is known for a long time to scientists that these species are dangerous for human health. For this reason, preparation of normative documents that reflect the principles of microbiological safety of bee products is a necessary task.

Identification of Sugar,Amino Acids and Minerals from the Pollen of Jandaíra Stingless Bees(Melipona subnitida)

The aim of this investigation was to analyze two samples of pollen from jandaíra stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) in view of their mineral composition, free amino acids and sugars. Palynological analysis showed that the predominant pollen was monofloral from Senna sp. species (94.5%, pollen 2011) and the second pollen sample showed the presence of two primary species, Chamaecrista sp. (39.2% pollen 2009) and Mimosa tenuiflora (43.5%) (pollen 2009). The highest mineral content was potassium. The bee pollen contained 20.8% and 31.0% of mannitol in samples from 2011 and 2009, respectively. Proline and serine are the predominant amino acids. High content of essential amino acids, minerals and the sugar mannitol confirmed high nutritional value of pollen samples from jandaíra bees.

Asian Honey Bees Use Trace Amount Chemical to Avoid Danger

While foraging,animals can form inter-and intra-specific social signaling(i.e.one organism using signals to alert another about danger)networks to avoid similar predators.Honey bee sting alarm pheromones are multi-component blends,for instance isopentyl acetate(IPA),octyl acetate(OA),benzyl acetate(BA),etc.However,the

Comparative Analyses of Proteome Complement Between Worker Bee Larvae of High Royal Jelly Producing Bees (A. m. ligustica) and Carniolian Bees (A. m. carnica)

This study is to compare the protein composition of the high royal jelly producing bee （A. m. ligustica） with that of Carniolian bee （A. m. carnica） during their worker larval developmental stage. The experiment was carried out by two- dimensional gel electrophoresis. The results showed that significant higher numbers of total proteins （283） were detected in larvae of high royal jelly producing bees （Jelly bee） than those of Carniolian bees （152） on 2-d-old larvae. Among them, 110 proteins were presented on both strains of bee larvae, whereas 173 proteins were specific to larvae of Jelly bees, and 42 proteins were exclusive to Carniolian larvae. However, on the 4th d, a significant higher number of total proteins （290） were detected in larvae of Jelly bees than those of Carniolian bees （240）, 163 proteins resolved to both bee larvae, and 127 proteins were specific to Jelly bees and 77 proteins to Camiolian bees. Until the 6th d, also a significant higher number of total proteins （236） were detected in larvae of Jelly bees than those of Carniolian bees （180）, 132 proteins were constantly expressed in two bee larvae, whereas 104 and 48 proteins are unique to Jelly bee and Carniolian bee larvae, respectively. We tentatively concluded that the metabolic rate and gene expression of Jelly bees larvae is higher than those of Carniolian bees based proteins detected as total proteins and proteins specific to each stage of two strains of bee larvae. Proteins constantly expressed on 3 stages of larval development with some significant differences between two bee strains, and proteins unique to each stage expressed differences in term of quality and quantity, indicating that larval development needed house keeping and specific proteins to regulate its growth at different development phage, but the expression mold is different between two strains of larval development.

Massive Envenomation by Bees Sting in a Child in Togo

Attacks by swarm of bees realize arrays of mass poisoning. We report the case of a 9 years old boy whoes severity was related to the large number of bees which was about 400 and their locations spread throughout the skin surface with a preponderance to the cephalic end. Complications were hemolytic anemia, kidney failure and convulsions. The outcome was favorable with symptomatic care and hemodialysis.

A Survey of Pesticide Residues in Pollen Collected by Honey Bees from Four Different Types of Agricultural Production Areas in Slovenia

150 pollen samples collected between the years 2009 and 2011 from 30 locations, divided according to agricultural practice were analysed for the presence of pesticides. In 2009, residues were found in pollen samples from twelve locations （40%）, in 2010, in samples from four locations （13.3%） and in 2011, in samples from three locations （10%）. Altogether 15 different residues in pollen were found in 2009, two in year 2010 and five in 2011. Residues found in the pollen samples ranged from 0.001 mg/kg to 76 mg/kg. The highest number （twelve） of residues was found in pollen from the intensive fruit farming locations and from the intensive viticulture locations （eight）. The residues were mostly from the fungicide group （69%）. Insecticide residues （chlorpyrifos-ethyl, methoxyfenozide, thiacloprid） were found in the pollen samples from eight locations. Residues in the pollen did not statistically influence the development of the honeybee colonies or infestation rate of Nosema （Nosema spp.）, or viruses ABPV （acute bee paralysis virus）, SBV （sacbrood virus）, DWV （deformed wing virus）, and BQCV （black queen cell virus））.

Efficient visual learning by bumble bees in virtual-reality conditions:Size does not matter

Recent developments allowed establishing virtual-reality (VR) setups to study multiple aspects of visual learning in honey bees under controlled experimental conditions. Here, we adopted a VR environment to investigate the visual learning in the buff-tailed bumble bee Bombus terrestris. Based on responses to appetitive and aversive reinforcements used for conditioning, we show that bumble bees had the proper appetitive motivation to engage in the VR experiments and that they learned efficiently elemental color discriminations. In doing so, they reduced the latency to make a choice, increased the proportion of direct paths toward the virtual stimuli and walked faster toward them. Performance in a short-term retention test showed that bumble bees chose and fixated longer on the correct stimulus in the absence of reinforcement. Body size and weight, although variable across individuals, did not affect cognitive performances and had a mild impact on motor performances. Overall, we show that bumble bees are suitable experimental subjects for experiments on visual learning under VR conditions, which opens important perspectives for invasive studies on the neural and molecular bases of such learning given the robustness of these insects and the accessibility of their brain.

压水堆棒状燃料氧化与吸氢模型开发及验证

核反应堆长期运行过程中,锆合金包壳与冷却水接触会发生氧化反应、吸氢脆化行为,使包壳的导热性能和力学性能恶化,威胁燃料元件的安全特性。因此,开展棒状燃料氧化与吸氢行为研究具有重要意义。本文实现了MOOSE-BEEs燃料性能分析程序中压水堆棒状燃料堆内腐蚀计算模型的开发,主要包括氧化腐蚀模型和吸氢腐蚀模型。基于相关的实验数据和BISON程序计算结果,对氧化腐蚀、氢扩散、氢析出等单个模型及耦合模型开展了验证。验证结果表明BEEs的模拟结果与实验数据和BISON程序吻合较好,说明BEEs能够准确模拟燃料棒的氧化与吸氢行为。

基于AFM技术的沥青混合料水稳定性研究进展

原子力显微镜(Atomic force microscope,AFM)不仅可以从纳米尺度观测沥青表面微观结构,还可以应用不同模式测试其微观力学特性,是研究沥青路面材料微观特性的有力工具。沥青混合料的水损害已经成为沥青路面的主要病害之一,研究表明,沥青结合料与集料之间的水分相互作用是一种出现在微观尺度,甚至纳米尺度的现象,因此从微纳观角度探究在水分存在条件下沥青与集料的结构变化,对于改善沥青混合料水稳定性能,探究其水损害机制具有深远的意义。本文在总结AFM工作原理及沥青微观“bees”结构特性的基础上,重点分析了AFM在纳米尺度上对沥青混合料水稳性能的研究成果,并探讨了AFM在沥青路面材料研究中的发展方向,为今后对于沥青路面病害研究与防治方面提供一定的借鉴。

Effect of wall-disruption on nutrient composition and in vitro digestion of camellia and lotus bee pollens

The nutrient digestion,absorption and biological activity of bee pollen may be limited due to the complex pollen wall.Here,the effect of superfine grinding technology on the release of nutrients from bee pollen were investigated,and their antioxidant activities and in vitro digestion were explored in this study.Results showed that the content of nutrients in bee pollen increased after wall disruption.Among them,fat content increased by 22.55%-8.31%,protein content increased by 0.54%-4.91%,starch content increased by 36.31%-48.64%,soluble sugar content increased by 20.57%-29.67%,total phenolic acid content increased by 11.73%-86.98%and total flavonoids content increased by 14.29%-24.79%.At the same time,the antioxidant activity increased by 14.84%-46.00%.Furthermore,the active components such as phenolic compounds in the wall-disruption bee pollen were more readily to be released during the in vitro digestion,and easier to be absorbed because of their higher bioaccessibility.Antioxidant activities during in vitro digestion were also improved in walldisruption bee pollen.These findings provide evidence that bee pollen wall disruption was suggested,thus,it is more conducive to exerting the value of bee pollen in functional foods.