Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Honeybees and Its Antibacterial Potential

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators of flowering plants and agricultural crops contributing annually to billions of dollars in revenues to crop production. Honeybees have an average lifespan between 8 weeks to 5 years. Dead honeybees are abundantly available in beehives and can be utilized as an alternative source to synthesize nanoparticles. In recent years, biologically synthesized nanoparticles have been preferred over their chemical counterparts. However, honeybee-based-green synthesis of nanoparticles has not been explored yet. Herein, we report the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from honeybees and its antibacterial activity. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was monitored visually through a gradual change in color. Furthermore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were confirmed and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy. Scanning Electron Microscope was utilized to analyze the average size and morphologies of the biosynthesized nanoparticles. Subsequently, the antibacterial potential of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was tested against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. It was found that a distinct color change from yellow to brown in the reaction solution suggested the formation of silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited absorption maxima at 430 nm. The SEM analysis confirmed the spherical and cuboidal shape of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles with a size range between 10 - 40 nm. Furthermore, the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited strong antimicrobial potential against tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains by aggregating on the cell surface. This study showcases the biomedical and agricultural applications of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from honeybee wings. .

基于Ladybug+ Honeybee的外墙保温材料性能比较及研究

基于Ladybug及Honeybee参数化软件,通过分析在工程施工中常用的六种外墙保温隔热材料对人体热舒适度及室内热环境的影响,从而得出不同保温材料的优劣性排序为:Stp超薄绝热板、挤塑聚苯乙烯保温板(XPS)、聚氨酯泡沫塑料保温板、复合硅酸盐保温板、发泡聚苯乙烯板(EPS)、岩棉板。

The Application of Honeybee Products in the Health Sector

The chemical composition of each of the eight total products of beekeeping, which are honey, bee venom, propolis, royal jelly, drone brood, bee pollen, bee bread and beeswax, is analyzed. Each beekeeping product has its own chemical composition which varies from producer to producer. Some of these bee products have been used for centuries in traditional medicine, but to date research has demonstrated many other medicinal properties of these products that were not known. Therapeutic properties of bee products have been discovered even against various types of cancer and scientists are continuing their research to discover other secrets behind the therapeutic properties of bee products. In addition, therapeutic effects of bee products have also been discovered against COVID-19 disease which has significantly affected global health. Finally, it is concluded that bee products are proven to be one of the most valuable medicines that nature can offer showing the great value of the science of beekeeping.

Pollination Effects of Pear Trees by Honeybee and Its Influencing Factors

[Objectives]To improve the yield and quality of different pear varieties by supplementary pollination.[Methods]The effects of bee pollination were compared with other pollination methods,and the effects of different factors on honeybee pollination were studied through experiments.[Results]Honeybee pollination significantly increased the number of fruit per inflorescence.In addition,it could improve the single fruit weight,fruit shape and other quality indicators of fruit.The pollination effect of honeybee was the best in all supplementary pollination measures.Honeybee pollination had good fruit setting effect on different pear varieties,but there were some differences in the effect of quality improvement.Spraying lime sulfur mixture and other measures could significantly affect the effects of honeybee pollination.[Conclusions]The research results prove the effectiveness of honeybee pollination technology in Hebei Province,and provide a certain reference for the establishment of a simple and practical artificial assisted pollination technology system.

Building Daylight Simulation Analysis Based on Ladybug+Honeybee Parametric Approach:A Case Study of Gando Primary School

The Gando Primary School project faces several challenges like extreme environmental constraints,resource scarcity,and design requirements.These challenges include the hot climate of Burkina Faso,economic underdevelopment,building material scarcity,and lack of electrical resources.To implement an architectural design for the classrooms that accommodates these difficulties,especially in the absence of an electrical system,architect Francis Kéréemployed various passive design strategies that can provide shelter from the rain and heat while achieving essential lighting levels and ventilation.This paper used Gando Primary School as the research object and utilized the parametric tools of Ladybug+Honeybee(L+H)to conduct numerical simulations and evaluations of the building’s daylighting,glare analysis,and indoor thermal comfort.The aim of this study is to investigate the application of passive design strategies in energy conservation under extreme environmental conditions,propose a parametric energy-saving evaluation strategy with L+H,and explore energy-saving design ideas in economically underdeveloped Third World countries.

基于Ladybug+Honeybee的建筑物理环境模拟分析研究

目前国内外对建筑物理环境的研究主要是采用实地测试和软件模拟的方法。大多数模拟软件只能针对某一项或者几项物理环境(声、光、热、风)进行模拟,因此需要多款软件结合使用。但建模、设置参数时间较长,效率低下。基于Rhinoceros&Grasshopper建模,Ladybug Tools的模拟分析平台整合了多项性能模拟计算内核,在方案设计阶段就可以在一个软件中建模,通过连接运算器实现建筑及其场地的各项物理环境模拟,为设计提供依据。以西安建筑科技大学教学主楼为例,运用Ladybug+Honeybee模拟其物理环境,并根据模拟结果提出建议:西安市一年可利用自然通风的时间约为1993 h,占全年时长的22.75%;建筑北面日照未达到2 h日照要求,建议减少北面高大乔木植物遮挡;建筑北侧、西侧房间、走廊等采光照度值不满足标准,建议增加照明灯具;建筑南面、西面、东北转角处太阳辐射较强,水平面总辐射量达到700 kW·h/m^(2),建议增加高大绿植、低透光玻璃、遮阳百叶等建筑遮阳设备。

未来设计:基于Ladybug+Honeybee的参数化性能设计方法

Ladybug+Honeybee是当代参数化与性能设计整合发展趋势的典型代表。本文对其功能优势进行详细梳理与阐述,并对以该工具为基础的应用实践进行系统解读与研究,以期探索出参数化性能设计的未来发展方向,并提出该工具与我国建筑设计实践整合的发展思路。

mRNA expression and DNA methylation in three key genes involved in caste differentiation in female honeybees(Apis mellifera)

In honeybee （Apis mellifera） colonies, queens and workers are altemative forms of the adult female honeybee that develop from genetically identical zygotes but that depend on differential nourishment. Queens and workers display distinct morphologies, anatomies and behavior, better known as caste differentiation. Despite some basic insights, the exact mechanism responsible for this phenomenon, especially at the molecular level, remains unclear although some progress has been achieved. In this study, we examined mRNA levels of the TOR （target of rapamycin） and Dnmt3 （DNA methyltransferase 3） genes, closely related to caste differentiation in honeybees. We also investigated mRNA expression of the S6K （similar to RPS6-p70-protein kinase） gene linked closely to organismal growth and development in queen and worker larvae （1-day and 3-day old）. Last, we investigated the methylation status of these three genes in corresponding castes. We found no difference in mRNA expression for the three genes between 1st instar queen and worker larvae; however, 3rd instar queen larvae had a higher level of TOR mRNA than worker larvae. Methylation levels of all three genes were lower in queen larvae than worker larvae but the differences were not statistically significant. These findings provide basic data for broadening our understanding of caste differentiation in female honeybees.

Giant Asian honeybee or Bambara stings causing myocardial infarction,bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in Sri Lanka:a case series

The sting of Giant Asian honeybee(Apis dorsata) or Bambara in Sinhala and Kanmge Kulavi in Tamil is a common environmental hazard in Sri Lanka known to cause immediate allergic reactions,which could be fatal in sensitized individuals.We reported myocardial infarction, bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in a prospectively proven case series and the association of these uncommon complications with delayed removal of stingers from the patients’skin.

Effects of cold narcosis on memory acquisition, consolidation and retrieval in honeybees （Apis mellifera）

In learning and memory studies on honeybees （Apis mellifera）, cold-induced narcosis has been widely used to temporarily immobilize honeybees. In this study, we investigated the effects of cold narcosis on the associative memories in honeybees by using the proboscis extension response （PER） paradigm. Severe impairments in memory acquisition was found when cold narcosis was performed 30 rain, instead of 1 h before training. Locomotor activities were reduced when honeybees were tested 15 min, instead of 30 rain after cold narcosis. These results indicate that cold narcosis impairs locomotor activities, as well as memory acquisition in a time-dependent manner, but by comparison no such effects on memory retrieval have yet been observed.[0]

P-ACOHONEYBEE: A Novel Load Balancer for Cloud Computing Using Mathematical Approach

Cloud computing is a collection of disparate resources or services,a web of massive infrastructures,which is aimed at achieving maximum utilization with higher availability at a minimized cost.One of the most attractive applications for cloud computing is the concept of distributed information processing.Security,privacy,energy saving,reliability and load balancing are the major challenges facing cloud computing and most information technology innovations.Load balancing is the process of redistributing workload among all nodes in a network;to improve resource utilization and job response time,while avoiding overloading some nodes when other nodes are underloaded or idle is a major challenge.Thus,this research aims to design a novel load balancing systems in a cloud computing environment.The research is based on the modification of the existing approaches,namely;particle swarm optimization(PSO),honeybee,and ant colony optimization(ACO)with mathematical expression to form a novel approach called PACOHONEYBEE.The experiments were conducted on response time and throughput.The results of the response time of honeybee,PSO,SASOS,round-robin,PSO-ACO,and P-ACOHONEYBEE are:2791,2780,2784,2767,2727,and 2599(ms)respectively.The outcome of throughput of honeybee,PSO,SASOS,round-robin,PSO-ACO,and P-ACOHONEYBEE are:7451,7425,7398,7357,7387 and 7482(bps)respectively.It is observed that P-ACOHONEYBEE approach produces the lowest response time,high throughput and overall improved performance for the 10 nodes.The research has helped in managing the imbalance drawback by maximizing throughput,and reducing response time with scalability and reliability.

Breeding the Mite-Resistant Honeybee by Nutritional Crossbreed Technology

Mite （Varroa destructor） is one of the most serious parasite threats to the honey bee （Apis mellifera） reared in China. The beekeepers mainly use the drug to control and kill the mite in the past years, but the honey products may be contaminated and the mite is becoming drug-resistant. The main idea of this paper is to research the possibility of mite-resistant honeybee rearing by nutritional crossbreed. The larvae （Apis mellifera ligustica） are bred with the royal jelly of Apis carana carana, and then the morphological index of the worker generation, genotypic frequency and gene frequency of the MDH Ⅱ, genetic resemblance, and mite resistance are measured. The results show that： compared to the parent workers, the proboscis length, anterior wing area, the total length of the third and fourth dorsal plate of the abdomen, the length of the fourth dorsal plate of the tuberculum, the area of the sixth abdominal segment, and the area of wax mirrors are significantly different, but the differences in the brachium index, dactylus index, and wing claw are not significant. Moreover, there are some mutations in the genotypic frequency and gene frequency of the MDH Ⅱ. The mite resistance of the nutritional crossbreed worker is significantly higher. The morphological, physical, and biochemical characters, genetic resemblance, and the mite-resistant ability of the worker generation can be changed by nutritional crossbreeding. Nutritional crossbreeding can be a new way to breed the honeybee.

Assessment of the Potential of Honeybees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>L.) in Biomonitoring of Air Pollution by Cadmium, Lead and Vanadium

The aim of our study was to explore whether honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) could be used as a reliable alternative to the standard mechanical devices for monitoring of air quality, in particular with respect to the concentration of the heavy metals cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V). We therefore tested whether the concentrations of these metals in adult honeybees and in ambient air were positively correlated, and whether differences in concentration between locations were similar for bees and air. On the basis of our measurements, conducted over a two-month period at three distinct locations in the Netherlands with each three replicate honeybee colonies placed next to mechanical monitoring devices, we concluded that a significant positive relationship between the concentrations in bees and in air could only be established for V. Also, only in the case of V, the differences between the three locations in mean concentration were similar for bees and air. Both outcomes were probably due to the relatively large range over which the concentrations of V varied, both in bees and in air, as compared to Cd and Pb. However, for V, as well as for Cd and Pb, the concentrations in ambient air were about two orders of magnitude below the established air quality standards. We therefore conclude that in the Netherlands, both variation and levels of the atmospheric concentrations of these metals are too low to establish a relationship between the concentration in bees and in air that is useful to present honeybees as an alternative to mechanical devices in monitoring of air pollution. However, in countries with larger variation and higher levels of the atmospheric concentrations of these metals, further exploration of the potential of honeybees in biomonitoring of air pollution may be worthwhile.

Time and Dose-related Effects of the Pyrethroid Fluvalinate on Haemolymph Carbohydrates and Gut Lipids of Honeybees,Following in vivo Injection of very Low Doses

The injection to emerging adult workerbees with fluvalinate doses ranging from 1 femtomol to 1 nanomol per individual resulted in a reduction of haemolymph carbohydrate concentrations, particularly at the lowest dose 1 hour after injections. At the same time, a large increase was observed for triacylglycerols and to a much lesser extent for steroids and phospholipids with 0.1 picomol per bee. By contrast, fatty acids, steroids and triacylglycerols exhibited a depress at the higher dose. Most responses were thus biphasic, showing that much attention should be paid to the effects of very low doses of pesticide.

基于Ladybug+Honeybee参数化设计的建筑策划前期采光日照分析

在建筑设计前期,利用分析工具进行建筑策划研究,以制定科学的后期设计的目标,日渐成为精细化设计的行业趋势。本文通过采用在概念设计阶段即使用Rhino软件里的Ladybug+Honeybee参数化插件,为前期方案策划和比选提供定量的分析。包括采用基于ladybug的参数化设计进行日照分析以控制建筑包络线,采用日照分析以控制百叶深度及室内采光等方面,并结合相关实践案例进行说明。该工具的使用最终为前策划、后评估的设计决策闭环提供了辅助依据。

基于Ladybug+Honeybee参数化的寒冷地区幼儿园节能模拟分析

随着国家对生态可持续发展的关注度不断增加,节能设计成为寒冷地区幼儿园建筑研究中的核心问题。为提升寒冷地区幼儿园环境的安全与健康水平,本文选取该区域幼儿园建筑为研究对象,运用建筑类型学原理,遵循国内建筑节能设计规范,在此基础上借助Ladybug+Honeybee工具,从幼儿园的“场地布局”“单体形态”和“细部设计”等三个层面进行数值模拟与评价,实现以节能为目标的幼儿园建筑形态自动寻优与创新,提出L+H的参数化节能设计策略,揭示寒冷地区幼儿园建筑节能设计思路和方法。

Cryopreservation of Queen Honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica) Born Worker Eggs by Vitrification

Many species of insect egg can be targeted individually or （and） collectively for cryopreservation by vitrification. However, there has been no report on cryopreservation of honeybee eggs by vitrification. In an attempt to define a preliminary procedure of cryopreservation of honeybee eggs by vitrification, queen honeybee born worker eggs （worker eggs） were stored through vitrification in liquid nitrogen up to 1 h, and then post-vitrification survival of the vitrified worker eggs in vitro and their hatching rates during maturation in vivo were observed using microscopic and close visual inspections. The procedure of cryopreservation by vitrification included dechorionation with sodium hypochlorite and permeabilization with isopropyl alcohol; equilibration by addition of loading solution （i.e., 25% vitrification storage solution） and dehydration by gradual replacement of loading solution with vitrification storage solution; cooling in liquid nitrogen vapor right before droplet vitrification in liquid nitrogen; and recovery in liquid nitrogen vapor right after storage in liquid nitrogen, thawing at temperature of thawing medium （5% sucrose in TC 100-insect medium） and rehydration by gradual replacement of vitrification storage solution with rehydration solution （5% fetal bovine serum in TC 100-insect medium）. It was found that among the worker eggs experiencing cyropreservation by vitrification, 1.25% of them were successfully passed through the four life stages, viz., egg, larva, pupa, and adult. In summary, it can be inferred that although a majority of worker eggs were dead after cyropreservation by vitrification, a few of them were developed into larvae, pupae, and finally emerged as adults.

The Formamidine Amitraz as a Hyperglycemic α-Agonist in Worker Honeybees(Apis mellifera mellifera L.)in Vivo

Intra-abdominal injection of amitraz(0.25 nmol per honeybee,i.e.,approx 2.3 nmol/g)to emerging worker bees,in vivo,led to a significant hypertrehalosemia(300-400%)followed by a hyperglucosemia(≈600%).Maxima were reached at 0.5 and 2h,respectively.A strong negative correlation between glucosemia and trehalosemia appeared after injection of pure phentolamine (1 nmol per bee),suggesting stimulation of trehalase activities.Simultaneous administration of the α-blocker at≥0.25 nmol per individual suppressed the hyperglycemic response of amitraz. The formamidine pesticide thus likely acts on the honeybee α-aminergic system.1989 Academic Press,Inc.

Analysis of Developmental Proteome at Egg Stage of Drone Honeybees (A. m. ligustica)

An investigation on the proteome of drone egg development of native Italian bee （Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola,1806） was carried out in order to prove up the characteristics in protein expression and regulation at egg stage and open out the molecular mechanism of the development. The experiment was carried out by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The results showed that there were 200, 242 and 233 proteins in a wide rang of molecular weight （12.42-169.60 kDa） and in a relatively narrow scope of pI （4.50-9.00） detected on day 1, day 2 and day 3, respectively, during the developmental process of the drone egg. Meanwhile, 164 protein spots were resolved at all the images （i.e., the protein was consistently expressed） along with the egg development, among which 7 were significantly up-expressed （P 〈 0.05） and 4 were significantly down-expressed （P 〈 0.05） while 79 had no significant differences （P 〉 0.05）. In addition, the specific proteins expressing proteins on day 1, day 2 and day 3 were 11, 18 and 18, respectively. Besides, 17 proteins expressed both on day 1 and day 2 but silenced on day 3, and 43 proteins expressed both on day 2 and day 3 but silenced on day 1, while only 8 proteins expressed both on day 1 and day 3 but silenced on day 2. The results indicate that 2-d-old eggs are at the most active expressional stage in the development of drone egg. The protein expressing at all images suggests that it should be indispensable for drone egg development, but their expression pattern is different. The proteins expressing at a specific age of egg suggest that specific proteins are needed in different developmental stages to regulate. And there are more house-keeping proteins in the developmental process of the drone egg than that of worker egg, and it will provide more targets for gene improvement.

A List of Important Honeybee Nectariferous and Polleniferous Plant Species in the West Bank Governorates, Palestine

The main goal of this study is to provide information about the foraging value of a number of specific plant species for honeybees in Palestine, since one of the limiting factors of Palestine＇s apiculture industry is the unpredicted seasonality in the blooming phenology of nectariferous and polleniferous plant species. This limiting factor can be overcome by increasing and diversifying the population of bee forage plant species throughout man made plantations. In this survey, a combination of literature and field surveys were used in order to identify and compile a list of plant species, which are of importance for fulfilling the honeybee＇s needs of nectar and pollen. The study was conducted through bi-weekly visit to a numbers of randomly selected sites located in some nature reserves and agricultural fields, within the West Bank Governorates. A total of 143 nectariferous and polleniferous plant species, belonging to 37 families, were identified through direct observation of foraging bees, and/or through literature survey. The dominant families are Compositae with 27 （18.8%） belonging species, followed by Lamiaceae family with 24 （16.7%） belonging species, then followed by Boraginaceae family with 8 （5.5%） belonging species and then followed by other families. The identified plant species was grouped into pollen, nectar and both pollen and nectar sources plant species. The polleniferous plant species group counted 17 which is equivalent to 11.8%; the nectariferous plant species group counted 29 which is equivalent to 20.2%; and the third groups of plant species that have been visited by bees for collecting both pollen and nectar counted 97, which is equivalent to 68%. The chronologies of the blooming plant species were also recorded. It was concluded that any of the studied locations can be profitably utilized for commercial and or large scale beekeeping, if the important limiting factor can be overcome by increasing and diversifying the population of bee forage plant species throughout man made plantations. The paper provides information on the wild and cultivated nectariferous and polleniferous plants that are important for the bees in the West Bank Governorates, Palestine.