Widespread dispersal of the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, an emergent pathogen of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera.

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Klee, Julia; Besana, Andrea M; Genersch, Elke; Gisder, Sebastian; Nanetti, Antonio; Tam, Dinh Quyet; Chinh, Tong Xuan; Puerta, Francisco; Ruz, José Maria; Kryger, Per; Message, Dejair; Hatjina, Fani; Korpela, Seppo; Fries, Ingemar; Paxton, Robert J

2007-09-01

The economically most important honey bee species, Apis mellifera, was formerly considered to be parasitized by one microsporidian, Nosema apis. Recently, [Higes, M., Martín, R., Meana, A., 2006. Nosema ceranae, a new microsporidian parasite in honeybees in Europe, J. Invertebr. Pathol. 92, 93-95] and [Huang, W.-F., Jiang, J.-H., Chen, Y.-W., Wang, C.-H., 2007. A Nosema ceranae isolate from the honeybee Apis mellifera. Apidologie 38, 30-37] used 16S (SSU) rRNA gene sequences to demonstrate the presence of Nosema ceranae in A. mellifera from Spain and Taiwan, respectively. We developed a rapid method to differentiate between N. apis and N. ceranae based on PCR-RFLPs of partial SSU rRNA. The reliability of the method was confirmed by sequencing 29 isolates from across the world (N =9 isolates gave N. apis RFLPs and sequences, N =20 isolates gave N. ceranae RFLPs and sequences; 100% correct classification). We then employed the method to analyze N =115 isolates from across the world. Our data, combined with N =36 additional published sequences demonstrate that (i) N. ceranae most likely jumped host to A. mellifera, probably within the last decade, (ii) that host colonies and individuals may be co-infected by both microsporidia species, and that (iii) N. ceranae is now a parasite of A. mellifera across most of the world. The rapid, long-distance dispersal of N. ceranae is likely due to transport of infected honey bees by commercial or hobbyist beekeepers. We discuss the implications of this emergent pathogen for worldwide beekeeping.

Characterization of a Decapentapletic Gene (AccDpp from Apis cerana cerana and Its Possible Involvement in Development and Response to Oxidative Stress.

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Guilin Li

Full Text Available To tolerate many acute and chronic oxidative stress-producing agents that exist in the environment, organisms have evolved many classes of signal transduction pathways, including the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ signal pathway. Decapentapletic gene (Dpp belongs to the TGFβ superfamily, and studies on Dpp have mainly focused on its role in the regulation of development. No study has investigated the response of Dpp to oxidative pressure in any organism, including Apis cerana cerana (A. cerana cerana. In this study, we identified a Dpp gene from A. cerana cerana named AccDpp. The 5΄ flanking region of AccDpp had many transcription factor binding sites that relevant to development and stress response. AccDpp was expressed at all stages of A. cerana cerana, with its highest expression in 15-day worker bees. The mRNA level of AccDpp was higher in the poison gland and midgut than other tissues. Furthermore, the transcription of AccDpp could be repressed by 4°C and UV, but induced by other treatments, according to our qRT-PCR analysis. It is worth noting that the expression level of AccDpp protein was increased after a certain time when A. cerana cerana was subjected to all simulative oxidative stresses, a finding that was not completely consistent with the result from qRT-PCR. It is interesting that recombinant AccDpp restrained the growth of Escherichia coli, a function that might account for the role of the antimicrobial peptides of AccDpp. In conclusion, these results provide evidence that AccDpp might be implicated in the regulation of development and the response of oxidative pressure. The findings may lay a theoretical foundation for further genetic studies of Dpp.

RNA-sequence analysis of gene expression from honeybees (Apis mellifera) infected with Nosema ceranae

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Fougeroux, André; Petit, Fabien; Anselmo, Anna; Gorni, Chiara; Cucurachi, Marco; Cersini, Antonella; Granato, Anna; Cardeti, Giusy; Formato, Giovanni; Mutinelli, Franco; Giuffra, Elisabetta; Williams, John L.; Botti, Sara

2017-01-01

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are constantly subjected to many biotic stressors including parasites. This study examined honeybees infected with Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae). N. ceranae infection increases the bees energy requirements and may contribute to their decreased survival. RNA-seq was used to investigate gene expression at days 5, 10 and 15 Post Infection (P.I) with N. ceranae. The expression levels of genes, isoforms, alternative transcription start sites (TSS) and differential promoter usage revealed a complex pattern of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation suggesting that bees use a range of tactics to cope with the stress of N. ceranae infection. N. ceranae infection may cause reduced immune function in the bees by: (i)disturbing the host amino acids metabolism (ii) down-regulating expression of antimicrobial peptides (iii) down-regulation of cuticle coatings and (iv) down-regulation of odorant binding proteins. PMID:28350872

EXPRESSION OF A BEE-VENOM PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 FROM APIS CERANA CERANA IN E,.qCHERICHIA COLI

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Li-rongShen; Jia-anCheng; Chuan-xiZhang

2004-01-01

The venomous phospholipase A2 (AcPLA2) coding reading region of the Chinese honeybee (Apis cerana cerana), which is composed of 405 bp encoding a mature glycosylated peptide with 134 amino residues was transformed into the expression vector pETblue-1. Then the recombinant vector was introduced into Escherichia coli Tuner (DE3) plac I for expression. Analysis result of SDS-PAGE showed that the expression products had a protein band of about 15 kD. Detection of western blot using ant-European honeybee (Apis mellifera) phospholipase A2 (AmPLA2) polyclonal serum as the first antibody showed that the expression products appeared a special blot same as the native AmPLA2.The result demonstrated that the AcPLA2 peptide had been expressed in E. coli and the AcPLA2 has the similar antigenicity as the AmPLA2.

Four quantitative trait loci associated with low Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) spore load in the honeybee Apis mellifera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Qiang; Kryger, Per; Le Conte, Yves

2014-01-01

Nosema ceranae has been recently introduced into the honeybee Apis mellifera as a novel microsporidian gut parasite. To locate the genetic region involved in N. ceranae infection tolerance, we fed N. ceranae spores to haploid drones of a F1 hybrid queen produced from a cross between a queen...

Resolution and sensitivity of the eyes of the Asian honeybees Apis florea, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata.

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Somanathan, Hema; Warrant, Eric J; Borges, Renee M; Wallén, Rita; Kelber, Almut

2009-08-01

Bees of the genus Apis are important foragers of nectar and pollen resources. Although the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, has been well studied with respect to its sensory abilities, learning behaviour and role as pollinators, much less is known about the other Apis species. We studied the anatomical spatial resolution and absolute sensitivity of the eyes of three sympatric species of Asian honeybees, Apis cerana, Apis florea and Apis dorsata and compared them with the eyes of A. mellifera. Of these four species, the giant honeybee A. dorsata (which forages during moonlit nights) has the lowest spatial resolution and the most sensitive eyes, followed by A. mellifera, A. cerana and the dwarf honeybee, A. florea (which has the smallest acceptance angles and the least sensitive eyes). Moreover, unlike the strictly diurnal A. cerana and A. florea, A. dorsata possess large ocelli, a feature that it shares with all dim-light bees. However, the eyes of the facultatively nocturnal A. dorsata are much less sensitive than those of known obligately nocturnal bees such as Megalopta genalis in Panama and Xylocopa tranquebarica in India. The differences in sensitivity between the eyes of A. dorsata and other strictly diurnal Apis species cannot alone explain why the former is able to fly, orient and forage at half-moon light levels. We assume that additional neuronal adaptations, as has been proposed for A. mellifera, M. genalis and X. tranquebarica, might exist in A. dorsata.

Long-Term Temporal Trends of Nosema spp. Infection Prevalence in Northeast Germany: Continuous Spread of Nosema ceranae, an Emerging Pathogen of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), but No General Replacement of Nosema apis.

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Gisder, Sebastian; Schüler, Vivian; Horchler, Lennart L; Groth, Detlef; Genersch, Elke

2017-01-01

The Western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) is widely used as commercial pollinator in worldwide agriculture and, therefore, plays an important role in global food security. Among the parasites and pathogens threatening health and survival of honey bees are two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema ceranae is considered an emerging pathogen of the Western honey bee. Reports on the spread of N. ceranae suggested that this presumably highly virulent species is replacing its more benign congener N. apis in the global A. mellifera population. We here present a 12 year longitudinal cohort study on the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae in Northeast Germany. Between 2005 and 2016, a cohort of about 230 honey bee colonies originating from 23 apiaries was sampled twice a year (spring and autumn) resulting in a total of 5,600 bee samples which were subjected to microscopic and molecular analysis for determining the presence of infections with N. apis or/and N. ceranae . Throughout the entire study period, both N. apis - and N. ceranae -infections could be diagnosed within the cohort. Logistic regression analysis of the prevalence data demonstrated a significant increase of N. ceranae -infections over the last 12 years, both in autumn (reflecting the development during the summer) and in spring (reflecting the development over winter) samples. Cell culture experiments confirmed that N. ceranae has a higher proliferative potential than N. apis at 27° and 33°C potentially explaining the increase in N. ceranae prevalence during summer. In autumn, characterized by generally low infection prevalence, this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in N. apis -infection prevalence. In contrast, in spring, the season with a higher prevalence of infection, no significant decrease of N. apis infections despite a significant increase in N. ceranae infections could be observed. Therefore, our data do not support a general advantage of N. ceranae over

Genetic detection and quantification of Nosema apis and N. ceranae in the honey bee.

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Bourgeois, A Lelania; Rinderer, Thomas E; Beaman, Lorraine D; Danka, Robert G

2010-01-01

The incidence of nosemosis has increased in recent years due to an emerging infestation of Nosema ceranae in managed honey bee populations in much of the world. A real-time PCR assay was developed to facilitate detection and quantification of both Nosema apis and N. ceranae in both single bee and pooled samples. The assay is a multiplexed reaction in which both species are detected and quantified in a single reaction. The assay is highly sensitive and can detect single copies of the target sequence. Real-time PCR results were calibrated to spore counts generated by standard microscopy procedures. The assay was used to assess bees from commercial apiaries sampled in November 2008 and March 2009. Bees from each colony were pooled. A large amount of variation among colonies was evident, signifying the need to examine large numbers of colonies. Due to sampling constraints, a subset of colonies (from five apiaries) was sampled in both seasons. In November, N. apis levels were 1212+/-148 spores/bee and N. ceranae levels were 51,073+/-31,155 spores/bee. In March, no N. apis was detected, N. ceranae levels were 11,824+/-6304 spores/bee. Changes in N. ceranae levels were evident among apiaries, some increasing and other decreasing. This demonstrates the need for thorough sampling of apiaries and the need for a rapid test for both detection and quantification of both Nosema spp. This assay provides the opportunity for detailed study of disease resistance, infection kinetics, and improvement of disease management practices for honey bees.

Bee-hawking by the wasp, Vespa velutina, on the honeybees Apis cerana and A. mellifera.

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Tan, K; Radloff, S E; Li, J J; Hepburn, H R; Yang, M X; Zhang, L J; Neumann, P

2007-06-01

The vespine wasps, Vespa velutina, specialise in hawking honeybee foragers returning to their nests. We studied their behaviour in China using native Apis cerana and introduced A. mellifera colonies. When the wasps are hawking, A. cerana recruits threefold more guard bees to stave off predation than A. mellifera. The former also utilises wing shimmering as a visual pattern disruption mechanism, which is not shown by A. mellifera. A. cerana foragers halve the time of normal flight needed to dart into the nest entrance, while A. mellifera actually slows down in sashaying flight manoeuvres. V. velutina preferentially hawks A. mellifera foragers when both A. mellifera and A. cerana occur in the same apiary. The pace of wasp-hawking was highest in mid-summer but the frequency of hawking wasps was three times higher at A. mellifera colonies than at the A. cerana colonies. The wasps were taking A. mellifera foragers at a frequency eightfold greater than A. cerana foragers. The final hawking success rates of the wasps were about three times higher for A. mellifera foragers than for A. cerana. The relative success of native A. cerana over European A. mellifera in thwarting predation by the wasp V. velutina is interpreted as the result of co-evolution between the Asian wasp and honeybee, respectively.

Pathogen detection and gut bacteria identification in Apis cerana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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other lactic acid bacteria, were isolated from larvae and adult workers, but gave conflicting preliminary identities based on their biochemistry-morphology versus sequence analysis of a partial fragment (1.4 kb) of their 16S rRNA. Key words: Apis cerana indica, bee pathogens, gut bacteria, multiplex polymerase chain ...

Inhibiting DNA methylation alters olfactory extinction but not acquisition learning in Apis cerana and Apis mellifera.

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Gong, Zhiwen; Wang, Chao; Nieh, James C; Tan, Ken

2016-07-01

DNA methylation plays a key role in invertebrate acquisition and extinction memory. Honey bees have excellent olfactory learning, but the role of DNA methylation in memory formation has, to date, only been studied in Apis mellifera. We inhibited DNA methylation by inhibiting DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) with zebularine (zeb) and studied the resulting effects upon olfactory acquisition and extinction memory in two honey bee species, Apis cerana and A. mellifera. We used the proboscis extension reflex (PER) assay to measure memory. We provide the first demonstration that DNA methylation is also important in the olfactory extinction learning of A. cerana. DNMT did not reduce acquisition learning in either species. However, zeb bidirectionally and differentially altered extinction learning in both species. In particular, zeb provided 1h before acquisition learning improved extinction memory retention in A. mellifera, but reduced extinction memory retention in A. cerana. The reasons for these differences are unclear, but provide a basis for future studies to explore species-specific differences in the effects of methylation on memory formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathogen detection and gut bacteria identification in Apis cerana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A total of 50 colonies of Apis cerana were sampled in Samut Songkhram (five colonies) and Chumphon (45 colonies) provinces in the central and the south of Thailand, respectively. Diagnostic multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that 20, 6, 4, 20 and 0% of the samples were infected by Paenibacillus larvae, ...

Differential physiological effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on honey bees: A comparison between Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

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Li, Zhiguo; Li, Meng; He, Jingfang; Zhao, Xiaomeng; Chaimanee, Veeranan; Huang, Wei-Fone; Nie, Hongyi; Zhao, Yazhou; Su, Songkun

2017-08-01

Acute toxicities (LD50s) of imidacloprid and clothianidin to Apis mellifera and A. cerana were investigated. Changing patterns of immune-related gene expressions and the activities of four enzymes between the two bee species were compared and analyzed after exposure to sublethal doses of insecticides. Results indicated that A. cerana was more sensitive to imidacloprid and clothianidin than A. mellifera. The acute oral LD50 values of imidacloprid and clothianidin for A. mellifera were 8.6 and 2.0ng/bee, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for A. cerana were 2.7 and 0.5ng/bee. The two bee species possessed distinct abilities to mount innate immune response against neonicotinoids. After 48h of imidacloprid treatment, carboxylesterase (CCE), prophenol oxidase (PPO), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities were significantly downregulated in A. mellifera but were upregulated in A. cerana. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was significantly elevated in A. mellifera at 48h after exposure to imidacloprid, but no significant change was observed in A. cerana. AChE was downregulated in both bee species at three different time points during clothianidin exposure, and GST activities were upregulated in both species exposed to clothianidin. Different patterns of immune-related gene expression and enzymatic activities implied distinct detoxification and immune responses of A. cerana and A. mellifera to imidacloprid and clothianidin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The first report of the prevalence of Nosema ceranae in Bulgaria

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Rositsa Shumkova

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are the two main microsporidian parasites causing nosematosis in the honey bee Apis mellifera. The aim of the present study is to investigate the presence of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae in the area of Bulgaria. The 16S (SSU rDNA gene region was chosen for analysis. A duplex PCR assay was performed on 108 honey bee samples from three different parts of the country (South, North and West Bulgaria. The results showed that the samples from the northern part of the country were with the highest prevalence (77.2% for Nosema ceranae while those from the mountainous parts (the Rodopa Mountains, South Bulgaria were with the lowest rate (13.9%. Infection with Nosema apis alone and co-infection N. apis/N. ceranae were not detected in any samples. These findings suggest that Nosema ceranae is the dominant species in the Bulgarian honey bee. It is not known when the introduction of Nosema ceranae in Bulgaria has occurred, but as in the rest of the world, this species has become the dominant one in Bulgarian Apis mellifera. In conclusion, this is the first report for molecular detection of Nosema infection of honey bee in Bulgaria. The results showed that N. ceranae is the main Nosema species in Bulgaria.

A SNP based high-density linkage map of Apis cerana reveals a high recombination rate similar to Apis mellifera.

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Yuan Yuan Shi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is distributed in southern and eastern Asia, from India and China to Korea and Japan and southeast to the Moluccas. This species is also widely kept for honey production besides Apis mellifera. Apis cerana is also a model organism for studying social behavior, caste determination, mating biology, sexual selection, and host-parasite interactions. Few resources are available for molecular research in this species, and a linkage map was never constructed. A linkage map is a prerequisite for quantitative trait loci mapping and for analyzing genome structure. We used the Chinese honey bee, Apis cerana cerana to construct the first linkage map in the Eastern honey bee. RESULTS: F2 workers (N = 103 were genotyped for 126,990 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. After filtering low quality and those not passing the Mendel test, we obtained 3,000 SNPs, 1,535 of these were informative and used to construct a linkage map. The preliminary map contains 19 linkage groups, we then mapped the 19 linkage groups to 16 chromosomes by comparing the markers to the genome of A. mellfiera. The final map contains 16 linkage groups with a total of 1,535 markers. The total genetic distance is 3,942.7 centimorgans (cM with the largest linkage group (180 loci measuring 574.5 cM. Average marker interval for all markers across the 16 linkage groups is 2.6 cM. CONCLUSION: We constructed a high density linkage map for A. c. cerana with 1,535 markers. Because the map is based on SNP markers, it will enable easier and faster genotyping assays than randomly amplified polymorphic DNA or microsatellite based maps used in A. mellifera.

Identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infection in honey bees: establishment of a medium throughput screening assay based on N. ceranae infected cultured cells.

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Gisder, Sebastian; Genersch, Elke

2015-01-01

Many flowering plants in both natural ecosytems and agriculture are dependent on insect pollination for fruit set and seed production. Managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) and wild bees are key pollinators providing this indispensable eco- and agrosystem service. Like all other organisms, bees are attacked by numerous pathogens and parasites. Nosema apis is a honey bee pathogenic microsporidium which is widely distributed in honey bee populations without causing much harm. Its congener Nosema ceranae was originally described as pathogen of the Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) but jumped host from A. cerana to A. mellifera about 20 years ago and spilled over from A. mellifera to Bombus spp. quite recently. N. ceranae is now considered a deadly emerging parasite of both Western honey bees and bumblebees. Hence, novel and sustainable treatment strategies against N. ceranae are urgently needed to protect honey and wild bees. We here present the development of an in vitro medium throughput screening assay for the identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infections. This novel assay is based on our recently developed cell culture model for N. ceranae and coupled with an RT-PCR-ELISA protocol for quantification of N. ceranae in infected cells. The assay has been adapted to the 96-well microplate format to allow automated analysis. Several substances with known (fumagillin) or presumed (surfactin) or no (paromomycin) activity against N. ceranae were tested as well as substances for which no data concerning N. ceranae inhibition existed. While fumagillin and two nitroimidazoles (metronidazole, tinidazole) totally inhibited N. ceranae proliferation, all other test substances were inactive. In summary, the assay proved suitable for substance screening and demonstrated the activity of two synthetic antibiotics against N. ceranae.

Identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infection in honey bees: establishment of a medium throughput screening assay based on N. ceranae infected cultured cells.

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Sebastian Gisder

Full Text Available Many flowering plants in both natural ecosytems and agriculture are dependent on insect pollination for fruit set and seed production. Managed honey bees (Apis mellifera and wild bees are key pollinators providing this indispensable eco- and agrosystem service. Like all other organisms, bees are attacked by numerous pathogens and parasites. Nosema apis is a honey bee pathogenic microsporidium which is widely distributed in honey bee populations without causing much harm. Its congener Nosema ceranae was originally described as pathogen of the Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana but jumped host from A. cerana to A. mellifera about 20 years ago and spilled over from A. mellifera to Bombus spp. quite recently. N. ceranae is now considered a deadly emerging parasite of both Western honey bees and bumblebees. Hence, novel and sustainable treatment strategies against N. ceranae are urgently needed to protect honey and wild bees. We here present the development of an in vitro medium throughput screening assay for the identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infections. This novel assay is based on our recently developed cell culture model for N. ceranae and coupled with an RT-PCR-ELISA protocol for quantification of N. ceranae in infected cells. The assay has been adapted to the 96-well microplate format to allow automated analysis. Several substances with known (fumagillin or presumed (surfactin or no (paromomycin activity against N. ceranae were tested as well as substances for which no data concerning N. ceranae inhibition existed. While fumagillin and two nitroimidazoles (metronidazole, tinidazole totally inhibited N. ceranae proliferation, all other test substances were inactive. In summary, the assay proved suitable for substance screening and demonstrated the activity of two synthetic antibiotics against N. ceranae.

Cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana.

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Zhang, Li-Zhen; Zhang, Shao-Wu; Wang, Zi-Long; Yan, Wei-Yu; Zeng, Zhi-Jiang

2014-10-01

The power of the small honeybee brain carrying out behavioral and cognitive tasks has been shown repeatedly to be highly impressive. The present study investigates, for the first time, the cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana. To explore the role and molecular mechanisms of cross-modal learning in A. cerana, the honeybees were trained and tested in a modified Y-maze with seven visual and five olfactory stimulus, where a robust visual threshold for black/white grating (period of 2.8°-3.8°) and relatively olfactory threshold (concentration of 50-25%) was obtained. Meanwhile, the expression levels of five genes (AcCREB, Acdop1, Acdop2, Acdop3, Actyr1) related to learning and memory were analyzed under different training conditions by real-time RT-PCR. The experimental results indicate that A. cerana could exhibit cross-modal interactions between visual and olfactory learning by reducing the threshold level of the conditioning stimuli, and that these genes may play important roles in the learning process of honeybees.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for rapid detection and differentiation of Nosema apis and N. ceranae in honeybees.

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Ptaszyńska, Aneta A; Borsuk, Grzegorz; Woźniakowski, Grzegorz; Gnat, Sebastian; Małek, Wanda

2014-08-01

Nosemosis is a contagious disease of honeybees (Apis mellifera) manifested by increased winter mortality, poor spring build-up and even the total extinction of infected bee colonies. In this paper, loop-mediated isothermal amplifications (LAMP) were used for the first time to identify and differentiate N. apis and N. ceranae, the causative agents of nosemosis. LAMP assays were performed at a constant temperature of 60 °C using two sets of six species-specific primers, recognising eight distinct fragments of 16S rDNA gene and GspSSD polymerase with strand displacement activity. The optimal time for LAMP and its Nosema species sensitivity and specificity were assessed. LAMP only required 30 min for robust identification of the amplicons. Ten-fold serial dilutions of total DNA isolated from bees infected with microsporidia were used to determine the detection limit of N. apis and N. ceranae DNAs by LAMP and standard PCR assays. LAMP appeared to be 10(3) -fold more sensitive than a standard PCR in detecting N. apis and N. ceranae. LAMP methods developed by us are highly Nosema species specific and allow to identify and differentiate N. apis and N. ceranae. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Host Specificity in the Honeybee Parasitic Mite, Varroa spp. in Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

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Alexis L Beaurepaire

Full Text Available The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major global threat to the Western honeybee Apis mellifera. This mite was originally a parasite of A. cerana in Asia but managed to spill over into colonies of A. mellifera which had been introduced to this continent for honey production. To date, only two almost clonal types of V. destructor from Korea and Japan have been detected in A. mellifera colonies. However, since both A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies are kept in close proximity throughout Asia, not only new spill overs but also spill backs of highly virulent types may be possible, with unpredictable consequences for both honeybee species. We studied the dispersal and hybridisation potential of Varroa from sympatric colonies of the two hosts in Northern Vietnam and the Philippines using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers. We found a very distinct mtDNA haplotype equally invading both A. mellifera and A. cerana in the Philippines. In contrast, we observed a complete reproductive isolation of various Vietnamese Varroa populations in A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies even if kept in the same apiaries. In light of this variance in host specificity, the adaptation of the mite to its hosts seems to have generated much more genetic diversity than previously recognised and the Varroa species complex may include substantial cryptic speciation.

A glutathione S-transferase gene associated with antioxidant properties isolated from Apis cerana cerana

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuchang; Liu, Feng; Jia, Haihong; Yan, Yan; Wang, Hongfang; Guo, Xingqi; Xu, Baohua

2016-06-01

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are an important family of multifunctional enzymes in aerobic organisms. They play a crucial role in the detoxification of exogenous compounds, especially insecticides, and protection against oxidative stress. Most previous studies of GSTs in insects have largely focused on their role in insecticide resistance. Here, we isolated a theta class GST gene designated AccGSTT1 from Apis cerana cerana and aimed to explore its antioxidant and antibacterial attributes. Analyses of homology and phylogenetic relationships suggested that the predicted amino acid sequence of AccGSTT1 shares a high level of identity with the other hymenopteran GSTs and that it was conserved during evolution. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that AccGSTT1 is most highly expressed in adult stages and that the expression profile of this gene is significantly altered in response to various abiotic stresses. These results were confirmed using western blot analysis. Additionally, a disc diffusion assay showed that a recombinant AccGSTT1 protein may be roughly capable of inhibiting bacterial growth and that it reduces the resistance of Escherichia coli cells to multiple adverse stresses. Taken together, these data indicate that AccGSTT1 may play an important role in antioxidant processes under adverse stress conditions.

The Honey Bee Parasite Nosema ceranae: Transmissible via Food Exchange?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smith, M.L.

2012-01-01

Nosema ceranae, a newly introduced parasite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is contributing to worldwide colony losses. Other Nosema species, such as N. apis, tend to be associated with increased defecation and spread via a fecal-oral pathway, but because N. ceranae does not induce defecation, it

Identification of a melatonin receptor type 1A gene ( AccMTNR1A) in Apis cerana cerana and its possible involvement in the response to low temperature stress

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guilin; Zhang, Yanming; Ni, Yong; Wang, Ying; Xu, Baohua; Guo, Xingqi

2018-04-01

It is known that melatonin plays an indispensable role in the defense against some environment-induced stresses. The melatonin receptor (MTNR) is also closely linked to the environmental stress response in mammals. However, little is known about the function of the MTNR in insects, including honeybees. In this study, we identified a MTNR from Apis cerana cerana named AccMTNR1A, which contained a typical seven-transmembrane domain common to this family of receptors. A subcellular localization analysis showed that AccMTNR1A was localized in the cytomembrane. Additionally, we found that cold stress apparently boosted AccMTNR1A transcription, indicating that AccMTNR1A possibly connects to the cold stress response. The knockdown of AccMTNR1A attenuated the expression level of some genes associated with the cold stress response, suggesting that AccMTNR1A likely plays an analogous role with these genes during low temperature stress response. Moreover, silencing of AccMTNR1A also suppressed the transcription of some antioxidant genes, prompting the possibility that the response of AccMTNR1A to cold stress response may be related to antioxidant signaling pathways. Collectively, the findings presented here provide evidence that AccMTNR1A may play essential roles in protecting Apis cerana cerana from cold stress.

Novel diagnostic tools for Asian (Apis cerana) and European (Apis mellifera) honey authentication.

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Soares, Sónia; Grazina, Liliana; Mafra, Isabel; Costa, Joana; Pinto, M Alice; Duc, Hanh Pham; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P; Amaral, Joana S

2018-03-01

Honey can be produced by different species of honeybees, with two being of economic importance due to their use in apiculture, namely Apis mellifera (known as European honeybee) and Apis cerana (known as Asian honeybee). Due to the decline of the wild populations of the Asian honeybee, this honey generally attains much higher market value, being prone to adulteration. This work aims at proposing new tools, based on the use of molecular markers, for the entomological authentication of honey. To this end, new species-specific primers were designed targeting the tRNA leu -cox2 intergenic region and allowing the detection of A. cerana DNA by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, a novel real-time PCR method with high resolution melting analysis was developed to target the 16S rRNA gene of both bee species, allowing their discrimination in different clusters. The proposed methodologies were further applied with success in the authentication of Asian and European honey samples by the identification of honeybee DNA, demonstrating the usefulness of these simple and cost-effective new approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic reincarnation of workers as queens in the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana.

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Holmes, M J; Tan, K; Wang, Z; Oldroyd, B P; Beekman, M

2015-01-01

Thelytokous parthenogenesis, or the asexual production of female offspring, is rare in the animal kingdom, but relatively common in social Hymenoptera. However, in honeybees, it is only known to be ubiquitous in one subspecies of Apis mellifera, the Cape honeybee, A. mellifera capensis. Here we report the appearance of queen cells in two colonies of the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana that no longer contained a queen or queen-produced brood to rear queens from. A combination of microsatellite genotyping and the timing of the appearance of these individuals excluded the possibility that they had been laid by the original queen. Based on the genotypes of these individuals, thelytokous production by natal workers is the most parsimonious explanation for their existence. Thus, we present the first example of thelytoky in a honeybee outside A. mellifera. We discuss the evolutionary and ecological consequences of thelytoky in A. cerana, in particular the role thelytoky may play in the recent invasions by populations of this species.

Nosema ceranae induced mortality in honey bees (Apis mellifera) depends on infection methods.

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Milbrath, Meghan O; Xie, Xianbing; Huang, Zachary Y

2013-09-01

Nosema ceranae infection can reduce survival of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, but experiments examining its virulence have highly variable results. This variation may arise from differences in experimental techniques. We examined survival effects of two techniques: Nosema infection at day 1 without anesthesia and infection at day 5 using CO2 anesthesia. All bees infected with the latter method had poorer survival. Interestingly, these bees also had significantly fewer spores than bees infected without anesthesia. These results indicate that differences in Nosema ceranae-induced mortality in honey bees may be partially due to differences in experimental techniques. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactions Among Host–Parasite MicroRNAs During Nosema ceranae Proliferation in Apis mellifera

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Jay D. Evans

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We previously identified microRNA (miRNA from Nosema ceranae and found that knockdowns of transcripts for the parasite protein Dicer greatly reduce parasite reproduction. In order to study parasitic miRNA functions and identify candidate target genes, we fed honey bees infected with N. ceranae with small interfering RNA (siRNA targeting the N. ceranae gene Dicer. We then deep-sequenced honey bee and N. ceranae miRNAs daily across a full 6-day proliferation cycle. We found seven honey bee and five N. ceranae miRNAs that were significantly differently expressed between the infection and siRNA-Dicer groups. N. ceranae miRNA showed potentially strong impacts on the N. ceranae transcriptome, where over 79% of the total protein coding genes were significantly correlated with one or more miRNAs. N. ceranae miRNAs also can regulate honey bee metabolism and immune response, given parasitic miRNAs were secreted into the cytoplasm. Our results suggest that N. ceranae miRNAs regulate both parasite and host gene expression, providing new insights for microsporidia parasitism evolution.

BEE VENOM TRAP DESIGN OF APIS MELLIFERA L. AND APIS CERANA F. HONEY BEES

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Budiaman

2015-01-01

The nectar and pollen of flowers which are abundance have not been taken into account for any purpose in forest, agriculture and plantation area. Honey bees such as Apis mellifera L. and Apis cerana F. had known as biological pollinators which could converted the flower components to be high economy products in the forms of honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee wax and bee venom. Among the products, bee venom has the best selling value, but the method of it???s optimal production has not been ext...

Pheromones affecting ovary activation and ovariole loss in the Asian honey bee Apis cerana.

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Tan, Ken; Liu, Xiwen; Dong, Sihao; Wang, Chao; Oldroyd, Benjamin P

2015-03-01

The Asian hive bee Apis cerana has similar queen mandibular pheromones (QMP) to the Western honey bee Apismellifera. However the effects of individual QMP components have never been tested to determine their effects on the reproductive physiology of A. cerana workers. We fed one queen equivalent of each of the major components of A. cerana QMP to groups of c.a. 500 day-old, caged, workers twice a day until the workers were 10 days old. Half of the cages were also provided with 10% royal jelly in the food. Workers were sampled each day and dissected to determine the number of ovarioles and the degree of ovary activation (egg development). In cages treated with 9-carbon fatty acids ovary activation was minimal, whereas the 10-carbon acids suppressed ovary activation very little. Royal jelly enhanced ovary activation, especially in cages treated with 10-carbon acids. The number of ovarioles declined with bee age, but the rate of decline was slowed by the 9-carbon acids in particular. The results show conservation of the composition and function of QMP between A. cerana and A. mellifera and support the hypothesis that QMP is an honest signal of queen fecundity rather than a chemical castrator of workers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colony Level Prevalence and Intensity of Nosema ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

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Lucas, Hannah M.; Webster, Thomas C.; Sagili, Ramesh R.

2016-01-01

Nosema ceranae is a widely prevalent microsporidian parasite in the western honey bee. There is considerable uncertainty regarding infection dynamics of this important pathogen in honey bee colonies. Understanding the infection dynamics at the colony level may aid in development of a reliable sampling protocol for N. ceranae diagnosis, and provide insights into efficient treatment strategies. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence (proportion of the sampled bees found infected) and intensity (number of spores per bee) of N. ceranae infection in bees from various age cohorts in a colony. We examined N. ceranae infection in both overwintered colonies that were naturally infected with N. ceranae and in quadruple cohort nucleus colonies that were established and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae. We also examined and quantified effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland protein content and gut pH. There was no correlation between the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection in composite samples (pooled bee samples used for analysis). Our results indicated that the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection is significantly influenced by honey bee age. The N. ceranae infection prevalence values from composite samples of background bees (unmarked bees collected from four different locations in a colony) were not significantly different from those pertaining to marked-bee age cohorts specific to each sampling date. The foraging-aged bees had a higher prevalence of N. ceranae infection when compared to nurse-aged bees. N. ceranae did not have a significant effect on hypopharyngeal gland protein content. Further, there was no significant difference in mean gut pH of N. ceranae infected bees and non-infected bees. This study provides comprehensive insights into N. ceranae infection dynamics at the colony level, and also demonstrates the effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland protein content and

Colony Level Prevalence and Intensity of Nosema ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L..

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Cameron J Jack

Full Text Available Nosema ceranae is a widely prevalent microsporidian parasite in the western honey bee. There is considerable uncertainty regarding infection dynamics of this important pathogen in honey bee colonies. Understanding the infection dynamics at the colony level may aid in development of a reliable sampling protocol for N. ceranae diagnosis, and provide insights into efficient treatment strategies. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence (proportion of the sampled bees found infected and intensity (number of spores per bee of N. ceranae infection in bees from various age cohorts in a colony. We examined N. ceranae infection in both overwintered colonies that were naturally infected with N. ceranae and in quadruple cohort nucleus colonies that were established and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae. We also examined and quantified effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland protein content and gut pH. There was no correlation between the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection in composite samples (pooled bee samples used for analysis. Our results indicated that the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection is significantly influenced by honey bee age. The N. ceranae infection prevalence values from composite samples of background bees (unmarked bees collected from four different locations in a colony were not significantly different from those pertaining to marked-bee age cohorts specific to each sampling date. The foraging-aged bees had a higher prevalence of N. ceranae infection when compared to nurse-aged bees. N. ceranae did not have a significant effect on hypopharyngeal gland protein content. Further, there was no significant difference in mean gut pH of N. ceranae infected bees and non-infected bees. This study provides comprehensive insights into N. ceranae infection dynamics at the colony level, and also demonstrates the effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland

Changes in Alternative Splicing in Apis Mellifera Bees Fed Apis Cerana Royal Jelly

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Shi Yuan Yuan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera is a social insect characterized by caste differentiation in which the queen bee and worker bees display marked differences in morphology, behavior, reproduction, and longevity despite their identical genomes. The main causative factor in caste differentiation is the food fed to queen larvae, termed royal jelly (RJ. Alternative splicing (AS is an important RNA-mediated post-transcriptional process in eukaryotes. Here we report AS changes in A. mellifera after being fed either A. mellifera RJ or A. cerana RJ. The results demonstrated that the RJ type affected 4 types of AS in adult A. mellifera: exon skipping, intron retention, alternative 5’ splice sites, and alternative 3’splice sites. After feeding with A. cerana RJ, AS occurred in many genes in adult A. mellifera that encode proteins involved in development, growth, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and substance metabolism. This study provides the first evidence that heterospecific RJ can influence the AS of many genes related to honey bee development and growth.

Research on Biomimetic Models and Nanomechanical Behaviour of Membranous Wings of Chinese Bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius

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Yanru Zhao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The structures combining the veins and membranes of membranous wings of the Chinese bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius into a whole have excellent load-resisting capacity. The membranous wings of Chinese bees were taken as research objects and the mechanical properties of a biomimetic model of membranous wings as targets. In order to understand and learn from the biosystem and then make technical innovation, the membranous wings of Chinese bees were simulated and analysed with reverse engineering and finite element method. The deformations and stress states of the finite element model of membranous wings were researched under the concentrated force, uniform load, and torque. It was found that the whole model deforms evenly and there are no unusual deformations arising. The displacements and deformations are small and transform uniformly. It was indicated that the veins and membranes combine well into a whole to transmit loads effectively, which illustrates the membranous wings of Chinese bees having excellent integral mechanical behaviour and structure stiffness. The realization of structure models of the membranous wings of Chinese bees and analysis of the relativity of structures and performances or functions will provide an inspiration for designing biomimetic thin-film materials with superior load-bearing capacity.

Western honeybee drones and workers (Apis mellifera ligustica) have different olfactory mechanisms than eastern honeybees (Apis cerana cerana).

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Woltedji, Dereje; Song, Feifei; Zhang, Lan; Gala, Alemayehu; Han, Bin; Feng, Mao; Fang, Yu; Li, Jianke

2012-09-07

The honeybees Apis mellifera ligustica (Aml) and Apis cerana cerana (Acc) are two different western and eastern bee species that evolved in distinct ecologies and developed specific antennal olfactory systems for their survival. Knowledge of how their antennal olfactory systems function in regards to the success of each respective bee species is scarce. We compared the antennal morphology and proteome between respective sexually mature drones and foraging workers of both species using a scanning electron microscope, two-dimensional electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Despite the general similarities in antennal morphology of the drone and worker bees between the two species, a total of 106 and 100 proteins altered their expression in the drones' and the workers' antennae, respectively. This suggests that the differences in the olfactory function of each respective bee are supported by the change of their proteome. Of the 106 proteins that altered their expression in the drones, 72 (68%) and 34 (32%) were overexpressed in the drones of Aml and Acc, respectively. The antennae of the Aml drones were built up by the highly expressed proteins that were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy production, molecular transporters, antioxidation, and fatty acid metabolism in contrast to the Acc drones. This is believed to enhance the antennal olfactory functions of the Aml drones as compared to the Acc drones during their mating flight. Likewise, of the 100 proteins with expression changes between the worker bees of the two species, 67% were expressed in higher levels in the antennae of Aml worker contrasting to 33% in the Acc worker. The overall higher expressions of proteins related to carbohydrate metabolism and energy production, molecular transporters, and antioxidation in the Aml workers compared with the Acc workers indicate the Aml workers require more antennal proteins for their olfactory

Phylogenetic analysis and survey of Apis cerana strain of Sacbrood virus (AcSBV) in Taiwan suggests a recent introduction.

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Huang, Wei-Fone; Mehmood, Shahid; Huang, Shaokang; Chen, Yue-Wen; Ko, Chong-Yu; Su, Songkun

2017-06-01

The Sacbrood virus (SBV) is widely distributed in European honey bees, Apis mellifera. AcSBV, a distinct SBV strain in Asian honey bees (A. cerana) causes larva death before pupation and often depopulates colonies, leading to collapse. It is the most severe disease in A. cerana beekeeping. AcSBV infects A. cerana in most natural habitats, yet occurrences were not reported in Taiwan before 2015 and were not a concern for local beekeepers. However, in 2016, A. cerana beekeepers in central Taiwan reported SBV-like symptoms. We screened samples of larvae using RT-PCR and surveyed asymptomatic apiaries in north Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that AcSBV isolates from central Taiwan were introduced; all isolates had high similarity in sequences to AcSBV genomes identified in mainland China, Vietnam, and Korea and distinct differences to SBV sequence identified in Taiwan. The overall prevalence in symptomatic colonies was low. No latent infections were detected in asymptomatic colonies. The AcSBV epizootic may not yet have reached its highest potential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nosema ceranae parasitism impacts olfactory learning and memory and neurochemistry in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

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Gage, Stephanie L; Kramer, Catherine; Calle, Samantha; Carroll, Mark; Heien, Michael; DeGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria

2018-02-19

Nosema sp. is an internal parasite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera , and one of the leading contributors to colony losses worldwide. This parasite is found in the honey bee midgut and has profound consequences for the host's physiology. Nosema sp. impairs foraging performance in honey bees, yet, it is unclear whether this parasite affects the bee's neurobiology. In this study, we examined whether Nosema sp. affects odor learning and memory and whether the brains of parasitized bees show differences in amino acids and biogenic amines. We took newly emerged bees and fed them with Nosema ceranae At approximate nurse and forager ages, we employed an odor-associative conditioning assay using the proboscis extension reflex and two bioanalytical techniques to measure changes in brain chemistry. We found that nurse-aged bees infected with N. ceranae significantly outperformed controls in odor learning and memory, suggestive of precocious foraging, but by forager age, infected bees showed deficits in learning and memory. We also detected significant differences in amino acid concentrations, some of which were age specific, as well as altered serotonin, octopamine, dopamine and l-dopa concentrations in the brains of parasitized bees. These findings suggest that N. ceranae infection affects honey bee neurobiology and may compromise behavioral tasks. These results yield new insight into the host-parasite dynamic of honey bees and N. ceranae , as well as the neurochemistry of odor learning and memory under normal and parasitic conditions. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Brain metabolomic profiling of eastern honey bee (Apis cerana infested with the mite Varroa destructor.

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Jiang-Li Wu

Full Text Available The mite Varroa destructor is currently the greatest threat to apiculture as it is causing a global decrease in honey bee colonies. However, it rarely causes serious damage to its native hosts, the eastern honey bees Apis cerana. To better understand the mechanism of resistance of A. cerana against the V. destructor mite, we profiled the metabolic changes that occur in the honey bee brain during V. destructor infestation. Brain samples were collected from infested and control honey bees and then measured using an untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS-based global metabolomics method, in which 7918 and 7462 ions in ESI+ and ESI- mode, respectively, were successfully identified. Multivariate statistical analyses were applied, and 64 dysregulated metabolites, including fatty acids, amino acids, carboxylic acid, and phospholipids, amongst others, were identified. Pathway analysis further revealed that linoleic acid metabolism; propanoate metabolism; and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism were acutely perturbed. The data obtained in this study offer insight into the defense mechanisms of A. cerana against V. destructor mites and provide a better method for understanding the synergistic effects of parasitism on honey bee colonies.

Resisting majesty: Apis cerana, has lower antennal sensitivity and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone than Apis mellifera

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Shihao Dong; Ping Wen; Qi Zhang; Xinyu Li; Ken Tan; James Nieh

2017-01-01

In highly social bees, queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) is vital for colony life. Both Apis cerana (Ac) and Apis mellifera (Am) share an evolutionarily conserved set of QMP compounds: (E)-9-oxodec-2-enoic acid (9-ODA), (E)-9-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid (9-HDA), (E)-10-hydroxy-dec-2-enoic acid (10-HDA), 10-hydroxy-decanoic acid (10-HDAA), and methyl p?hydroxybenzoate (HOB) found at similar levels. However, evidence suggests there may be species-specific sensitivity differences to QMP compounds bec...

Comparative Analyses of Cu-Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) and Thioredoxin Reductase (TrxR) at the mRNA Level between Apis mellifera L. and Apis cerana F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Under Stress Conditions.

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Koo, Hyun-Na; Lee, Soon-Gyu; Yun, Seung-Hwan; Kim, Hyun Kyung; Choi, Yong Soo; Kim, Gil-Hah

2016-01-01

This study compared stress-induced expression of Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) genes in the European honeybee Apis mellifera L. and Asian honeybee Apis cerana F. Expression of both SOD1 and TrxR rapidly increased up to 5 h after exposure to cold (4 °C) or heat (37 °C) treatment and then gradually decreased, with a stronger effect induced by cold stress in A. mellifera compared with A. cerana. Injection of stress-inducing substances (methyl viologen, [MV] and H2O2) also increased SOD1 and TrxR expression in both A. mellifera and A. cerana, and this effect was more pronounced with MV than H2O2. Additionally, we heterologously expressed the A. mellifera and A. cerana SOD1 and TrxR proteins in an Escherichia coli expression system, and detection by SDS-PAGE, confirmed by Western blotting using anti-His tag antibodies, revealed bands at 16 and 60 kDa, respectively. Our results show that the expression patterns of SOD1 and TrxR differ between A. mellifera and A. cerana under conditions of low or high temperature as well as oxidative stress. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Effects of Nosema ceranae and thiametoxam in Apis mellifera: A comparative study in Africanized and Carniolan honey bees.

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Gregorc, Ales; Silva-Zacarin, Elaine C M; Carvalho, Stephan Malfitano; Kramberger, Doris; Teixeira, Erica W; Malaspina, Osmar

2016-03-01

Multiple stressors, such as chemicals and pathogens, are likely to be detrimental for the health and lifespan of Apis mellifera, a bee species frequently exposed to both factors in the field and inside hives. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate comparatively the health of Carniolan and Africanized honey bees (AHB) co-exposed to thiamethoxam and Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae) spores. Newly-emerged worker honey bees were exposed solely with different sublethal doses of thiamethoxam (2% and 0.2% of LD50 for AHB), which could be consumed by bees under field conditions. Toxicity tests for the Carniolan bees were performed, and the LD50 of thiamethoxam for Carniolan honey bees was 7.86 ng bee(-1). Immunohistological analyses were also performed to detect cell death in the midgut of thiamethoxam and/or N. ceranae treated bees. Thiamethoxam exposure had no negative impact on Nosema development in experimental conditions, but it clearly inhibited cell death in the midgut of thiamethoxam and Nosema-exposed bees, as demonstrated by immunohistochemical data. Indeed, thiamethoxam exposure only had a minor synergistic toxic effect on midgut tissue when applied as a low dose simultaneously with N. ceranae to AHB and Carniolan honey bees, in comparison with the effect caused by both stressors separately. Our data provides insights into the effects of the neonicotenoid thiamethoxam on the AHB and Carniolan honey bee life span, as well as the effects of simultaneous application of thiamethoxam and N. ceranae spores to honey bees. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Identification and characterization of an Apis cerana cerana Delta class glutathione S-transferase gene ( AccGSTD) in response to thermal stress

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Yan, Huiru; Jia, Haihong; Wang, Xiuling; Gao, Hongru; Guo, Xingqi; Xu, Baohua

2013-02-01

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are members of a multifunctional enzyme super family that plays a pivotal role in both insecticide resistance and protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we identified a single-copy gene, AccGSTD, as being a Delta class GST in the Chinese honey bee ( Apis cerana cerana). A predicted antioxidant response element, CREB, was found in the 1,492-bp 5'-flanking region, suggesting that AccGSTD may be involved in oxidative stress response pathways. Real-time PCR and immunolocalization studies demonstrated that AccGSTD exhibited both developmental- and tissue-specific expression patterns. During development, AccGSTD transcript was increased in adults. The AccGSTD expression level was the highest in the honey bee brain. Thermal stress experiments demonstrated that AccGSTD could be significantly upregulated by temperature changes in a time-dependent manner. It is hypothesized that high expression levels might be due to the increased levels of oxidative stress caused by the temperature challenges. Additionally, functional assays of the recombinant AccGSTD protein revealed that AccGSTD has the capability to protect DNA from oxidative damage. Taken together, these data suggest that AccGSTD may be responsible for antioxidant defense in adult honey bees.

The honey bee parasite Nosema ceranae: transmissible via food exchange?

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Michael L Smith

Full Text Available Nosema ceranae, a newly introduced parasite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is contributing to worldwide colony losses. Other Nosema species, such as N. apis, tend to be associated with increased defecation and spread via a fecal-oral pathway, but because N. ceranae does not induce defecation, it may instead be spread via an oral-oral pathway. Cages that separated older infected bees from young uninfected bees were used to test whether N. ceranae can be spread during food exchange. When cages were separated by one screen, food could be passed between the older bees and the young bees, but when separated by two screens, food could not be passed between the two cages. Young uninfected bees were also kept isolated in cages, as a solitary control. After 4 days of exposure to the older bees, and 10 days to incubate infections, young bees were more likely to be infected in the 1-Screen Test treatment vs. the 2-Screen Test treatment (P=0.0097. Young bees fed by older bees showed a 13-fold increase in mean infection level relative to young bees not fed by older bees (1-Screen Test 40.8%; 2-Screen Test 3.4%; Solo Control 2.8%. Although fecal-oral transmission is still possible in this experimental design, oral-oral infectivity could help explain the rapid spread of N. ceranae worldwide.

Histochemical Comparison of the Hypopharyngeal Gland in Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 Workers and Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 Workers

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Guntima Suwannapong

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Hypopharyngeal glands of honeybee are age-dependent structures that change with the size of acini and are correlated with various social behaviors. The histochemical structure of Apis cerana and A. mellifera worker hypopharyngeal glands in four different developmental stages wes stained with ninhydrin Schiff's and periodic acid Schiff's reagents (PAS for localization of proteins and carbohydrates, respectively, and examined with light microscopy. Nurse bees of both honeybee species had significantly larger glands as compared to guards and forgers, but there were no statistically significant differences between these two species after accounting for caste. Gland protein concentration increased progressively in nurse bees, and this was correlated with the appearance of enriched protein granules in the cytoplasm. In addition, the hypopharyngeal gland protein concentration of A. mellifera was higher than that of A. cerana even though gland size was not significantly different between species. However, gland size was shown to have decreased progressively in foragers and guards.

Effects of pollen dilution on infection of Nosema ceranae in honey bees.

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Jack, Cameron J; Uppala, Sai Sree; Lucas, Hannah M; Sagili, Ramesh R

2016-04-01

Multiple stressors are currently threatening honey bee health, including pests and pathogens. Among honey bee pathogens, Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian found parasitizing the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) relatively recently. Honey bee colonies are fed pollen or protein substitute during pollen dearth to boost colony growth and immunity against pests and pathogens. Here we hypothesize that N. ceranae intensity and prevalence will be low in bees receiving high pollen diets, and that honey bees on high pollen diets will have higher survival and/or increased longevity. To test this hypothesis we examined the effects of different quantities of pollen on (a) the intensity and prevalence of N. ceranae and (b) longevity and nutritional physiology of bees inoculated with N. ceranae. Significantly higher spore intensities were observed in treatments that received higher pollen quantities (1:0 and 1:1 pollen:cellulose) when compared to treatments that received relatively lower pollen quantities. There were no significant differences in N. ceranae prevalence among different pollen diet treatments. Interestingly, the bees in higher pollen quantity treatments also had significantly higher survival despite higher intensities of N. ceranae. Significantly higher hypopharyngeal gland protein was observed in the control (no Nosema infection, and receiving a diet of 1:0 pollen:cellulose), followed by 1:0 pollen:cellulose treatment that was inoculated with N. ceranae. Here we demonstrate that diet with higher pollen quantity increases N. ceranae intensity, but also enhances the survival or longevity of honey bees. The information from this study could potentially help beekeepers formulate appropriate protein feeding regimens for their colonies to mitigate N. ceranae problems. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Genetic structure of Mount Huang honey bee (Apis cerana) populations: evidence from microsatellite polymorphism.

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Liu, Fang; Shi, Tengfei; Huang, Sisi; Yu, Linsheng; Bi, Shoudong

2016-01-01

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. The results revealed that 16 pairs of primers used amplified a total of 143 alleles. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 13, with a mean value of 8.94 alleles per locus. Observed and expected heterozygosities showed mean values of 0.446 and 0.831 respectively. UPGMA cluster analysis grouped seven eastern honey bees in three groups. The results obtained show a high genetic diversity in the honey bee populations studied in Mount Huang, and high differentiation among all the populations, suggesting that scarce exchange of honey bee species happened in Mount Huang. Our study demonstrated that the Mount Huang honey bee populations still have a natural genome worth being protected for conservation.

Honey bee Apis mellifera parasites in the absence of Nosema ceranae fungi and Varroa destructor mites.

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Shutler, Dave; Head, Krista; Burgher-MacLellan, Karen L; Colwell, Megan J; Levitt, Abby L; Ostiguy, Nancy; Williams, Geoffrey R

2014-01-01

Few areas of the world have western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies that are free of invasive parasites Nosema ceranae (fungi) and Varroa destructor (mites). Particularly detrimental is V. destructor; in addition to feeding on host haemolymph, these mites are important vectors of several viruses that are further implicated as contributors to honey bee mortality around the world. Thus, the biogeography and attendant consequences of viral communities in the absence of V. destructor are of significant interest. The island of Newfoundland, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, is free of V. destructor; the absence of N. ceranae has not been confirmed. Of 55 Newfoundland colonies inspected visually for their strength and six signs of disease, only K-wing had prevalence above 5% (40/55 colonies = 72.7%). Similar to an earlier study, screenings again confirmed the absence of V. destructor, small hive beetles Aethina tumida (Murray), tracheal mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie), and Tropilaelaps spp. ectoparasitic mites. Of a subset of 23 colonies screened molecularly for viruses, none had Israeli acute paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, or sacbrood virus. Sixteen of 23 colonies (70.0%) were positive for black queen cell virus, and 21 (91.3%) had some evidence for deformed wing virus. No N. ceranae was detected in molecular screens of 55 colonies, although it is possible extremely low intensity infections exist; the more familiar N. apis was found in 53 colonies (96.4%). Under these conditions, K-wing was associated (positively) with colony strength; however, viruses and N. apis were not. Furthermore, black queen cell virus was positively and negatively associated with K-wing and deformed wing virus, respectively. Newfoundland honey bee colonies are thus free of several invasive parasites that plague operations in other parts of the world, and they provide a unique research arena to study independent pathology of the parasites that are present.

Foragers of sympatric Asian honey bee species intercept competitor signals by avoiding benzyl acetate from Apis cerana alarm pheromone.

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Wen, Ping; Cheng, Yanan; Qu, Yufeng; Zhang, Hongxia; Li, Jianjun; Bell, Heather; Tan, Ken; Nieh, James

2017-07-27

While foraging, animals can form inter- and intraspecific social signalling networks to avoid similar predators. We report here that foragers of different native Asian honey bee species can detect and use a specialized alarm pheromone component, benzyl acetate (BA), to avoid danger. We analysed the volatile alarm pheromone produced by attacked workers of the most abundant native Asian honey bee, Apis cerana and tested the responses of other bee species to these alarm signals. As compared to nest guards, A. cerana foragers produced 3.38 fold higher levels of BA. In foragers, BA and (E)-dec-2-en-1-yl acetate (DA) generated the strongest antennal electrophysiological responses. BA was also the only compound that alerted flying foragers and inhibited A. cerana foraging. BA thereby decreased A. cerana foraging for risky sites. Interestingly, although BA occurs only in trace amounts and is nearly absent in sympatric honeybee species (respectively only 0.07% and 0.44% as much in A. dorsata and A. florea), these floral generalists detected and avoided BA as strongly as they did to their own alarm pheromone on natural inflorescences. These results demonstrate that competing pollinators can take advantage of alarm signal information provided by other species.

Molecular recognition of floral volatile with two olfactory related proteins in the Eastern honeybee (Apis cerana).

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Li, Hongliang; Zhang, Linya; Ni, Cuixia; Shang, Hanwu; Zhuang, Shulin; Li, Jianke

2013-05-01

The honeybee relies on its sensitive olfaction to perform the foraging activities in the field. In the antennal chemoreception system of honeybee, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory protein (CSPs) are major two protein families capable of binding with some plant volatiles and chemical ligands. However, the chemical binding interaction of plant odors with OBPs and CSPs in the honeybee olfactory system is still not clear yet. Hence, complex fluorescent spectra, ultraviolet absorption spectra, circular dichroism spectra and molecular docking were used to investigate the binding property of AcerASP2 (an OBP of Apis cerana) and AcerASP3 (a CSP of Apis cerana) with β-ionone, one of ordinary floral volatiles in botanical flower. As a result, β-ionone had a strong capability to quench the fluorescence that the two proteins produced, and their interaction was a dynamic process that was mainly driven by a hydrophobic force. AcerASP2 had a larger hydrophobic cavity than that of AcerASP3 and the conformation of AcerASP2 was changed less than AcerASP3 when binding with β-ionone. Our data suggests that OBPs like AcerASP2 might make a large contribution toward assisting the honeybee in sensing and foraging flowers, and A. cerana has evolved a good circadian rhythm to perceive a flower's odor following the fluctuation of temperature in the olfactory system. This significantly extends our knowledge on how to strengthen the honeybees' pollination service via manipulation of target proteins in the olfactory system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chronic Nosema ceranae infection inflicts comprehensive and persistent immunosuppression and accelerated lipid loss in host Apis mellifera honey bees.

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Li, Wenfeng; Chen, Yanping; Cook, Steven C

2018-05-01

Nosema ceranae is an intracellular microsporidian parasite of the Asian honey bee Apis cerana and the European honey bee Apis mellifera. Until relatively recently, A. mellifera honey bees were naïve to N. ceranae infection. Symptoms of nosemosis, or Nosema disease, in the infected hosts include immunosuppression, damage to gut epithelium, nutrient and energetic stress, precocious foraging and reduced longevity of infected bees. Links remain unclear between immunosuppression, the symptoms of nutrient and energetic stress, and precocious foraging behavior of hosts. To clarify physiological connections, we inoculated newly emerged A. mellifera adult workers with N. ceranae spores, and over 21 days post inoculation (21 days pi), gauged infection intensity and quantified expression of genes representing two innate immune pathways, Toll and Imd. Additionally, we measured each host's whole-body protein, lipids, carbohydrates and quantified respirometric and activity levels. Results show sustained suppression of genes of both humorally regulated immune response pathways after 6 days pi. At 7 days pi, elevated protein levels of infected bees may reflect synthesis of antimicrobial peptides from an initial immune response, but the lack of protein gain compared with uninfected bees at 14 days pi may represent low de novo protein synthesis. Carbohydrate data do not indicate that hosts experience severe metabolic stress related to this nutrient. At 14 days pi infected honey bees show high respirometric and activity levels, and corresponding lipid loss, suggesting lipids may be used as fuel for increased metabolic demands resulting from infection. Accelerated lipid loss during nurse honey bee behavioral development can have cascading effects on downstream physiology that may lead to precocious foraging, which is a major factor driving colony collapse. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of Lactobacillus Johnsonii AJ5 Metabolites on Nutrition, Nosema Ceranae Development and Performance of Apis Mellifera L.

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Piano Fiorella G. De

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The European honey bee (Apis mellifera L. is known to be affected by such stress factors as pathogen load, poor nutrition and depressed immunity. Nosema ceranae is one of the main parasites that affect colony populations. The relationship between the stress factors and honey bee-bacteria symbiosis appears as an alternative to enhance bee health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the oral administration of bacterial metabolites produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii AJ5 on nutritional parameters, the N. ceranae development and the performance of A. mellifera colonies. Laboratory assays were performed and demonstrated that the bacterial metabolites did not have a toxic effect on bees. Field trial showed an increase of colonies population over time. Also, a decreasing trend of fat bodies per bee was detected in all colonies but there were no evident changes on abdomen protein content at the end of the assay. Lastly, N. ceranae prevalence showed a tendency to reduce with the organic acids. Future studies should be performed to increase our knowledge of the physiological effects of bacterial metabolites on the health of bee colonies.

Nosema ceranae escapes fumagillin control in honey bees.

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Wei-Fone Huang

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Fumagillin is the only antibiotic approved for control of nosema disease in honey bees and has been extensively used in United States apiculture for more than 50 years for control of Nosema apis. It is toxic to mammals and must be applied seasonally and with caution to avoid residues in honey. Fumagillin degrades or is diluted in hives over the foraging season, exposing bees and the microsporidia to declining concentrations of the drug. We showed that spore production by Nosema ceranae, an emerging microsporidian pathogen in honey bees, increased in response to declining fumagillin concentrations, up to 100% higher than that of infected bees that have not been exposed to fumagillin. N. apis spore production was also higher, although not significantly so. Fumagillin inhibits the enzyme methionine aminopeptidase2 (MetAP2 in eukaryotic cells and interferes with protein modifications necessary for normal cell function. We sequenced the MetAP2 gene for apid Nosema species and determined that, although susceptibility to fumagillin differs among species, there are no apparent differences in fumagillin binding sites. Protein assays of uninfected bees showed that fumagillin altered structural and metabolic proteins in honey bee midgut tissues at concentrations that do not suppress microsporidia reproduction. The microsporidia, particularly N. ceranae, are apparently released from the suppressive effects of fumagillin at concentrations that continue to impact honey bee physiology. The current application protocol for fumagillin may exacerbate N. ceranae infection rather than suppress it.

MORPHOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF THREE ASIAN NATIVE HONEY BEES (APIS CERANA, A. DORSATA, A. FLOREA IN NORTHERN VIETNAM AND THAILAND

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N.V. NIEM

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Three species of Asian native honey bees (Apis cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata from northern Vietnam and Thailand were morphologically analyzed fo r investigations on their geographic variations and relations. In Vietnam, samples were collected from feral and managed colonies. In Thailand, the collections were from feral colonies or from field bees on flowers. Morphological analysis was carried out, using measurements common to honeybee taxonomy. Measured characters were done under stereomicroscope with an ocular micrometer. ANOVA program and multivariate statistical analyses were applied for treating the data. Overall, A. cerana populations in northern Vietnam are significantly morphologically different than from those in Thailand. It may be due to their different geographic locations between the Thai and Vietnamese populations of A. cerana. A. florea bees from Vietnam are generally bigger in size than those from Thailand, but the differences are uncertain. In contrast, the body size of A. dorsata populations from Thailand are bigger than t hose from Vietnam. However, these differences are also not significant. It is nece ssary to take further comparative investigations of these bee species from both countries

Distribution of the Nosema ceranae (Microspora, Nosematidae in the Apiaries in Ukraine

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Odnosum H. V.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Investigated the distribution of microsporidia Nosema ceranae — the pathogen of so-called «Asian» Nosema disease in the apiaries of Ukraine. Investigated 784 samples of bee’s podmore in a large extent affected by Nosemosis, that have been sent by beekeepers for research from 11 regions of Ukraine (Kyiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Volyn, Lviv, Khmelnytsky in 2014–2016. Microsporidia Nosema ceranae was found in 74.5 % of the analyzed bee samples, i. e. on prevalence it dominated the microsporidia Nosema apis. Clinical signs and course of Nosema disease in bee families, where been found microsporidia Nosema ceranae, were classic, namely the weak development of families in the spring, in some families — the presence of traces of diarrhea.

Genome-wide characterization of long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) provides new insight into viral diseases in honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera.

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Jayakodi, Murukarthick; Jung, Je Won; Park, Doori; Ahn, Young-Joon; Lee, Sang-Choon; Shin, Sang-Yoon; Shin, Chanseok; Yang, Tae-Jin; Kwon, Hyung Wook

2015-09-04

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNAs that do not encode proteins. Recently, lncRNAs have gained special attention for their roles in various biological process and diseases. In an attempt to identify long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) and their possible involvement in honey bee development and diseases, we analyzed RNA-seq datasets generated from Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) and western honey bee (Apis mellifera). We identified 2470 lincRNAs with an average length of 1011 bp from A. cerana and 1514 lincRNAs with an average length of 790 bp in A. mellifera. Comparative analysis revealed that 5 % of the total lincRNAs derived from both species are unique in each species. Our comparative digital gene expression analysis revealed a high degree of tissue-specific expression among the seven major tissues of honey bee, different from mRNA expression patterns. A total of 863 (57 %) and 464 (18 %) lincRNAs showed tissue-dependent expression in A. mellifera and A. cerana, respectively, most preferentially in ovary and fat body tissues. Importantly, we identified 11 lincRNAs that are specifically regulated upon viral infection in honey bees, and 10 of them appear to play roles during infection with various viruses. This study provides the first comprehensive set of lincRNAs for honey bees and opens the door to discover lincRNAs associated with biological and hormone signaling pathways as well as various diseases of honey bee.

Acute bee paralysis virus occurs in the Asian honey bee Apis cerana and parasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae.

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Chanpanitkitchote, Pichaya; Chen, Yanping; Evans, Jay D; Li, Wenfeng; Li, Jianghong; Hamilton, Michele; Chantawannakul, Panuwan

2018-01-01

Viruses, and especially RNA viruses, constantly change and adapt to new host species and vectors, posing a potential threat of new and reemerging infectious diseases. Honey bee Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) and Deformed wing virus (DWV) are two of the most common honey bee viruses found in European honey bees Apis mellifera and have been implicated in worldwide Varroa-associated bee colony losses. Previous studies have shown that DWV has jumped hosts several times in history causing infection in multiple host species. In the present study, we show that DWV infection could be detected in the Asian honey bee, A. cerana, and the parasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae, confirming previous findings that DWV is a multi-host pathogen and supporting the notion that the high prevalence of DWV in honey bee host populations could be attributed to the high adaptability of this virus. Furthermore, our study provides the first evidence that ABPV occurs in both A. cerana and T. mercedesae in northern Thailand. The geographical proximity of host species likely played an important role in the initial exposure and the subsequent cross-species transmission of these viruses. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that ABPV might have moved from T. mercedesae to A. mellifera and to A. cerana while DWV might have moved in the opposite direction from A. cerana to A. mellifera and T. mercedesae. This result may reflect the differences in virus life history and virus-host interactions, warranting further investigation of virus transmission, epidemiology, and impacts of virus infections in the new hosts. The results from this study indicate that viral populations will continue to evolve and likely continue to expand host range, increasing the need for effective surveillance and control of virus infections in honey bee populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficiency of local Indonesia honey bees (Apis cerana L.) and stingless bee (Trigona iridipennis) on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) pollination.

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Putra, Ramadhani Eka; Kinasih, Ida

2014-01-01

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is considered as one of major agricultural commodity of Indonesia farming. However, monthly production is unstable due to lack of pollination services. Common pollinator agent of tomatoes is bumblebees which is unsuitable for tropical climate of Indonesia and the possibility of alteration of local wild plant interaction with their pollinator. Indonesia is rich with wild bees and some of the species already domesticated for years with prospect as pollinating agent for tomatoes. This research aimed to assess the efficiency of local honey bee (Apis cerana L.) and stingless bee (Trigona iridipennis), as pollinator of tomato. During this research, total visitation rate and total numbers of pollinated flowers by honey bee and stingless bee were compared between them with bagged flowers as control. Total fruit production, average weight and size also measured in order to correlated pollination efficiency with quantity and quality of fruit produced. Result of this research showed that A. cerana has slightly higher rate of visitation (p>0.05) and significantly shorter handling time (p tomato flowers. However, honey bee pollinated tomato flowers more efficient pollinator than stingless bee (80.3 and 70.2% efficiency, respectively; p tomatoes were similar (p>0.05). Based on the results, it is concluded that the use of Apis cerana and Trigona spp., for pollinating tomatoes in tropical climates could be an alternative to the use of non-native Apis mellifera and bumblebees (Bombus spp.). However, more researches are needed to evaluate the cost/benefit on large-scale farming and greenhouse pollination using both bees against other bee species and pollination methods.

Spore load and immune response of honey bees naturally infected by Nosema ceranae.

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Li, Wenfeng; Evans, Jay D; Li, Jianghong; Su, Songkun; Hamilton, Michele; Chen, Yanping

2017-12-01

Nosema ceranae causes widespread infection in adult workers of European honey bees, Apis mellifera, and has often been linked to honey bee colony losses worldwide. Previous investigations of honey bee immune response to N. ceranae infection were largely based on laboratory experiment, however, little is known about the immune response of honey bees that are naturally infected by N. ceranae. Here, we compared the infection levels of N. ceranae in three different categories of adult bees (emergent bees, nurses, and foragers) and detected the host immune response to the N. ceranae infection under natural conditions. Our studies showed that the Nosema spore load and infection prevalence varied among the different types of adult workers, and both of them increased as honey bees aged: No infection was detected in emergent bees, nurses had a medium spore load and prevalence, while foragers were with the highest Nosema infection level and prevalence. Quantification of the mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides (abaecin, apidaecin, defensin-1, defensin-2, and hymenoptaecin) and microbial recognition proteins (PGRP-S1, PGRP-S2, PGRP-S3, PGRP-LC, GNBP1-1, and GNBP1-2) confirmed the involvement of the Toll and/or Imd immune pathways in the host response to N. ceranae infection, and revealed an activation of host immune response by N. ceranae infection under natural conditions. Additionally, the levels of immune response were positively correlated with the Nosema spore loads in the infected bees. The information gained from this study will be relevant to the predictive modeling of honey bee disease dynamics for Nosema disease prevention and management.

Gut pathology and responses to the microsporidium Nosema ceranae in the honey bee Apis mellifera.

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Dussaubat, Claudia; Brunet, Jean-Luc; Higes, Mariano; Colbourne, John K; Lopez, Jacqueline; Choi, Jeong-Hyeon; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Botías, Cristina; Cousin, Marianne; McDonnell, Cynthia; Bonnet, Marc; Belzunces, Luc P; Moritz, Robin F A; Le Conte, Yves; Alaux, Cédric

2012-01-01

The microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a newly prevalent parasite of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Although this parasite is presently spreading across the world into its novel host, the mechanisms by it which affects the bees and how bees respond are not well understood. We therefore performed an extensive characterization of the parasite effects at the molecular level by using genetic and biochemical tools. The transcriptome modifications at the midgut level were characterized seven days post-infection with tiling microarrays. Then we tested the bee midgut response to infection by measuring activity of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes (superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase). At the gene-expression level, the bee midgut responded to N. ceranae infection by an increase in oxidative stress concurrent with the generation of antioxidant enzymes, defense and protective response specifically observed in the gut of mammals and insects. However, at the enzymatic level, the protective response was not confirmed, with only glutathione-S-transferase exhibiting a higher activity in infected bees. The oxidative stress was associated with a higher transcription of sugar transporter in the gut. Finally, a dramatic effect of the microsporidia infection was the inhibition of genes involved in the homeostasis and renewal of intestinal tissues (Wnt signaling pathway), a phenomenon that was confirmed at the histological level. This tissue degeneration and prevention of gut epithelium renewal may explain early bee death. In conclusion, our integrated approach not only gives new insights into the pathological effects of N. ceranae and the bee gut response, but also demonstrate that the honey bee gut is an interesting model system for studying host defense responses.

Gut pathology and responses to the microsporidium Nosema ceranae in the honey bee Apis mellifera.

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Claudia Dussaubat

Full Text Available The microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a newly prevalent parasite of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera. Although this parasite is presently spreading across the world into its novel host, the mechanisms by it which affects the bees and how bees respond are not well understood. We therefore performed an extensive characterization of the parasite effects at the molecular level by using genetic and biochemical tools. The transcriptome modifications at the midgut level were characterized seven days post-infection with tiling microarrays. Then we tested the bee midgut response to infection by measuring activity of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes (superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase. At the gene-expression level, the bee midgut responded to N. ceranae infection by an increase in oxidative stress concurrent with the generation of antioxidant enzymes, defense and protective response specifically observed in the gut of mammals and insects. However, at the enzymatic level, the protective response was not confirmed, with only glutathione-S-transferase exhibiting a higher activity in infected bees. The oxidative stress was associated with a higher transcription of sugar transporter in the gut. Finally, a dramatic effect of the microsporidia infection was the inhibition of genes involved in the homeostasis and renewal of intestinal tissues (Wnt signaling pathway, a phenomenon that was confirmed at the histological level. This tissue degeneration and prevention of gut epithelium renewal may explain early bee death. In conclusion, our integrated approach not only gives new insights into the pathological effects of N. ceranae and the bee gut response, but also demonstrate that the honey bee gut is an interesting model system for studying host defense responses.

Spore Loads May Not be Used Alone as a Direct Indicator of the Severity of Nosema ceranae Infection in Honey Bees Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera:Apidae).

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Zheng, Huo-Qing; Lin, Zhe-Guang; Huang, Shao-Kang; Sohr, Alex; Wu, Lyman; Chen, Yan Ping

2014-12-01

Nosema ceranae Fries et al., 1996, a microsporidian parasite recently transferred from Asian honey bees Apis cerana F., 1793, to European honey bees Apis mellifera L., 1758, has been suspected as one of the major culprits of the worldwide honey bee colony losses. Spore load is a commonly used criterion to describe the intensity of Nosema infection. In this study, by providing Nosema-infected bees with sterilized pollen, we confirmed that pollen feeding increased the spore loads of honey bees by several times either in the presence or absence of a queen. By changing the amount of pollen consumed by bees in cages, we showed that spore loads increased with an increase in pollen consumption. Nosema infections decrease honey bee longevity and transcription of vitellogenin, either with or without pollen feeding. However, the reduction of pollen consumption had a greater impact on honey bee longevity and vitellogenin level than the increase of spore counts caused by pollen feeding. These results indicate that spore loads may not be used alone as a direct indicator of the severity of N. ceranae infection in honey bees. © 2014 Entomological Society of America.

A cell culture model for Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis allows new insights into the life cycle of these important honey bee-pathogenic microsporidia.

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Gisder, Sebastian; Möckel, Nadine; Linde, Andreas; Genersch, Elke

2011-02-01

The population of managed honey bees has been dramatically declining in the recent past in many regions of the world. Consensus now seems to be that pathogens and parasites (e.g. the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, the microsporidium Nosema ceranae and viruses) play a major role in this demise. However, little is known about host-pathogen interactions for bee pathogens and attempts to develop novel strategies to combat bee diseases have been hampered by this gap in our knowledge. One reason for this dire situation is the complete lack of cell cultures for the propagation and study of bee pathogens. Here we present a cell culture model for two honey bee-pathogenic microsporidian species, Nosema apis and N. ceranae. Our cell culture system is based on a lepidopteran cell line, which proved to be susceptible to infection by both N. ceranae and N. apis and enabled us to illustrate the entire life cycle of these microsporidia. We observed hitherto undescribed spindle-shaped meronts and confirmed our findings in infected bees. Our cell culture model provides a previously unavailable means to explore the nature of interactions between the honey bee and its pathogen complex at a mechanistic level and will allow the development of novel treatment strategies.

Survival and immune response of drones of a Nosemosis tolerant honey bee strain towards N. ceranae infections.

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Huang, Qiang; Kryger, Per; Le Conte, Yves; Moritz, Robin F A

2012-03-01

Honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) have been selected for low level of Nosema in Denmark over decades and Nosema is now rarely found in bee colonies from these breeding lines. We compared the immune response of a selected and an unselected honey bee lineage, taking advantage of the haploid males to study its potential impact on the tolerance toward Nosema ceranae, a novel introduced microsporidian pathogen. After artificial infections of the N. ceranae spores, the lineage selected for Nosema tolerance showed a higher N. ceranae spore load, a lower mortality and an up-regulated immune response. The differences in the response of the innate immune system between the selected and unselected lineage were strongest at day six post infection. In particular genes of the Toll pathway were up-regulated in the selected strain, probably is the main immune pathway involved in N. ceranae infection response. After decades of selective breeding for Nosema tolerance in the Danish strain, it appears these bees are tolerant to N. ceranae infections. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chinese sacbrood virus infection in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana cerana) and host immune responses to the virus infection

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Chinese Sacbrood virus (CSBV) is a common honey bee virus that infects both the European honey bee (A. mellifera) and the Asian honey bee (A. cerana). However, CSBV has much more devastating effects on Asian honey bees than on European honey bees, posing a serious threat to the agricultural and nat...

A novel venom protein of the Asian bee (Apis cerana indica with an affinity to human α1-microglobulin

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Rosdiana Natzir

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Bee stings are a common health problem throughout the world and can sometimes result in fatal anaphylactic reactions. We have studied Asian bee (Apis cerana indica, Apis cerana nigrocincta and Apis dorsata venoms and have discovered a novel protein with a molecular size of 50 kDa (p50, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which has not been reported in the venom of the Western honey-bee, Apis mellifera (AM. The p50 protein showed a unique affinity to human α1-microglobulin (α1-m. As a result, p50 was purified using an affinity column with α1-m. The p50 protein was further purified by an affinity column with a monoclonal antibody raised against p50 in mice. The p50 protein induced an inflammatory reaction following injection into mouse ear; that is, degranulation of mast cells, edema, hyperemia and hyperpermeation of the local capillaries were observed. The reaction was very similar to that seen when phospholipase A2 of AM, a representative bee venom, was administered by injection. The inflammatory reaction induced by p50 was completely inhibited by mixing p50 with α1-m prior to injection. These results indicate that p50 is a unique venom component of the Asian bee that induces the inflammatory reaction and that human α1-m may be involved as a protective mechanism against bee stings of at least some Asian bee species.

Hemolymph proteome changes during worker brood development match the biological divergences between western honey bees (Apis mellifera) and eastern honey bees (Apis cerana).

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Feng, Mao; Ramadan, Haitham; Han, Bin; Fang, Yu; Li, Jianke

2014-07-05

Hemolymph plays key roles in honey bee molecule transport, immune defense, and in monitoring the physiological condition. There is a lack of knowledge regarding how the proteome achieves these biological missions for both the western and eastern honey bees (Apis mellifera and Apis cerana). A time-resolved proteome was compared using two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomics to reveal the mechanistic differences by analysis of hemolymph proteome changes between the worker bees of two bee species during the larval to pupal stages. The brood body weight of Apis mellifera was significantly heavier than that of Apis cerana at each developmental stage. Significantly, different protein expression patterns and metabolic pathways were observed in 74 proteins (166 spots) that were differentially abundant between the two bee species. The function of hemolymph in energy storage, odor communication, and antioxidation is of equal importance for the western and eastern bees, indicated by the enhanced expression of different protein species. However, stronger expression of protein folding, cytoskeletal and developmental proteins, and more highly activated energy producing pathways in western bees suggests that the different bee species have developed unique strategies to match their specific physiology using hemolymph to deliver nutrients and in immune defense. Our disparate findings constitute a proof-of-concept of molecular details that the ecologically shaped different physiological conditions of different bee species match with the hemolymph proteome during the brood stage. This also provides a starting point for future research on the specific hemolymph proteins or pathways related to the differential phenotypes or physiology.

Exposure to Sublethal Doses of Fipronil and Thiacloprid Highly Increases Mortality of Honeybees Previously Infected by Nosema ceranae

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Vidau, Cyril; Diogon, Marie; Aufauvre, Julie; Fontbonne, Régis; Viguès, Bernard; Brunet, Jean-Luc; Texier, Catherine; Biron, David G.; Blot, Nicolas; El Alaoui, Hicham; Belzunces, Luc P.; Delbac, Frédéric

2011-01-01

Background The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is undergoing a worldwide decline whose origin is still in debate. Studies performed for twenty years suggest that this decline may involve both infectious diseases and exposure to pesticides. Joint action of pathogens and chemicals are known to threaten several organisms but the combined effects of these stressors were poorly investigated in honeybees. Our study was designed to explore the effect of Nosema ceranae infection on honeybee sensitivity to sublethal doses of the insecticides fipronil and thiacloprid. Methodology/Finding Five days after their emergence, honeybees were divided in 6 experimental groups: (i) uninfected controls, (ii) infected with N. ceranae, (iii) uninfected and exposed to fipronil, (iv) uninfected and exposed to thiacloprid, (v) infected with N. ceranae and exposed 10 days post-infection (p.i.) to fipronil, and (vi) infected with N. ceranae and exposed 10 days p.i. to thiacloprid. Honeybee mortality and insecticide consumption were analyzed daily and the intestinal spore content was evaluated 20 days after infection. A significant increase in honeybee mortality was observed when N. ceranae-infected honeybees were exposed to sublethal doses of insecticides. Surprisingly, exposures to fipronil and thiacloprid had opposite effects on microsporidian spore production. Analysis of the honeybee detoxification system 10 days p.i. showed that N. ceranae infection induced an increase in glutathione-S-transferase activity in midgut and fat body but not in 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase activity. Conclusions/Significance After exposure to sublethal doses of fipronil or thiacloprid a higher mortality was observed in N. ceranae-infected honeybees than in uninfected ones. The synergistic effect of N. ceranae and insecticide on honeybee mortality, however, did not appear strongly linked to a decrease of the insect detoxification system. These data support the hypothesis that the combination of the increasing

MORPHOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF THREE ASIAN NATIVE HONEY BEES (APIS CERANA, A. DORSATA, A. FLOREA) IN NORTHERN VIETNAM AND THAILAND

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N.V. NIEM; L. Q. TRUNG

1999-01-01

Three species of Asian native honey bees (Apis cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata) from northern Vietnam and Thailand were morphologically analyzed fo r investigations on their geographic variations and relations. In Vietnam, samples were collected from feral and managed colonies. In Thailand, the collections were from feral colonies or from field bees on flowers. Morphological analysis was carried out, using measurements common to honeybee taxonomy. Measured characters were done under ster...

Bombus brasiliensis Lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apidae infected with Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia

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Santiago Plischuk

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Heavy infections caused by a microsporidium were detected in midgut epithelium cells of two adult workers of the bumble bee Bombus brasiliensis Lepeletier collected near Puerto Iguazú, Misiones province, Argentina. Microsporidium rRNA (16S small subunit was amplified by 218MITOC primers and produced amplicons indicating presence of Nosema ceranae Fries et al., a virulent pathogen of more than 20 bee species, possibly involved in Apis mellifera L. Colony Collapse Disorder. Campaigns in search of B. brasiliensis between 2008 and 2015 have revealed a possible narrower range in the southeastern area of its known distribution. Effects of N. ceranae infections could be modulating their populations and should not be overlooked. In addition, the wide host range of this microsporidium makes it a potential threat to several endemic bees such as stingless (Meliponini and orchid bees (Euglossini.

Regurgitated pellets of Merops apiaster as fomites of infective Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) spores.

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Higes, Mariano; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Garrido-Bailón, Encarna; Botías, Cristina; García-Palencia, Pilar; Meana, Aránzazu

2008-05-01

The importance of transmission factor identification is of great epidemiological significance. The bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a widely distributed insectivorous bird, locally abundant mainly in arid and semi-arid areas of southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia but recently has been seen breeding in central Europe and Great Britain. Bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets. On the other hand, Nosema ceranae is a Microsporidia recently described as a parasite in Apis mellifera honeybees in Europe. Due to the short time since its description scarce epidemiological data are available. In this study we investigate the role of the regurgitated pellets of the European bee-eater as fomites of infective spores of N. ceranae. Spore detection in regurgitated pellets of M. apiaster is described [phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods]. Eighteen days after collection N. ceranae spores still remain viable and their infectivity is shown after artificial infection of Nosema-free 8-day-old adult bees. The epidemiological consequences of the presence of Nosema spores in this fomites are discussed.

Silencing honey bee naked cuticle (nkd) reduces Nosema ceranae replication and disease levels

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Nosema ceranae is a new and emerging microsporidian parasite of European honey bees, Apis mellifera that has been implicated in alarming colony losses worldwide. RNA interference (RNAi), a post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism, has emerged as a potent and specific strategy for controlling in...

Nosema ceranae is an old resident of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Mexico, causing infection levels of one million spores per bee or higher during summer and fall.

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Guerrero-Molina, Cristina; Correa-Benítez, Adriana; Hamiduzzaman, Mollah Md; Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto

2016-11-01

This study was conducted to identify Nosema spp. and to determine their infection levels in honey bee (Apis mellifera) samples collected in Mexico in 1995-1996. Samples of historical surveys from different countries are of particular interest to support or challenge the hypothesis that the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a new parasite of A. mellifera that has recently dispersed across the world. We demonstrate that N. ceranae has parasitized honey bees in Mexico since at least 1995 and that the infection levels of this parasite during summer and fall, exceed the threshold at which treatment of honey bee colonies is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short communication: Survival of honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with Crithidia mellificae (Langridge and McGhee: ATCC® 30254™) in the presence of Nosema ceranae

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Higes, M.; Rodríguez-García, C.; Gómez-Moracho, T.; Meana, A.; Bartolomé, C.; Maside, X.; Barrios, L.; Martín-Hernández, R.

2016-11-01

Crithidia mellificae, a trypanosomatid parasite of Apis mellifera, has been proposed to be one of the pathogens responsible for the serious honey bee colony losses produced worldwide in the last decade, either alone or in association with Nosema ceranae. Since this pathogenic effect contradicts the results of the experimental infections originally performed by Langridge and McGhee nearly 40 years ago, we investigated the potential linkage of this protozoan with colony decline under laboratory conditions. Nosema-free and trypanosomatid-free honey bees from three different colonies were experimentally infected with fresh C. mellificae spheroid forms (reference strain ATCC30254), with N. ceranae fresh spores and with both parasites at the same time. Replicate cages were kept at 27 °C and used to analyse survival. C. mellificae spheroid forms did not reduce significantly the survival of the worker bees (64.5% at 30 days post-infection vs. 77.8% for the uninfected bees used as controls; differences were non statistically significant) under these experimental conditions. In contrast, the cages infected with N. ceranae exhibited higher rates of mortality from the 20th day post-infection onwards, irrespective of the presence of C. mellificae, suggesting that the spheroid forms of the latter have no pathological effect on A. mellifera. (Author)

Oriental orchid (Cymbidium floribundum) attracts the Japanese honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) with a mixture of 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid and 10-hydroxy- (E)-2-decenoic acid.

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Sugahara, Michio; Izutsu, Kazunari; Nishimura, Yasuichiro; Sakamoto, Fumio

2013-02-01

The flower of the oriental orchid Cymbidium floribundum is known to attract the Japanese honeybee Apis cerana japonica. This effect is observed not only in workers but also drones and queens; that is, it attracts even swarming and absconding bees. A mixture of 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HOAA) and 10-hydroxy-(E)-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) was identified as the active principles from the orchid flower, whereas these compounds individually have no such activity. Both compounds are also mandibular gland components of worker honeybees with related compounds. This strongly supports the idea that orchid flowers mimic bee secretions, although the ecological consequences of this relationship remain unknown. Because the flower is used to capture swarms, the present identification may contribute to the development of new techniques in traditional beekeeping for Japanese bees as well as A. cerana in Southeast Asia.

Antimicrobial peptide evolution in the Asiatic honey bee Apis cerana.

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Peng Xu

Full Text Available The Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is an important honeybee species in Asian countries. It is still found in the wild, but is also one of the few bee species that can be domesticated. It has acquired some genetic advantages and significantly different biological characteristics compared with other Apis species. However, it has been less studied, and over the past two decades, has become a threatened species in China. We designed primers for the sequences of the four antimicrobial peptide cDNA gene families (abaecin, defensin, apidaecin, and hymenoptaecin of the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera L. and identified all the antimicrobial peptide cDNA genes in the Asiatic honeybee for the first time. All the sequences were amplified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. In all, 29 different defensin cDNA genes coding 7 different defensin peptides, 11 different abaecin cDNA genes coding 2 different abaecin peptides, 13 different apidaecin cDNA genes coding 4 apidaecin peptides and 34 different hymenoptaecin cDNA genes coding 13 different hymenoptaecin peptides were cloned and identified from the Asiatic honeybee adult workers. Detailed comparison of these four antimicrobial peptide gene families with those of the Western honeybee revealed that there are many similarities in the quantity and amino acid components of peptides in the abaecin, defensin and apidaecin families, while many more hymenoptaecin peptides are found in the Asiatic honeybee than those in the Western honeybee (13 versus 1. The results indicated that the Asiatic honeybee adult generated more variable antimicrobial peptides, especially hymenoptaecin peptides than the Western honeybee when stimulated by pathogens or injury. This suggests that, compared to the Western honeybee that has a longer history of domestication, selection on the Asiatic honeybee has favored the generation of more variable antimicrobial peptides as protection against pathogens.

Antimicrobial peptide evolution in the Asiatic honey bee Apis cerana.

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Xu, Peng; Shi, Min; Chen, Xue-Xin

2009-01-01

The Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is an important honeybee species in Asian countries. It is still found in the wild, but is also one of the few bee species that can be domesticated. It has acquired some genetic advantages and significantly different biological characteristics compared with other Apis species. However, it has been less studied, and over the past two decades, has become a threatened species in China. We designed primers for the sequences of the four antimicrobial peptide cDNA gene families (abaecin, defensin, apidaecin, and hymenoptaecin) of the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera L. and identified all the antimicrobial peptide cDNA genes in the Asiatic honeybee for the first time. All the sequences were amplified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In all, 29 different defensin cDNA genes coding 7 different defensin peptides, 11 different abaecin cDNA genes coding 2 different abaecin peptides, 13 different apidaecin cDNA genes coding 4 apidaecin peptides and 34 different hymenoptaecin cDNA genes coding 13 different hymenoptaecin peptides were cloned and identified from the Asiatic honeybee adult workers. Detailed comparison of these four antimicrobial peptide gene families with those of the Western honeybee revealed that there are many similarities in the quantity and amino acid components of peptides in the abaecin, defensin and apidaecin families, while many more hymenoptaecin peptides are found in the Asiatic honeybee than those in the Western honeybee (13 versus 1). The results indicated that the Asiatic honeybee adult generated more variable antimicrobial peptides, especially hymenoptaecin peptides than the Western honeybee when stimulated by pathogens or injury. This suggests that, compared to the Western honeybee that has a longer history of domestication, selection on the Asiatic honeybee has favored the generation of more variable antimicrobial peptides as protection against pathogens.

Silencing the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Naked Cuticle Gene (nkd) Improves Host Immune Function and Reduces Nosema ceranae Infections

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Li, Wenfeng; Evans, Jay D.; Huang, Qiang; Rodríguez-García, Cristina; Liu, Jie; Hamilton, Michele; Grozinger, Christina M.; Webster, Thomas C.; Su, Songkun

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Nosema ceranae is a new and emerging microsporidian parasite of European honey bees, Apis mellifera, that has been implicated in colony losses worldwide. RNA interference (RNAi), a posttranscriptional gene silencing mechanism, has emerged as a potent and specific strategy for controlling infections of parasites and pathogens in honey bees. While previous studies have focused on the silencing of parasite/pathogen virulence factors, we explore here the possibility of silencing a host factor as a mechanism for reducing parasite load. Specifically, we used an RNAi strategy to reduce the expression of a honey bee gene, naked cuticle (nkd), which is a negative regulator of host immune function. Our studies found that nkd mRNA levels in adult bees were upregulated by N. ceranae infection (and thus, the parasite may use this mechanism to suppress host immune function) and that ingestion of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific to nkd efficiently silenced its expression. Furthermore, we found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of nkd transcripts in Nosema-infected bees resulted in upregulation of the expression of several immune genes (Abaecin, Apidaecin, Defensin-1, and PGRP-S2), reduction of Nosema spore loads, and extension of honey bee life span. The results of our studies clearly indicate that silencing the host nkd gene can activate honey bee immune responses, suppress the reproduction of N. ceranae, and improve the overall health of honey bees. This study represents a novel host-derived therapeutic for honey bee disease treatment that merits further exploration. IMPORTANCE Given the critical role of honey bees in the pollination of agricultural crops, it is urgent to develop strategies to prevent the colony decline induced by the infection of parasites/pathogens. Targeting parasites and pathogens directly by RNAi has been proven to be useful for controlling infections in honey bees, but little is known about the disease impacts of RNAi silencing of host factors

Silencing the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Naked Cuticle Gene (nkd) Improves Host Immune Function and Reduces Nosema ceranae Infections.

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Li, Wenfeng; Evans, Jay D; Huang, Qiang; Rodríguez-García, Cristina; Liu, Jie; Hamilton, Michele; Grozinger, Christina M; Webster, Thomas C; Su, Songkun; Chen, Yan Ping

2016-11-15

Nosema ceranae is a new and emerging microsporidian parasite of European honey bees, Apis mellifera, that has been implicated in colony losses worldwide. RNA interference (RNAi), a posttranscriptional gene silencing mechanism, has emerged as a potent and specific strategy for controlling infections of parasites and pathogens in honey bees. While previous studies have focused on the silencing of parasite/pathogen virulence factors, we explore here the possibility of silencing a host factor as a mechanism for reducing parasite load. Specifically, we used an RNAi strategy to reduce the expression of a honey bee gene, naked cuticle (nkd), which is a negative regulator of host immune function. Our studies found that nkd mRNA levels in adult bees were upregulated by N. ceranae infection (and thus, the parasite may use this mechanism to suppress host immune function) and that ingestion of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific to nkd efficiently silenced its expression. Furthermore, we found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of nkd transcripts in Nosema-infected bees resulted in upregulation of the expression of several immune genes (Abaecin, Apidaecin, Defensin-1, and PGRP-S2), reduction of Nosema spore loads, and extension of honey bee life span. The results of our studies clearly indicate that silencing the host nkd gene can activate honey bee immune responses, suppress the reproduction of N. ceranae, and improve the overall health of honey bees. This study represents a novel host-derived therapeutic for honey bee disease treatment that merits further exploration. Given the critical role of honey bees in the pollination of agricultural crops, it is urgent to develop strategies to prevent the colony decline induced by the infection of parasites/pathogens. Targeting parasites and pathogens directly by RNAi has been proven to be useful for controlling infections in honey bees, but little is known about the disease impacts of RNAi silencing of host factors. Here, we demonstrate

Retrospective study of the Nosema ceranae infection of honey bee colonies in Iran (2004-2013

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Modirrousta, H.

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Nosemosis is the most common disease in adult bees. Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae species are agents of important economic losses to beekeepers around the world. The severity of disease at various area is different. Previously, N. apis was observed in areas with a long winter, especially in late winter and early spring. But in recent years, disease has been reported in the warm seasons. The studies indicated that a new species as N. ceranae is involvement in loss and mortality in adult bees. Therefore, diagnosis and differentiation of Nosema species is importance at colony collapse disorders (CCD. The aim of this Research was a retrospective study on Nosema samples isolated from apiaries. Forty- one Nosema Sp. Positive samples were collected from five provinces during 2004 to 2013. The samples were tested by multiplex PCR method using both primers of N. ceranea and N. apis were simultaneously. All of samples were positive for N. ceranea. The products were sent for sequencing. The results show that N. ceranea has spread in Iran, from previous years almost simultaneously with other parts of the world.

Effects of the organic acids produced by a lactic acid bacterium in Apis mellifera colony development, Nosema ceranae control and fumagillin efficiency.

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Maggi, Matías; Negri, Pedro; Plischuk, Santiago; Szawarski, Nicolás; De Piano, Fiorella; De Feudis, Leonardo; Eguaras, Martín; Audisio, Carina

2013-12-27

The European honey bee Apis mellifera is known to be affected by many parasites and pathogens that have great impact over the insect development. Among parasites affecting bee health, Nosema ceranae is one of the main biotic factors affecting colony populations. As honey bee populations decline, interest in pathogenic and mutualistic relationships between bees and microorganisms has increased. The main goal of the current study was to assess the effect of the oral administration of the metabolites produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii CRL1647 (mainly organic acids) supplemented in syrup, on: (I) N. ceranae sporulation dynamics before and after fumagillin application, and (II) performance of A. mellifera colonies. Different experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of these bacterial metabolites on bees: in vitro administration revealed no toxic effects against bees. Colonies fed with the lactic acids incremented their beehive population and also the amount of fat bodies per bee. Finally, the organic acids reduced the intensity of the pathogen after the second application of treatment as well as enhanced the fumagillin efficiency. This study provides important information for the development of new control substances against nosemosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lactobacillus panisapium sp. nov., from honeybee Apis cerana bee bread.

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Wang, Cong; Huang, Yan; Li, Li; Guo, Jun; Wu, Zhengyun; Deng, Yu; Dai, Lirong; Ma, Shichun

2018-03-01

A novel facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, catalase-negative bacterium of the genus Lactobacillus, designated strain Bb 2-3 T , was isolated from bee bread of Apis cerana collected from a hive in Kunming, China. The strain was regular rod-shaped. Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 6.5 with 5.0 g l -1 NaCl. The predominant fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c, C16 : 0 and C19 : 0 iso. Respiratory quinones were not detected. Seven glycolipids, three lipids, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol were detected. The peptidoglycan type A4α l-Lys-d-Asp was determined. Strain Bb 2-3 T was closely related to Lactobacillus bombicola DSM 28793 T , Lactobacillus apis LMG 26964 T and Lactobacillus helsingborgensis DSM 26265 T , with 97.8, 97.6 and 97.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively. A comparison of two housekeeping genes, rpoA and pheS, revealed that strain Bb 2-3 T was well separated from the reference strains of species of the genus Lactobacillus. The average nucleotide identity between strain Bb 2-3 T and the type strains of closely related species was lower than the 95-96 % threshold value for delineation of genomic prokaryotic species. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain Bb 2-3 T was 37.4 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, strain Bb 2-3 T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which we propose the name Lactobacillus panisapium sp. nov. The type strain is Bb 2-3 T (=DSM 102188 T =ACCC 19955 T ).

In-Depth N-Glycosylation Reveals Species-Specific Modifications and Functions of the Royal Jelly Protein from Western (Apis mellifera) and Eastern Honeybees (Apis cerana).

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Feng, Mao; Fang, Yu; Han, Bin; Xu, Xiang; Fan, Pei; Hao, Yue; Qi, Yuping; Hu, Han; Huo, Xinmei; Meng, Lifeng; Wu, Bin; Li, Jianke

2015-12-04

Royal jelly (RJ), secreted by honeybee workers, plays diverse roles as nutrients and defense agents for honeybee biology and human health. Despite being reported to be glycoproteins, the glycosylation characterization and functionality of RJ proteins in different honeybee species are largely unknown. An in-depth N-glycoproteome analysis and functional assay of RJ produced by Apis mellifera lingustica (Aml) and Apis cerana cerana (Acc) were conducted. RJ produced by Aml yielded 80 nonredundant N-glycoproteins carrying 190 glycosites, of which 23 novel proteins harboring 35 glycosites were identified. For Acc, all 43 proteins glycosylated at 138 glycosites were reported for the first time. Proteins with distinct N-glycoproteomic characteristics in terms of glycoprotein species, number of N-glycosylated sites, glycosylation motif, abundance level of glycoproteins, and N-glycosites were observed in this two RJ samples. The fact that the low inhibitory efficiency of N-glycosylated major royal jelly protein 2 (MRJP2) against Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae) and the absence of antibacterial related glycosylated apidaecin, hymenoptaecin, and peritrophic matrix in the Aml RJ compared to Acc reveal the mechanism for why the Aml larvae are susceptible to P. larvae, the causative agent of a fatal brood disease (American foulbrood, AFB). The observed antihypertension activity of N-glycosylated MRJP1 in two RJ samples and a stronger activity found in Acc than in Aml reveal that specific RJ protein and modification are potentially useful for the treatment of hypertensive disease for humans. Our data gain novel understanding that the western and eastern bees have evolved species-specific strategies of glycosylation to fine-tune protein activity for optimizing molecular function as nutrients and immune agents for the good of honeybee and influence on the health promoting activity for human as well. This serves as a valuable resource for the targeted probing of the biological

Resisting majesty: Apis cerana, has lower antennal sensitivity and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone than Apis mellifera

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Dong, Shihao; Wen, Ping; Zhang, Qi; Li, Xinyu; Tan, Ken; Nieh, James

2017-03-01

In highly social bees, queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) is vital for colony life. Both Apis cerana (Ac) and Apis mellifera (Am) share an evolutionarily conserved set of QMP compounds: (E)-9-oxodec-2-enoic acid (9-ODA), (E)-9-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid (9-HDA), (E)-10-hydroxy-dec-2-enoic acid (10-HDA), 10-hydroxy-decanoic acid (10-HDAA), and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB) found at similar levels. However, evidence suggests there may be species-specific sensitivity differences to QMP compounds because Ac workers have higher levels of ovarian activation than Am workers. Using electroantennograms, we found species-specific sensitivity differences for a blend of the major QMP compounds and three individual compounds (9-HDA, 10-HDAA, and 10-HDA). As predicted, Am was more sensitive than Ac in all cases (1.3- to 2.7- fold higher responses). There were also species differences in worker retinue attraction to three compounds (9-HDA, HOB, and 10-HDA). In all significantly different cases, Am workers were 4.5- to 6.2-fold more strongly attracted than Ac workers were. Thus, Ac workers responded less strongly to QMP than Ac workers, and 9-HDA and 10-HDA consistently elicited stronger antennal and retinue formation responses.

Characterization and mutational analysis of omega-class GST (GSTO1 from Apis cerana cerana, a gene involved in response to oxidative stress.

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Fei Meng

Full Text Available The Omega-class of GSTs (GSTOs is a class of cytosolic GSTs that have specific structural and functional characteristics that differ from those of other GST groups. In this study, we demonstrated the involvement of the GSTO1 gene from A. cerana cerana in the oxidative stress response and further investigated the effects of three cysteine residues of GSTO1 protein on this response. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR showed that AccGSTO1 was highly expressed in larvae and foragers, primarily in the midgut, epidermis, and flight muscles. The AccGSTO1 mRNA was significantly induced by cold and heat at 1 h and 3 h. The TBA (2-Thiobarbituric acid method indicated that cold or heat resulted in MDA accumulation, but silencing of AccGSTO1 by RNAi in honeybees increased the concentration of MDA. RNAi also increased the temperature sensitivity of honeybees and markedly reduced their survival. Disc diffusion assay indicated that overexpression of AccGSTO1 in E. coli caused the resistance to long-term oxidative stress. Furthermore, AccGSTO1 was active in an in vitro DNA protection assay. Mutations in Cys-28, Cys-70, and Cys-124 affected the catalytic activity and antioxidant activity of AccGSTO1. The predicted three-dimensional structure of AccGSTO1 was also influenced by the replacement of these cysteine residues. These findings suggest that AccGSTO1 plays a protective role in the response to oxidative stress.

A novel TaqMan® assay for Nosema ceranae quantification in honey bee, based on the protein coding gene Hsp70.

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Cilia, Giovanni; Cabbri, Riccardo; Maiorana, Giacomo; Cardaio, Ilaria; Dall'Olio, Raffaele; Nanetti, Antonio

2018-04-01

Nosema ceranae is now a widespread honey bee pathogen with high incidence in apiculture. Rapid and reliable detection and quantification methods are a matter of concern for research community, nowadays mainly relying on the use of biomolecular techniques such as PCR, RT-PCR or HRMA. The aim of this technical paper is to provide a new qPCR assay, based on the highly-conserved protein coding gene Hsp70, to detect and quantify the microsporidian Nosema ceranae affecting the western honey bee Apis mellifera. The validation steps to assess efficiency, sensitivity, specificity and robustness of the assay are described also. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparative Genomic Analysis for Genetic Variation in Sacbrood Virus of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera Honeybees From Different Regions of Vietnam.

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Reddy, Kondreddy Eswar; Thu, Ha Thi; Yoo, Mi Sun; Ramya, Mummadireddy; Reddy, Bheemireddy Anjana; Lien, Nguyen Thi Kim; Trang, Nguyen Thi Phuong; Duong, Bui Thi Thuy; Lee, Hyun-Jeong; Kang, Seung-Won; Quyen, Dong Van

2017-09-01

Sacbrood virus (SBV) is one of the most common viral infections of honeybees. The entire genome sequence for nine SBV infecting honeybees, Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, in Vietnam, namely AcSBV-Viet1, AcSBV-Viet2, AcSBV-Viet3, AmSBV-Viet4, AcSBV-Viet5, AmSBV-Viet6, AcSBV-Viet7, AcSBV-Viet8, and AcSBV-Viet9, was determined. These sequences were aligned with seven previously reported complete genome sequences of SBV from other countries, and various genomic regions were compared. The Vietnamese SBVs (VN-SBVs) shared 91-99% identity with each other, and shared 89-94% identity with strains from other countries. The open reading frames (ORFs) of the VN-SBV genomes differed greatly from those of SBVs from other countries, especially in their VP1 sequences. The AmSBV-Viet6 and AcSBV-Viet9 genome encodes 17 more amino acids within this region than the other VN-SBVs. In a phylogenetic analysis, the strains AmSBV-Viet4, AcSBV-Viet2, and AcSBV-Viet3 were clustered in group with AmSBV-UK, AmSBV-Kor21, and AmSBV-Kor19 strains. Whereas, the strains AmSBV-Viet6 and AcSBV-Viet7 clustered separately with the AcSBV strains from Korea and AcSBV-VietSBM2. And the strains AcSBV-Viet8, AcSBV-Viet1, AcSBV-Viet5, and AcSBV-Viet9 clustered with the AcSBV-India, AcSBV-Kor and AcSBV-VietSBM2. In a Simplot graph, the VN-SBVs diverged stronger in their ORF regions than in their 5' or 3' untranslated regions. The VN-SBVs possess genetic characteristics which are more similar to the Asian AcSBV strains than to AmSBV-UK strain. Taken together, our data indicate that host specificity, geographic distance, and viral cross-infections between different bee species may explain the genetic diversity among the VN-SBVs in A. cerana and A. mellifera and other SBV strains. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

Anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial activities of a serine protease inhibitor from honeybee (Apis cerana) venom.

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Yang, Jie; Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Choi, Yong Soo; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Jia, Jingming; Jin, Byung Rae

2017-10-01

Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents, including low-molecular-weight protease inhibitors. While the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6 containing a trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain was identified from honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom, no anti-fibrinolytic or anti-microbial roles for this inhibitor have been elucidated. In this study, we identified an Asiatic honeybee (A. cerana) venom serine protease inhibitor (AcVSPI) that was shown to act as a microbial serine protease inhibitor and plasmin inhibitor. AcVSPI was found to consist of a trypsin inhibitor-like domain that displays ten cysteine residues. Interestingly, the AcVSPI peptide sequence exhibited high similarity to the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6, which suggests that AcVSPI is an allergen Api m 6-like peptide. Recombinant AcVSPI was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, and it demonstrated inhibitory activity against trypsin, but not chymotrypsin. Additionally, AcVSPI has inhibitory effects against plasmin and microbial serine proteases; however, it does not have any detectable inhibitory effects on thrombin or elastase. Consistent with these inhibitory effects, AcVSPI inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products. AcVSPI also bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi as well as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These findings demonstrate the anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial roles of AcVSPI as a serine protease inhibitor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physiological and Behavioral Changes in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) Induced by Nosema ceranae Infection

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Goblirsch, Mike; Huang, Zachary Y.; Spivak, Marla

2013-01-01

Persistent exposure to mite pests, poor nutrition, pesticides, and pathogens threaten honey bee survival. In healthy colonies, the interaction of the yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin (Vg), and endocrine factor, juvenile hormone (JH), functions as a pacemaker driving the sequence of behaviors that workers perform throughout their lives. Young bees perform nursing duties within the hive and have high Vg and low JH; as older bees transition to foraging, this trend reverses. Pathogens and parasites can alter this regulatory network. For example, infection with the microsporidian, Nosema apis, has been shown to advance behavioral maturation in workers. We investigated the effects of infection with a recent honey bee pathogen on physiological factors underlying the division of labor in workers. Bees infected with N. ceranae were nearly twice as likely to engage in precocious foraging and lived 9 days less, on average, compared to controls. We also show that Vg transcript was low, while JH titer spiked, in infected nurse-aged bees in cages. This pattern of expression is atypical and the reverse of what would be expected for healthy, non-infected bees. Disruption of the basic underpinnings of temporal polyethism due to infection may be a contributing factor to recent high colony mortality, as workers may lose flexibility in their response to colony demands. PMID:23483987

TUMBUHAN YANG DIKUNJUNGI LEBAH PEKERJA Apis (Hymenoptera: Apidae DI SUMATERA BARAT

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Jasmi Jasmi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Research about plant visited by Apis forager was conducted at altitude < 500 m and 600-1400 m of West Sumatra from December 2009-July 2010. The plant visited by forager was collected at radius 500 m from nests in fruits cropping, coffea and cinnamom plantation and forest edge. Honeybee from genus Apisvisit on plant consisted of four species, those are A. andreniformis, A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. koschevnikovi. Plant visited by forager Apis consisted of 61 species belong to 26 families. The number of 36 plant species found at lowland and highland, 20 species only at lowland and five species at highland. Most of plant species visited by Apis forager are Asteraceae and Leguminoceae. About 29 plant species visited by Apis were agriculture crop and 32 species of non agriculture. Apis andreniformis visited 29 plant species, A. cerana 56 species, A. dorsata 57 species and A. koschevnikovi one plant species. Cucumis sativus was visited by four bee species, Galiansoga farviflora was visited only by A. cerana. Five plant species (Rorippa indica, Cinnamomum burmanii, Nasturrium indicum, Rorippa indica and Eryngium foetidum were visited by only A. dorsata. Other three plants species (Mangifera indica, Cytrus aurantifoliaand Oryza sativa were visited by A. cerana and A. andreniformis, 31 plant species were visited by A. cerana and A. dorsata, 21 species were visited by A. andreniformis, A. cerana and A. dorsata. Keywords: lebah madu, Apis forager, food source plant, visit

Physiological and behavioral changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera induced by Nosema ceranae infection.

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Mike Goblirsch

Full Text Available Persistent exposure to mite pests, poor nutrition, pesticides, and pathogens threaten honey bee survival. In healthy colonies, the interaction of the yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin (Vg, and endocrine factor, juvenile hormone (JH, functions as a pacemaker driving the sequence of behaviors that workers perform throughout their lives. Young bees perform nursing duties within the hive and have high Vg and low JH; as older bees transition to foraging, this trend reverses. Pathogens and parasites can alter this regulatory network. For example, infection with the microsporidian, Nosema apis, has been shown to advance behavioral maturation in workers. We investigated the effects of infection with a recent honey bee pathogen on physiological factors underlying the division of labor in workers. Bees infected with N. ceranae were nearly twice as likely to engage in precocious foraging and lived 9 days less, on average, compared to controls. We also show that Vg transcript was low, while JH titer spiked, in infected nurse-aged bees in cages. This pattern of expression is atypical and the reverse of what would be expected for healthy, non-infected bees. Disruption of the basic underpinnings of temporal polyethism due to infection may be a contributing factor to recent high colony mortality, as workers may lose flexibility in their response to colony demands.

Genomic analyses of the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, an emergent pathogen of honey bees.

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R Scott Cornman

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Recent steep declines in honey bee health have severely impacted the beekeeping industry, presenting new risks for agricultural commodities that depend on insect pollination. Honey bee declines could reflect increased pressures from parasites and pathogens. The incidence of the microsporidian pathogen Nosema ceranae has increased significantly in the past decade. Here we present a draft assembly (7.86 MB of the N. ceranae genome derived from pyrosequence data, including initial gene models and genomic comparisons with other members of this highly derived fungal lineage. N. ceranae has a strongly AT-biased genome (74% A+T and a diversity of repetitive elements, complicating the assembly. Of 2,614 predicted protein-coding sequences, we conservatively estimate that 1,366 have homologs in the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi, the most closely related published genome sequence. We identify genes conserved among microsporidia that lack clear homology outside this group, which are of special interest as potential virulence factors in this group of obligate parasites. A substantial fraction of the diminutive N. ceranae proteome consists of novel and transposable-element proteins. For a majority of well-supported gene models, a conserved sense-strand motif can be found within 15 bases upstream of the start codon; a previously uncharacterized version of this motif is also present in E. cuniculi. These comparisons provide insight into the architecture, regulation, and evolution of microsporidian genomes, and will drive investigations into honey bee-Nosema interactions.

Dietary amino acid and vitamin complex protects honey bee from immunosuppression caused by Nosema ceranae.

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Glavinic, Uros; Stankovic, Biljana; Draskovic, Vladimir; Stevanovic, Jevrosima; Petrovic, Tamas; Lakic, Nada; Stanimirovic, Zoran

2017-01-01

Microsporidium Nosema ceranae is well known for exerting a negative impact on honey bee health, including down-regulation of immunoregulatory genes. Protein nutrition has been proven to have beneficial effects on bee immunity and other aspects of bee health. Bearing this in mind, the aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of a dietary amino acid and vitamin complex "BEEWELL AminoPlus" to protect honey bees from immunosuppression induced by N. ceranae. In a laboratory experiment bees were infected with N. ceranae and treated with supplement on first, third, sixth and ninth day after emergence. The expression of genes for immune-related peptides (abaecin, apidaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin and vitellogenin) was compared between groups. The results revealed significantly lower (pbees that received the supplement. It was supposed that N. ceranae had a negative impact on bee immunity and that the tested amino acid and vitamin complex modified the expression of immune-related genes in honey bees compromised by infection, suggesting immune-stimulation that reflects in the increase in resistance to diseases and reduced bee mortality. The supplement exerted best efficacy when applied simultaneously with Nosema infection, which can help us to assume the most suitable period for its application in the hive.

Dietary amino acid and vitamin complex protects honey bee from immunosuppression caused by Nosema ceranae.

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Uros Glavinic

Full Text Available Microsporidium Nosema ceranae is well known for exerting a negative impact on honey bee health, including down-regulation of immunoregulatory genes. Protein nutrition has been proven to have beneficial effects on bee immunity and other aspects of bee health. Bearing this in mind, the aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of a dietary amino acid and vitamin complex "BEEWELL AminoPlus" to protect honey bees from immunosuppression induced by N. ceranae. In a laboratory experiment bees were infected with N. ceranae and treated with supplement on first, third, sixth and ninth day after emergence. The expression of genes for immune-related peptides (abaecin, apidaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin and vitellogenin was compared between groups. The results revealed significantly lower (p<0.01 or p<0.001 numbers of Nosema spores in supplemented groups than in the control especially on day 12 post infection. With the exception of abacein, the expression levels of immune-related peptides were significantly suppressed (p<0.01 or p<0.001 in control group on the 12th day post infection, compared to bees that received the supplement. It was supposed that N. ceranae had a negative impact on bee immunity and that the tested amino acid and vitamin complex modified the expression of immune-related genes in honey bees compromised by infection, suggesting immune-stimulation that reflects in the increase in resistance to diseases and reduced bee mortality. The supplement exerted best efficacy when applied simultaneously with Nosema infection, which can help us to assume the most suitable period for its application in the hive.

Inhibitory effect of gut bacteria from the Japanese honey bee, Apis cerana japonica, against Melissococcus plutonius, the causal agent of European foulbrood disease

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Wu, Meihua; Sugimura, Yuya; Iwata, Kyoko; Takaya, Noriko; Takamatsu, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Masaru; Taylor, DeMar; Kimura, Kiyoshi; Yoshiyama, Mikio

2014-01-01

Abstract European foulbrood is a contagious bacterial disease of honey bee larvae. Studies have shown that the intestinal bacteria of insects, including honey bees, act as probiotic organisms. Microbial flora from the gut of the Japanese honey bee, Apis cerana japonica F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) , were characterized and evaluated for their potential to inhibit the growth of Melissococcus plutonius corrig. (ex White) Bailey and Collins (Lactobacillales: Enterococcaceae) , the causative agent of European foulbrood. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from 17 bacterial strains isolated by using a culture-dependent method revealed that most isolates belonged to Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Pantoea. The isolates were screened against the pathogenic bacterium M. plutonius by using an in vitro growth inhibition assay, and one isolate (Acja3) belonging to the genus Bacillus exhibited inhibitory activity against M. plutonius. In addition, in vivo feeding assays revealed that isolate Acja3 decreased the mortality of honey bee larvae infected with M plutonius, suggesting that this bacterial strain could potentially be used as a probiotic agent against European foulbrood. PMID:25368073

Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), a controversial 21st century honey bee pathogen.

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Higes, Mariano; Meana, Aránzazu; Bartolomé, Carolina; Botías, Cristina; Martín-Hernández, Raquel

2013-02-01

The worldwide beekeeping sector has been facing a grave threat, with losses up to 100-1000 times greater than those previously reported. Despite the scale of this honey bee mortality, the causes underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, yet they are thought to be multifactorial processes. Nosema ceranae, a microsporidium recently detected in the European bee all over the world, has been implicated in the global phenomenon of colony loss, although its role remains controversial. A review of the current knowledge about this pathogen is presented focussing on discussion related with divergent results, trying to analyse the differences specially based on different methodologies applied and divisive aspects on pathology while considering a biological or veterinarian point of view. For authors, the disease produced by N. ceranae infection cannot be considered a regional problem but rather a global one, as indicated by the wide prevalence of this parasite in multiple hosts. Not only does this type of nosemosis causes a clear pathology on honeybees at both the individual and colony levels, but it also has significant effects on the production of honeybee products. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Sex-specific differences in pathogen susceptibility in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

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Retschnig, Gina; Williams, Geoffrey R; Mehmann, Marion M; Yañez, Orlando; de Miranda, Joachim R; Neumann, Peter

2014-01-01

Sex-related differences in susceptibility to pathogens are a common phenomenon in animals. In the eusocial Hymenoptera the two female castes, workers and queens, are diploid and males are haploid. The haploid susceptibility hypothesis predicts that haploid males are more susceptible to pathogen infections compared to females. Here we test this hypothesis using adult male (drone) and female (worker) honey bees (Apis mellifera), inoculated with the gut endoparasite Nosema ceranae and/or black queen cell virus (BQCV). These pathogens were chosen due to previously reported synergistic interactions between Nosema apis and BQCV. Our data do not support synergistic interactions between N. ceranae and BQCV and also suggest that BQCV has limited effect on both drone and worker health, regardless of the infection level. However, the data clearly show that, despite lower levels of N. ceranae spores in drones than in workers, Nosema-infected drones had both a higher mortality and a lower body mass than non-infected drones, across all treatment groups, while the mortality and body mass of worker bees were largely unaffected by N. ceranae infection, suggesting that drones are more susceptible to this pathogen than workers. In conclusion, the data reveal considerable sex-specific differences in pathogen susceptibility in honey bees and highlight the importance of ultimate measures for determining susceptibility, such as mortality and body quality, rather than mere infection levels.

Honeybee (Apis cerana) foraging responses to the toxic honey of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Celastraceae): changing threshold of nectar acceptability.

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Tan, K; Guo, Y H; Nicolson, S W; Radloff, S E; Song, Q S; Hepburn, H R

2007-12-01

To investigate honeybee foraging responses to toxic nectar, honey was collected from Apis cerana colonies in the Yaoan county of Yunnan Province, China, during June, when flowers of Tripterygium hypoglaucum were the main nectar source available. Pollen analysis confirmed the origin of the honey, and high-performance liquid chromatography showed the prominent component triptolide to be present at a concentration of 0.61 mug/g +/- 0.11 SD. In cage tests that used young adult worker bees, significantly more of those provided with a diet of T. hypoglaucum honey mixed with sugar powder (1:1) died within 6 d (68.3%) compared to control groups provided with normal honey mixed with sugar powder (15.8%). Honeybees were trained to visit feeders that contained honey of T. hypoglaucum (toxic honey) as the test group and honey of Vicia sativa or Elsholtzia ciliata as control groups (all honeys diluted 1:3 with water). Bees preferred the feeders with normal honey to those with toxic honey, as shown by significantly higher visiting frequencies and longer imbibition times. However, when the feeder of normal honey was removed, leaving only honey of T. hypoglaucum, the foraging bees returned to the toxic honey after a few seconds of hesitation, and both visiting frequency and imbibition time increased to values previously recorded for normal honey. Toxic honey thus became acceptable to the bees in the absence of other nectar sources.

The impact of insecticides to local honey bee colony Apis cerana indica in laboratory condition

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Putra, Ramadhani E.; Permana, Agus D.; Nuriyah, Syayidah

2014-03-01

Heavy use of insecticides considered as one of common practice at local farming systems. Even though many Indonesian researchers had stated the possible detrimental effect of insecticide on agriculture environment and biodiversity, researches on this subject had been neglected. Therefore, our purpose in this research is observing the impact of insecticides usage by farmer to non target organisme like local honey bee (Apis cerana indica), which commonly kept in area near agriculture system. This research consisted of field observations out at Ciburial, Dago Pakar, Bandung and laboratory tests at School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung. The field observations recorded visited agriculture corps and types of pollen carried by bees to the nest while laboratory test recorderd the effect of common insecticide to mortality and behavior of honey bees. Three types of insecticides used in this research were insecticides A with active agent Chlorantraniliprol 50 g/l, insecticide B with active agent Profenofos 500 g/l, and insecticides C with active agent Chlorantraniliprol 100 g/l and λ-cyhalotrin 50g/l. The results show that during one week visit, wild flower, Wedelia montana, visited by most honey bees with average visit 60 honey bees followed by corn, Zea mays, with 21 honey bees. The most pollen carried by foragers was Wedelia montana, Calliandra callothyrsus, and Zea mays. Preference test show that honeybees tend move to flowers without insecticides as the preference to insecticides A was 12.5%, insecticides B was 0%, and insecticides was C 4.2%. Mortality test showed that insecticides A has LD50 value 0.01 μg/μl, insecticide B 0.31 μg/μl, and insecticides C 0.09 μg/μl which much lower than suggested dosage recommended by insecticides producer. This research conclude that the use of insecticide could lower the pollination service provide by honey bee due to low visitation rate to flowers and mortality of foraging bees.

Effect of Temperature on the Biotic Potential of Honeybee Microsporidia▿

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Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Meana, Aránzazu; García-Palencia, Pilar; Marín, Pilar; Botías, Cristina; Garrido-Bailón, Encarna; Barrios, Laura; Higes, Mariano

2009-01-01

The biological cycle of Nosema spp. in honeybees depends on temperature. When expressed as total spore counts per day after infection, the biotic potentials of Nosema apis and N. ceranae at 33°C were similar, but a higher proportion of immature stages of N. ceranae than of N. apis were seen. At 25 and 37°C, the biotic potential of N. ceranae was higher than that of N. apis. The better adaptation of N. ceranae to complete its endogenous cycle at different temperatures clearly supports the observation of the different epidemiological patterns. PMID:19233948

Dual function of a bee (Apis cerana) inhibitor cysteine knot peptide that acts as an antifungal peptide and insecticidal venom toxin.

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Park, Hee Geun; Kyung, Seung Su; Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Choi, Yong Soo; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Kwon, Hyung Wook; Je, Yeon Ho; Jin, Byung Rae

2014-12-01

Inhibitor cysteine knot (ICK) peptides exhibit ion channel blocking, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities, but currently, no functional roles for bee-derived ICK peptides have been identified. In this study, a bee (Apis cerana) ICK peptide (AcICK) that acts as an antifungal peptide and as an insecticidal venom toxin was identified. AcICK contains an ICK fold that is expressed in the epidermis, fat body, or venom gland and is present as a 6.6-kDa peptide in bee venom. Recombinant AcICK peptide (expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells) bound directly to Beauveria bassiana and Fusarium graminearum, but not to Escherichia coli or Bacillus thuringiensis. Consistent with these findings, AcICK showed antifungal activity, indicating that AcICK acts as an antifungal peptide. Furthermore, AcICK expression is induced in the fat body and epidermis after injection with B. bassiana. These results provide insight into the role of AcICK during the innate immune response following fungal infection. Additionally, we show that AcICK has insecticidal activity. Our results demonstrate a functional role for AcICK in bees: AcICK acts as an antifungal peptide in innate immune reactions in the body and as an insecticidal toxin in venom. The finding that the AcICK peptide functions with different mechanisms of action in the body and in venom highlights the two-pronged strategy that is possible with the bee ICK peptide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nosema Tolerant Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Escape Parasitic Manipulation of Apoptosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurze, Christoph; Le Conte, Yves; Dussaubat, Claudia

2015-01-01

conducted three inoculation experiments to investigate in the apoptotic respond during infection with the intracellular gut pathogen Nosema ceranae, which is considered as potential global threat to the honeybee (Apis mellifera) and other bee pollinators, in sensitive and tolerant honeybees. To explore...

Evidence for weak genetic recombination at the PTP2 locus of Nosema ceranae.

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Gómez-Moracho, Tamara; Bartolomé, Carolina; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Higes, Mariano; Maside, Xulio

2015-04-01

The microsporidian Nosema ceranae is an emergent pathogen that threatens the health of honeybees and other pollinators all over the world. Its recent rapid spread across a wide variety of host species and environments demonstrated an enhanced ability of adaptation, which seems to contradict the lack of evidence for genetic recombination and the absence of a sexual stage in its life cycle. Here we retrieved fresh data of the patterns of genetic variation at the PTP2 locus in naturally infected Apis mellifera colonies, by means of single genome amplification. This technique, designed to prevent the formation of chimeric haplotypes during polymerase chain reaction (PCR), provides more reliable estimates of the diversity levels and haplotype structure than standard PCR-cloning methods. Our results are consistent with low but significant rates of recombination in the history of the haplotypes detected: estimates of the population recombination rate are of the order of 30 and support recent evidence for unexpectedly high levels of variation of the parasites within honeybee colonies. These observations suggest the existence of a diploid stage at some point in the life cycle of this parasite and are relevant for our understanding of the dynamics of its expanding population. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese honeybees ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese honeybees (Apis cerana) under microsatellite markers. T Ji, L Yin, G Chen. Abstract. Using 21 microsatellite markers and PCR method, the polymorphisms of 20 Apis cerana honeybee populations across China was investigated and the genetic structure and diversity of ...

Brain transcriptomes of honey bees (Apis mellifera experimentally infected by two pathogens: Black queen cell virus and Nosema ceranae

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Vincent Doublet

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Regulation of gene expression in the brain plays an important role in behavioral plasticity and decision making in response to external stimuli. However, both can be severely affected by environmental factors, such as parasites and pathogens. In honey bees, the emergence and re-emergence of pathogens and potential for pathogen co-infection and interaction have been suggested as major components that significantly impaired social behavior and survival. To understand how the honey bee is affected and responds to interacting pathogens, we co-infected workers with two prevalent pathogens of different nature, the positive single strand RNA virus Black queen cell virus (BQCV, and the Microsporidia Nosema ceranae, and explored gene expression changes in brains upon single infections and co-infections. Our data provide an important resource for research on honey bee diseases, and more generally on insect host-pathogen and pathogen-pathogen interactions. Raw and processed data are publicly available in the NCBI/GEO database: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ under accession number GSE81664.

Nosema ceranae Winter Control: Study of the Effectiveness of Different Fumagillin Treatments and Consequences on the Strength of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies.

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Mendoza, Y; Diaz-Cetti, S; Ramallo, G; Santos, E; Porrini, M; Invernizzi, C

2017-02-01

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 determine how this antibiotic affects the strength of the colonies during the winter season. The colonies treated with fumagillin in July showed less spore load at the end of applications, being the most effective the following treatments: the four applications sprayed over bees of 30 mg of fumagillin in 100 ml of sugar syrup 1:1, and four applications of 90 mg of fumagillin in 250 ml of sugar syrup 1:1 using a feeder. However, 2 month after the treatment applications, the colonies treated with fumagillin were the same size as the untreated colonies. In September, the colonies treated and not treated with fumagillin did not differ in colony strength (adult bee population and brood area) or spores abundance. Our study demonstrates that fumagillin treatment temporarily decreased the spore load of N. ceranae , but this was not reflected in either the size of the colonies or the probability of surviving the winter regardless of the dose or the administration strategy applied. Given the results obtained, we suggest to not perform the pharmacological treatment under the conditions described in the experiment. En Uruguay las colonias de abejas melíferas que se trasladan a las forestaciones de Eucalyptus grandis en otoño indefectiblemente se infectan con el microsporido Nosema ceranae , parásito que ataca el sistema digestivo de las abejas. Los apicultores atribuyen a N. ceranae el despoblamiento de las colonias que ocurre con frecuencia al terminar el periodo de floraci

Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of honey bee viruses, Nosema microsporidia, protozoan parasites, and parasitic mites in China.

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Yang, Bu; Peng, Guangda; Li, Tianbang; Kadowaki, Tatsuhiko

2013-02-01

China has the largest number of managed honey bee colonies, which produce the highest quantity of honey and royal jelly in the world; however, the presence of honey bee pathogens and parasites has never been rigorously identified in Chinese apiaries. We thus conducted a molecular survey of honey bee RNA viruses, Nosema microsporidia, protozoan parasites, and tracheal mites associated with nonnative Apis mellifera ligustica and native Apis cerana cerana colonies in China. We found the presence of black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), and sacbrood virus (SBV), but not that of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) or Kashmir bee virus (KBV). DWV was the most prevalent in the tested samples. Phylogenies of Chinese viral isolates demonstrated that genetically heterogeneous populations of BQCV, CBPV, DWV, and A. cerana-infecting SBV, and relatively homogenous populations of IAPV and A. meliifera-infecting new strain of SBV with single origins, are spread in Chinese apiaries. Similar to previous observations in many countries, Nosema ceranae, but not Nosema apis, was prevalent in the tested samples. Crithidia mellificae, but not Apicystis bombi was found in five samples, including one A. c. cerana colony, demonstrating that C. mellificae is capable of infecting multiple honey bee species. Based on kinetoplast-encoded cytochrome b sequences, the C. mellificae isolate from A. c. cerana represents a novel haplotype with 19 nucleotide differences from the Chinese and Japanese isolates from A. m. ligustica. This suggests that A. c. cerana is the native host for this specific haplotype. The tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi, was detected in one A. m. ligustica colony. Our results demonstrate that honey bee RNA viruses, N. ceranae, C. mellificae, and tracheal mites are present in Chinese apiaries, and some might be originated from native Asian honey bees.

Selección bidireccional de Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae para aumento de la resistencia y la susceptibilidad a la nosemosis

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Yamandú MENDOZA

2014-01-01

Full Text Available La nosemosis es una enfermedad que afecta las funciones digestivas de las abejas melíferas causada por los microsporidios Nosema apis y Nosema ceranae. En Uruguay la única especie detectada es N. ceranae. Para determinar si la incidencia de N. ceranae en las colonias tiene un componente genético se realizó una selección bidireccional para aumento de la resistencia y la susceptibilidad a este parásito sin control de la paternidad. Las colonias fueron evaluadas en una forestación de Eucalyptus grandis en otoño. La infección de las colonias se determinó como 1 el porcentaje de abejas pecoreadoras infectadas y 2 el número promedio de esporas por campo en 10 campos. El trabajo se inició con 138 colonias y se evaluaron dos generaciones de 30 y 63 colonias. La respuesta a la selección fue muy limitada, solo en la primera generación las colonias de la línea resistente presentaron menos esporas por abejas que las colonias de la línea susceptible (19,6 ± 5,8 y 26,8 ± 10,4, respectivamente, W = 41,5; P = 0.03. Esto indicaría que la resistencia a la nosemosis está fuertemente afectada por el ambiente. Futuros esfuerzos para aumentar la resistencia de las abejas a N. ceranae a través de mejora genética deberán incluir el control de la paternidad.

Species-specific diagnostics of Apis mellifera trypanosomatids: A nine-year survey (2007-2015) for trypanosomatids and microsporidians in Serbian honey bees.

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Stevanovic, Jevrosima; Schwarz, Ryan S; Vejnovic, Branislav; Evans, Jay D; Irwin, Rebecca E; Glavinic, Uros; Stanimirovic, Zoran

2016-09-01

In this study, honey bees collected in Serbia over 9 consecutive years (2007-2015) were retrospectively surveyed to determine the prevalence of eukaryotic gut parasites by molecular screening of archival DNA samples. We developed species-specific primers for PCR to detect the two known honey bee trypanosomatid species, Crithidia mellificae and the recently described Lotmaria passim. These primers were validated for target specificity under single and mixed-species conditions as well as against the bumblebee trypanosomatid Crithidia bombi. Infections by Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) were also determined using PCR. Samples from 162 colonies (18 from each year) originating from 57 different localities were surveyed. L. passim was detected in every year with an overall frequency of 62.3% and annual frequencies ranging from 38.9% to 83.3%. This provides the earliest confirmed record to date for L. passim and the first report of this species in Serbia. N. ceranae was ubiquitous, occurring in every year and at 95.7% overall frequency, ranging annually from 83.3% to 100%. The majority of colonies (60.5%) were co-infected with L. passim and N. ceranae, but colony infections by each species were statistically independent of one another over the nine years. Although C. mellificae and N. apis have both been reported recently at low frequency in Europe, neither of these species was detected in Serbia. These results support the hypothesis that L. passim has predominated over C. mellificae in A. mellifera during the past decade. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Genetics; Volume 93; Issue 1. Molecular characterization and differential expression of two duplicated odorant receptor genes, AcerOr1 and AcerOr3, in Apis cerana cerana. Huiting Zhao Pengfei Gao Haiyan Du Weihua Ma Songhao Tian Yusuo Jiang. Research Article Volume 93 Issue 1 April ...

Nosema spp. infections cause no energetic stress in tolerant honeybees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurze, Christoph; Mayack, Christopher; Hirche, Frank

2016-01-01

closely related and highly host dependent intracellular gut pathogens, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, on the energetic state in Nosema tolerant and sensitive honeybees facing the infection. We quantified the three major haemolymph carbohydrates fructose, glucose, and trehalose using high......-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a measure for host energetic state. Trehalose levels in the haemolymph were negatively associated with N. apis infection intensity and with N. ceranae infection regardless of the infection intensity in sensitive honeybees. Nevertheless, there was no such association...

Characteristics of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera Carnica, Pollman 1879 Queens Reared in Slovenian Commercial Breeding Stations

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Gregorc Aleš

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this three-year-trial study, we examined the quality of mated queens based on morphological and physiology traits. At each location, sister queen bees were reared each year from one Apis mellifera carnica breeder queen. Queens were also reared and mated in different locations. Altogether, we sampled and analysed 324 queens from 27 apiaries in 2006, 288 queens from 24 apiaries in 2008, and 276 queens from 23 apiaries in 2010. Nine queens from each apiary were sampled and dissected for morphological analyses and Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae spores, if present, were quantified. Three queens from each apiary were prepared and tested for four viruses: acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV, black queen cell virus (BQCV, deformed wing virus (DWV, and sacbrood virus (SBV. The highest average queen weight of 209.49 ± 9.82 mg was detected in 2008. The highest average ovary weight of 78.67 ± 11.86 mg was detected in 2010, and the highest number of ovarioles was 161.59 ± 8.70 in 2006. The average number of spermatozoa in queens ranged from 3.30 x 106 in 2006 to 5.23 x 106 in 2010. Nosema ceranae spores were found in queens sampled in 2008 and 2010. Viruses were discovered sporadically during the queen testing periods from 2006 - 2010. This study importantly demonstrates that queens from rearing stations require regular evaluation for morphological and physiological changes as well as for infection from harmful pathogens. These results could also be used in establishing relevant commercial standards for rearing quality queens.

Protein nutrition governs within-host race of honey bee pathogens.

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Tritschler, Manuel; Vollmann, Jutta J; Yañez, Orlando; Chejanovsky, Nor; Crailsheim, Karl; Neumann, Peter

2017-11-08

Multiple infections are common in honey bees, Apis mellifera, but the possible role of nutrition in this regard is poorly understood. Microsporidian infections, which are promoted by protein-fed, can negatively correlate with virus infections, but the role of protein nutrition for the microsporidian-virus interface is unknown. Here, we challenged naturally deformed wing virus - B (DWV-B) infected adult honey bee workers fed with or without pollen ( = protein) in hoarding cages, with the microsporidian Nosema ceranae. Bee mortality was recorded for 14 days and N. ceranae spore loads and DWV-B titers were quantified. Amongst the groups inoculated with N. ceranae, more spores were counted in protein-fed bees. However, N. ceranae infected bees without protein-diet had reduced longevity compared to all other groups. N. ceranae infection had no effect on protein-fed bee's longevity, whereas bees supplied only with sugar-water showed reduced survival. Our data also support that protein-feeding can have a significant negative impact on virus infections in insects. The negative correlation between N. ceranae spore loads and DWV-B titers was stronger expressed in protein-fed hosts. Proteins not only enhance survival of infected hosts, but also significantly shape the microsporidian-virus interface, probably due to increased spore production and enhanced host immunity.

Various Bee Pheromones Binding Affinity, Exclusive Chemosensillar Localization, and Key Amino Acid Sites Reveal the Distinctive Characteristics of Odorant-Binding Protein 11 in the Eastern Honey Bee, Apis cerana.

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Song, Xin-Mi; Zhang, Lin-Ya; Fu, Xiao-Bin; Wu, Fan; Tan, Jing; Li, Hong-Liang

2018-01-01

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are the critical elements responsible for binding and transporting odors and pheromones in the sensitive olfactory system in insects. Honey bees are representative social insects that have complex odorants and pheromone communication systems relative to solitary insects. Here, we first cloned and characterized OBP11 ( AcerOBP11 ), from the worker bees antennae of Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana . Based on sequence and phylogenetic analysis, most sequences homologous to AcerOBP11 belong to the typical OBPs family. The transcriptional expression profiles showed that AcerOBP11 was expressed throughout the developmental stages and highly specifically expressed in adult antennae. Using immunofluorescence localization, AcerOBP11 in worker bee's antennae was only localized in the sensilla basiconica (SB) near the fringe of each segment. Fluorescence ligand-binding assay showed that AcerOBP11 protein had strong binding affinity with the tested various bee pheromones components, including the main queen mandibular pheromones (QMPs), methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB), and ( E )-9-oxo-2-decanoic acid (9-ODA), alarm pheromone (n-hexanol), and worker pheromone components. AcerOBP11 also had strong binding affinity to plant volatiles, such as 4-Allylveratrole. Based on the docking and site-directed mutagenesis, two key amino acid residues (Ile97 and Ile140) were involved in the binding of AcerOBP11 to various bee pheromones. Taken together, we identified that AcerOBP11 was localized in a single type of antennal chemosensilla and had complex ligand-binding properties, which confer the dual-role with the primary characteristics of sensing various bee pheromones and secondary characteristics of sensing general odorants. This study not only prompts the theoretical basis of OBPs-mediated bee pheromones recognition of honey bee, but also extends the understanding of differences in pheromone communication between social and solitary insects.

Various Bee Pheromones Binding Affinity, Exclusive Chemosensillar Localization, and Key Amino Acid Sites Reveal the Distinctive Characteristics of Odorant-Binding Protein 11 in the Eastern Honey Bee, Apis cerana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin-Mi Song

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs are the critical elements responsible for binding and transporting odors and pheromones in the sensitive olfactory system in insects. Honey bees are representative social insects that have complex odorants and pheromone communication systems relative to solitary insects. Here, we first cloned and characterized OBP11 (AcerOBP11, from the worker bees antennae of Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana. Based on sequence and phylogenetic analysis, most sequences homologous to AcerOBP11 belong to the typical OBPs family. The transcriptional expression profiles showed that AcerOBP11 was expressed throughout the developmental stages and highly specifically expressed in adult antennae. Using immunofluorescence localization, AcerOBP11 in worker bee's antennae was only localized in the sensilla basiconica (SB near the fringe of each segment. Fluorescence ligand-binding assay showed that AcerOBP11 protein had strong binding affinity with the tested various bee pheromones components, including the main queen mandibular pheromones (QMPs, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB, and (E-9-oxo-2-decanoic acid (9-ODA, alarm pheromone (n-hexanol, and worker pheromone components. AcerOBP11 also had strong binding affinity to plant volatiles, such as 4-Allylveratrole. Based on the docking and site-directed mutagenesis, two key amino acid residues (Ile97 and Ile140 were involved in the binding of AcerOBP11 to various bee pheromones. Taken together, we identified that AcerOBP11 was localized in a single type of antennal chemosensilla and had complex ligand-binding properties, which confer the dual-role with the primary characteristics of sensing various bee pheromones and secondary characteristics of sensing general odorants. This study not only prompts the theoretical basis of OBPs-mediated bee pheromones recognition of honey bee, but also extends the understanding of differences in pheromone communication between social and solitary insects.

Native Honey Bees Outperform Adventive Honey Bees in Increasing Pyrus bretschneideri (Rosales: Rosaceae) Pollination.

Science.gov (United States)

Gemeda, Tolera Kumsa; Shao, Youquan; Wu, Wenqin; Yang, Huipeng; Huang, Jiaxing; Wu, Jie

2017-12-05

The foraging behavior of different bee species is a key factor influencing the pollination efficiency of different crops. Most pear species exhibit full self-incompatibility and thus depend entirely on cross-pollination. However, as little is known about the pear visitation preferences of native Apis cerana (Fabricius; Hymenoptera: Apidae) and adventive Apis mellifera (L.; Hymenoptera: Apidae) in China. A comparative analysis was performed to explore the pear-foraging differences of these species under the natural conditions of pear growing areas. The results show significant variability in the pollen-gathering tendency of these honey bees. Compared to A. mellifera, A. cerana begins foraging at an earlier time of day and gathers a larger amount of pollen in the morning. Based on pollen collection data, A. mellifera shows variable preferences: vigorously foraging on pear on the first day of observation but collecting pollen from non-target floral resources on other experimental days. Conversely, A. cerana persists in pear pollen collection, without shifting preference to other competitive flowers. Therefore, A. cerana outperforms adventive A. mellifera with regard to pear pollen collection under natural conditions, which may lead to increased pear pollination. This study supports arguments in favor of further multiplication and maintenance of A. cerana for pear and other native crop pollination. Moreover, it is essential to develop alternative pollination management techniques to utilize A. mellifera for pear pollination. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese honeybees ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2011-02-28

Feb 28, 2011 ... honeybees (Apis cerana) under microsatellite markers. Ting Ji, Ling Yin and ... from Apis mellifera introduced into China since 1896 (Yang, 2005). With the ..... Commercial and Feral Honey Bees in Western Australia. J. Econ.

Van Varroa jacobsoni naar Varroa destructor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calis, Johan

2002-01-01

Resultaten van onderzoek naar de verschillende voortplantingsstrategieën van Varroa jacobsoni en Varroa destructor in respectievelijk de Oosterse honigbij (Apis cerana) en de Westerse honingbij (Apis mellifera). Het hygiënisch gedrag van de Oosterse honingbij (leegruimen van aangetaste

Parasite infection accelerates age polyethism in young honey bees

Science.gov (United States)

Lecocq, Antoine; Jensen, Annette Bruun; Kryger, Per; Nieh, James C.

2016-01-01

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators and their health is threatened worldwide by persistent exposure to a wide range of factors including pesticides, poor nutrition, and pathogens. Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian associated with high colony mortality. We used lab micro-colonies of honey bees and video analyses to track the effects of N. ceranae infection and exposure on a range of individual and social behaviours in young adult bees. We provide detailed data showing that N. ceranae infection significantly accelerated the age polyethism of young bees, causing them to exhibit behaviours typical of older bees. Bees with high N. ceranae spore counts had significantly increased walking rates and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone. Infected bees also exhibited higher rates of trophallaxis (food exchange), potentially reflecting parasite manipulation to increase colony infection. However, reduction in queen contacts could help bees limit the spread of infection. Such accelerated age polyethism may provide a form of behavioural immunity, particularly if it is elicited by a wide variety of pathogens. PMID:26912310

Parasite infection accelerates age polyethism in young honey bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecocq, Antoine; Jensen, Annette Bruun; Kryger, Per; Nieh, James C

2016-02-25

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators and their health is threatened worldwide by persistent exposure to a wide range of factors including pesticides, poor nutrition, and pathogens. Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian associated with high colony mortality. We used lab micro-colonies of honey bees and video analyses to track the effects of N. ceranae infection and exposure on a range of individual and social behaviours in young adult bees. We provide detailed data showing that N. ceranae infection significantly accelerated the age polyethism of young bees, causing them to exhibit behaviours typical of older bees. Bees with high N. ceranae spore counts had significantly increased walking rates and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone. Infected bees also exhibited higher rates of trophallaxis (food exchange), potentially reflecting parasite manipulation to increase colony infection. However, reduction in queen contacts could help bees limit the spread of infection. Such accelerated age polyethism may provide a form of behavioural immunity, particularly if it is elicited by a wide variety of pathogens.

Parasite infection accelerates age polyethism in young honey bees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lecocq, Antoine; Jensen, Annette Bruun; Kryger, Per

2016-01-01

micro-colonies of honey bees and video analyses to track the effects of N. ceranae infection and exposure on a range of individual and social behaviours in young adult bees. We provide detailed data showing that N. ceranae infection significantly accelerated the age polyethism of young bees, causing......Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators and their health is threatened worldwide by persistent exposure to a wide range of factors including pesticides, poor nutrition, and pathogens. Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian associated with high colony mortality. We used lab...... manipulation to increase colony infection. However, reduction in queen contacts could help bees limit the spread of infection. Such accelerated age polyethism may provide a form of behavioural immunity, particularly if it is elicited by a wide variety of pathogens....

Study on the food distribution among workers of different races of the honeybee Apis mellifica L. by means of the 32P radioisotope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kloft, W.J.; Djalal, A.S.; Drescher, Wilhelm

1976-01-01

Using the radioactive tracer-technique, the social food distribution among workerbees of different races of the honeybee Apis mellifica L. to workerbees of Apis cerana Fabr. was studied. The experiments were carried out under standardized conditions as age, groupsize, food-supply of the donor-bee, distribution-time and temperature. Significant differences in the time required for social food distributions among workerbees of the different races were demonstrated. The highest number of acceptor-bees during 4 hours belonged to A.m.ligustica. A.m. caucasica reached similar values, A.m. carnica was intermediate, while A.m. mellifica was the slowest distributor. This foodsharing behavior was compared with other differences in the activity of different bee races

Varroa destructor virus 1: a new picorna-like virus in Varroa mites as well as honey bees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ongus, J.R.

2006-01-01

Varroa destructor mite is an ectoparasite of the honey bee Apis mellifera. This species was recently differentiated from Varroa jacobsoni species which infests the Asian bee Apis cerana. Varroa mites feed entirely on the bee's haemolymph and have been associated with the spread of a number of

African Journal of Biotechnology - Vol 11, No 96 (2012)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Characterization of some enzymatic properties of recombinant α-glucosidase III from the Thai honeybee, Apis cerana indica Fabricus · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Jirattikarn Kaewmuangmoon, Mikio Yoshiyama, Kiyoshi Kimura, Masayuki Okuyama, ...

Imidacloprid Alters Foraging and Decreases Bee Avoidance of Predators

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Ken; Chen, Weiwen; Dong, Shihao; Liu, Xiwen; Wang, Yuchong; Nieh, James C.

2014-01-01

Concern is growing over the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides, which can impair honey bee cognition. We provide the first demonstration that sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid can harm honey bee decision-making about danger by significantly increasing the probability of a bee visiting a dangerous food source. Apis cerana is a native bee that is an important pollinator of agricultural crops and native plants in Asia. When foraging on nectar containing 40 µg/L (34 ppb) imidacloprid, honey bees (Apis cerana) showed no aversion to a feeder with a hornet predator, and 1.8 fold more bees chose the dangerous feeder as compared to control bees. Control bees exhibited significant predator avoidance. We also give the first evidence that foraging by A. cerana workers can be inhibited by sublethal concentrations of the pesticide, imidacloprid, which is widely used in Asia. Compared to bees collecting uncontaminated nectar, 23% fewer foragers returned to collect the nectar with 40 µg/L imidacloprid. Bees that did return respectively collected 46% and 63% less nectar containing 20 µg/L and 40 µg/L imidacloprid. These results suggest that the effects of neonicotinoids on honey bee decision-making and other advanced cognitive functions should be explored. Moreover, research should extend beyond the classic model, the European honey bee (A. mellifera), to other important bee species. PMID:25025334

Imidacloprid alters foraging and decreases bee avoidance of predators.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken Tan

Full Text Available Concern is growing over the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides, which can impair honey bee cognition. We provide the first demonstration that sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid can harm honey bee decision-making about danger by significantly increasing the probability of a bee visiting a dangerous food source. Apis cerana is a native bee that is an important pollinator of agricultural crops and native plants in Asia. When foraging on nectar containing 40 µg/L (34 ppb imidacloprid, honey bees (Apis cerana showed no aversion to a feeder with a hornet predator, and 1.8 fold more bees chose the dangerous feeder as compared to control bees. Control bees exhibited significant predator avoidance. We also give the first evidence that foraging by A. cerana workers can be inhibited by sublethal concentrations of the pesticide, imidacloprid, which is widely used in Asia. Compared to bees collecting uncontaminated nectar, 23% fewer foragers returned to collect the nectar with 40 µg/L imidacloprid. Bees that did return respectively collected 46% and 63% less nectar containing 20 µg/L and 40 µg/L imidacloprid. These results suggest that the effects of neonicotinoids on honey bee decision-making and other advanced cognitive functions should be explored. Moreover, research should extend beyond the classic model, the European honey bee (A. mellifera, to other important bee species.

Detection of neural activity in the brains of Japanese honeybee workers during the formation of a "hot defensive bee ball".

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Atsushi Ugajin

Full Text Available Anti-predator behaviors are essential to survival for most animals. The neural bases of such behaviors, however, remain largely unknown. Although honeybees commonly use their stingers to counterattack predators, the Japanese honeybee (Apis cerana japonica uses a different strategy to fight against the giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica. Instead of stinging the hornet, Japanese honeybees form a "hot defensive bee ball" by surrounding the hornet en masse, killing it with heat. The European honeybee (A. mellifera ligustica, on the other hand, does not exhibit this behavior, and their colonies are often destroyed by a hornet attack. In the present study, we attempted to analyze the neural basis of this behavior by mapping the active brain regions of Japanese honeybee workers during the formation of a hot defensive bee ball. First, we identified an A. cerana homolog (Acks = Apis cerana kakusei of kakusei, an immediate early gene that we previously identified from A. mellifera, and showed that Acks has characteristics similar to kakusei and can be used to visualize active brain regions in A. cerana. Using Acks as a neural activity marker, we demonstrated that neural activity in the mushroom bodies, especially in Class II Kenyon cells, one subtype of mushroom body intrinsic neurons, and a restricted area between the dorsal lobes and the optic lobes was increased in the brains of Japanese honeybee workers involved in the formation of a hot defensive bee ball. In addition, workers exposed to 46°C heat also exhibited Acks expression patterns similar to those observed in the brains of workers involved in the formation of a hot defensive bee ball, suggesting that the neural activity observed in the brains of workers involved in the hot defensive bee ball mainly reflects thermal stimuli processing.

Norwegian honey bees surviving Varroa destructor mite infestations by means of natural selection

OpenAIRE

Oddie, Melissa AY; Dahle, Bjørn Steinar; Neumann, Peter

2017-01-01

Background Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control....

Differential gene expression in Varroa jacobsoni mites following a host shift to European honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Science.gov (United States)

Andino, Gladys K; Gribskov, Michael; Anderson, Denis L; Evans, Jay D; Hunt, Greg J

2016-11-16

Varroa mites are widely considered the biggest honey bee health problem worldwide. Until recently, Varroa jacobsoni has been found to live and reproduce only in Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) colonies, while V. destructor successfully reproduces in both A. cerana and A. mellifera colonies. However, we have identified an island population of V. jacobsoni that is highly destructive to A. mellifera, the primary species used for pollination and honey production. The ability of these populations of mites to cross the host species boundary potentially represents an enormous threat to apiculture, and is presumably due to genetic variation that exists among populations of V. jacobsoni that influences gene expression and reproductive status. In this work, we investigate differences in gene expression between populations of V. jacobsoni reproducing on A. cerana and those either reproducing or not capable of reproducing on A. mellifera, in order to gain insight into differences that allow V. jacobsoni to overcome its normal species tropism. We sequenced and assembled a de novo transcriptome of V. jacobsoni. We also performed a differential gene expression analysis contrasting biological replicates of V. jacobsoni populations that differ in their ability to reproduce on A. mellifera. Using the edgeR, EBSeq and DESeq R packages for differential gene expression analysis, we found 287 differentially expressed genes (FDR ≤ 0.05), of which 91% were up regulated in mites reproducing on A. mellifera. In addition, mites found reproducing on A. mellifera showed substantially more variation in expression among replicates. We searched for orthologous genes in public databases and were able to associate 100 of these 287 differentially expressed genes with a functional description. There is differential gene expression between the two mite groups, with more variation in gene expression among mites that were able to reproduce on A. mellifera. A small set of genes showed reduced

Molecular identification of chronic bee paralysis virus infection in Apis mellifera colonies in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Tomomi; Kojima, Yuriko; Yoshiyama, Mikio; Kimura, Kiyoshi; Yang, Bu; Kadowaki, Tatsuhiko

2012-07-01

Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) infection causes chronic paralysis and loss of workers in honey bee colonies around the world. Although CBPV shows a worldwide distribution, it had not been molecularly detected in Japan. Our investigation of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana japonica colonies with RT-PCR has revealed CBPV infection in A. mellifera but not A. c. japonica colonies in Japan. The prevalence of CBPV is low compared with that of other viruses: deformed wing virus (DWV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), Israel acute paralysis virus (IAPV), and sac brood virus (SBV), previously reported in Japan. Because of its low prevalence (5.6%) in A. mellifera colonies, the incidence of colony losses by CBPV infection must be sporadic in Japan. The presence of the (-) strand RNA in dying workers suggests that CBPV infection and replication may contribute to their symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates a geographic separation of Japanese isolates from European, Uruguayan, and mainland US isolates. The lack of major exchange of honey bees between Europe/mainland US and Japan for the recent 26 years (1985-2010) may have resulted in the geographic separation of Japanese CBPV isolates.

Prevalence of honeybee viruses in the Czech Republic and coinfections with other honeybee disease

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ryba, Š.; Titěra, D.; Schödelbauerová, Iva; Kindlmann, Pavel

2012-01-01

Roč. 67, č. 3 (2012), s. 590-595 ISSN 0006-3088 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : Nosema apis * Nosema ceranae * Paenibacillus * DWV * ABPV * BQCV * SBV * KBV * CBPV Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.506, year: 2012

Varroa destructor virus 1: a new picorna-like virus in Varroa mites as well as honey bees

OpenAIRE

Ongus, J.R.

2006-01-01

Varroa destructor mite is an ectoparasite of the honey bee Apis mellifera. This species was recently differentiated from Varroa jacobsoni species which infests the Asian bee Apis cerana. Varroa mites feed entirely on the bee's haemolymph and have been associated with the spread of a number of viruses. Since the mites were first observed in Java, Indonesia in 1904, they have been reported in most regions of the world except Australia and the equatorial regions of Africa. V. destructor severely...

Honey Bee Inhibitory Signaling Is Tuned to Threat Severity and Can Act as a Colony Alarm Signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Ken; Dong, Shihao; Li, Xinyu; Liu, Xiwen; Wang, Chao; Li, Jianjun; Nieh, James C

2016-03-01

Alarm communication is a key adaptation that helps social groups resist predation and rally defenses. In Asia, the world's largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia, and the smaller hornet, Vespa velutina, prey upon foragers and nests of the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana. We attacked foragers and colony nest entrances with these predators and provide the first evidence, in social insects, of an alarm signal that encodes graded danger and attack context. We show that, like Apis mellifera, A. cerana possesses a vibrational "stop signal," which can be triggered by predator attacks upon foragers and inhibits waggle dancing. Large hornet attacks were more dangerous and resulted in higher bee mortality. Per attack at the colony level, large hornets elicited more stop signals than small hornets. Unexpectedly, stop signals elicited by large hornets (SS large hornet) had a significantly higher vibrational fundamental frequency than those elicited by small hornets (SS small hornet) and were more effective at inhibiting waggle dancing. Stop signals resulting from attacks upon the nest entrance (SS nest) were produced by foragers and guards and were significantly longer in pulse duration than stop signals elicited by attacks upon foragers (SS forager). Unlike SS forager, SS nest were targeted at dancing and non-dancing foragers and had the common effect, tuned to hornet threat level, of inhibiting bee departures from the safe interior of the nest. Meanwhile, nest defenders were triggered by the bee alarm pheromone and live hornet presence to heat-ball the hornet. In A. cerana, sophisticated recruitment communication that encodes food location, the waggle dance, is therefore matched with an inhibitory/alarm signal that encodes information about the context of danger and its threat level.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and anti-arthritic activities of Indian Apis dorsata bee venom in experimental animals: biochemical, histological, and radiological assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Nipate, S S; Hurali, Prakash B; Ghaisas, M M

2015-04-01

Traditionally venoms are used from thousands of years to treat pain, inflammation, and arthritis. In Ayurveda "Suchika Voron" and "Shodhona" were practiced against pain. In the present study, venom composition of the Indian honeybee Apis florea (AF), Apis dorsata (AD), and Apis cerana indica (AC) were analyzed using electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). This venom analysis was used to shed light upon the correlation in structure and the venom composition among the three species in Indian fields. Among the three species, Indian Apis dorsata bee venom (ADBV) is evaluated for an anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activity, and antiarthritic activity in different animal models. The effect of ADBV is revealed for its anti-arthritic activity in the FCA- and CIA-induced arthritis model in male Wistar rats. The immunosuppressant action of ADBV was studied by hemagglutination antibody titer. It has been found that ADBV possesses anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. In FCA- and CIA-induced arthritis, ADBV able to decrease rheumatoid factor, pain perception parameters, C-reactive protein, erythrocytes sedimentation rate, urinary hydroxyproline, serum transaminase level, and serum nitric oxide level when compared with diseased control arthritic rats. IL-6, TNF-α level was found to be decrease by ADBV treatment in collagen induced arthritis model. Thus this study confirmed the scientific validation behind utilization of venom in Indian Apis dorsata bees in arthritis and inflammatory diseases which has been not reported till date.

Stable genetic diversity despite parasite and pathogen spread in honey bee colonies

Science.gov (United States)

Jara, Laura; Muñoz, Irene; Cepero, Almudena; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Serrano, José; Higes, Mariano; De la Rúa, Pilar

2015-10-01

In the last decades, the rapid spread of diseases, such as varroosis and nosemosis, associated with massive honey bee colonies mortality around the world has significantly decreased the number and size of honey bee populations and possibly their genetic diversity. Here, we compare the genetic diversity of Iberian honey bee colonies in two samplings performed in 2006 and 2010 in relation to the presence of the pathogenic agents Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, and Varroa destructor in order to determine whether parasite and pathogen spread in honey bee colonies reflects changes in genetic diversity. We found that the genetic diversity remained similar, while the incidence of N. ceranae increased and the incidence of N. apis and V. destructor decreased slightly. These results indicate that the genetic diversity was not affected by the presence of these pathogenic agents in the analyzed period. However, the two groups of colonies with and without Nosema/Varroa detected showed significant genetic differentiation (G test). A detailed analysis of the allelic segregation of microsatellite loci in Nosema/Varroa-negative colonies and parasitized ones revealed two outlier loci related to genes involved in immune response.

Stable genetic diversity despite parasite and pathogen spread in honey bee colonies.

Science.gov (United States)

Jara, Laura; Muñoz, Irene; Cepero, Almudena; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Serrano, José; Higes, Mariano; De la Rúa, Pilar

2015-10-01

In the last decades, the rapid spread of diseases, such as varroosis and nosemosis, associated with massive honey bee colonies mortality around the world has significantly decreased the number and size of honey bee populations and possibly their genetic diversity. Here, we compare the genetic diversity of Iberian honey bee colonies in two samplings performed in 2006 and 2010 in relation to the presence of the pathogenic agents Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, and Varroa destructor in order to determine whether parasite and pathogen spread in honey bee colonies reflects changes in genetic diversity. We found that the genetic diversity remained similar, while the incidence of N. ceranae increased and the incidence of N. apis and V. destructor decreased slightly. These results indicate that the genetic diversity was not affected by the presence of these pathogenic agents in the analyzed period. However, the two groups of colonies with and without Nosema/Varroa detected showed significant genetic differentiation (G test). A detailed analysis of the allelic segregation of microsatellite loci in Nosema/Varroa-negative colonies and parasitized ones revealed two outlier loci related to genes involved in immune response.

Molecular Identification of Nosema species in East Azerbaijan province, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Razmaraii, N.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Nosema is a genus of microsporidia, which have significant negative impacts on honeybees. The aim of thisstudy is the epidemiological evaluation and molecular characterization of Nosema spices in various countiesof East-Azerbaijan province (Northwest of Iran. 387 samples were collected from colonies maintained invarious counties of East-Azerbaijan province. Samples after preparation were examined by a lightmicroscope for presence of Nosema spores. PCR method (SSUrRNA gene was used to differentiatebetween Nosema apis (N. apis and N. ceranae. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Totalinfection prevalence of the microscopic evaluation and PCR tests were 225 (58.1% and 260 (67.1%respectively, total validity of PCR test against the microscopic test was computed equal to 1.1 in this case.Disease distribution in various counties of study area was variable and N. ceranae was the only Nosema species found to infect honeybees. The one species presence and different distribution of Nosema positive samples in various counties of East-Azerbaijan province may be due to multiple reasons. Furthermore,epidemiological information helps us to improve disease management practices in the studied area, apply new hygiene policy and reduce extra costs of production.

Crop pollination exposes honey bees to pesticides which alters their susceptibility to the gut pathogen Nosema ceranae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffery S Pettis

Full Text Available Recent declines in honey bee populations and increasing demand for insect-pollinated crops raise concerns about pollinator shortages. Pesticide exposure and pathogens may interact to have strong negative effects on managed honey bee colonies. Such findings are of great concern given the large numbers and high levels of pesticides found in honey bee colonies. Thus it is crucial to determine how field-relevant combinations and loads of pesticides affect bee health. We collected pollen from bee hives in seven major crops to determine 1 what types of pesticides bees are exposed to when rented for pollination of various crops and 2 how field-relevant pesticide blends affect bees' susceptibility to the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Our samples represent pollen collected by foragers for use by the colony, and do not necessarily indicate foragers' roles as pollinators. In blueberry, cranberry, cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon bees collected pollen almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers during our sampling. Thus more attention must be paid to how honey bees are exposed to pesticides outside of the field in which they are placed. We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads. The insecticides esfenvalerate and phosmet were at a concentration higher than their median lethal dose in at least one pollen sample. While fungicides are typically seen as fairly safe for honey bees, we found an increased probability of Nosema infection in bees that consumed pollen with a higher fungicide load. Our results highlight a need for research on sub-lethal effects of fungicides and other chemicals that bees placed in an agricultural setting are exposed to.

Cold Ambient Temperature Promotes Nosema spp. Intensity in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gina Retschnig

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Interactions between parasites and environmental factors have been implicated in the loss of managed Western honey bee (=HB, Apis mellifera colonies. Although laboratory data suggest that cold temperature may limit the spread of Nosema ceranae, an invasive species and now ubiquitous endoparasite of Western HBs, the impact of weather conditions on the distribution of this microsporidian in the field is poorly understood. Here, we conducted a survey for Nosema spp. using 18 Swiss apiaries (four colonies per apiary over a period of up to 18 months. Samples consisting of 60 workers were collected monthly from each colony to estimate Nosema spp. intensity, i.e., the number of spores in positive samples using microscopy. Ambient apiary temperature was measured daily to estimate the proportion of days enabling HB flight (>10 °C at midday. The results show that Nosema spp. intensities were negatively correlated with the proportion of days enabling HB flight, thereby suggesting a significant and unexpected positive impact of cold ambient temperature on intensities, probably via regulation of defecation opportunities for infected hosts.

Honey Bee Inhibitory Signaling Is Tuned to Threat Severity and Can Act as a Colony Alarm Signal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken Tan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Alarm communication is a key adaptation that helps social groups resist predation and rally defenses. In Asia, the world's largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia, and the smaller hornet, Vespa velutina, prey upon foragers and nests of the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana. We attacked foragers and colony nest entrances with these predators and provide the first evidence, in social insects, of an alarm signal that encodes graded danger and attack context. We show that, like Apis mellifera, A. cerana possesses a vibrational "stop signal," which can be triggered by predator attacks upon foragers and inhibits waggle dancing. Large hornet attacks were more dangerous and resulted in higher bee mortality. Per attack at the colony level, large hornets elicited more stop signals than small hornets. Unexpectedly, stop signals elicited by large hornets (SS large hornet had a significantly higher vibrational fundamental frequency than those elicited by small hornets (SS small hornet and were more effective at inhibiting waggle dancing. Stop signals resulting from attacks upon the nest entrance (SS nest were produced by foragers and guards and were significantly longer in pulse duration than stop signals elicited by attacks upon foragers (SS forager. Unlike SS forager, SS nest were targeted at dancing and non-dancing foragers and had the common effect, tuned to hornet threat level, of inhibiting bee departures from the safe interior of the nest. Meanwhile, nest defenders were triggered by the bee alarm pheromone and live hornet presence to heat-ball the hornet. In A. cerana, sophisticated recruitment communication that encodes food location, the waggle dance, is therefore matched with an inhibitory/alarm signal that encodes information about the context of danger and its threat level.

Molecular Identification of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Infection in Apis mellifera Colonies in Japan

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Tomomi Morimoto

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV infection causes chronic paralysis and loss of workers in honey bee colonies around the world. Although CBPV shows a worldwide distribution, it had not been molecularly detected in Japan. Our investigation of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana japonica colonies with RT-PCR has revealed CBPV infection in A. mellifera but not A. c. japonica colonies in Japan. The prevalence of CBPV is low compared with that of other viruses: deformed wing virus (DWV, black queen cell virus (BQCV, Israel acute paralysis virus (IAPV, and sac brood virus (SBV, previously reported in Japan. Because of its low prevalence (5.6% in A. mellifera colonies, the incidence of colony losses by CBPV infection must be sporadic in Japan. The presence of the (− strand RNA in dying workers suggests that CBPV infection and replication may contribute to their symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates a geographic separation of Japanese isolates from European, Uruguayan, and mainland US isolates. The lack of major exchange of honey bees between Europe/mainland US and Japan for the recent 26 years (1985–2010 may have resulted in the geographic separation of Japanese CBPV isolates.

Field populations of native Indian honey bees from pesticide intensive agricultural landscape show signs of impaired olfaction

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Priyadarshini Chakrabarti; Santanu Rana; Sreejata Bandopadhyay; Dattatraya G. Naik; Sagartirtha Sarkar; Parthiba Basu

2015-01-01

Little information is available regarding the adverse effects of pesticides on natural honey bee populations. This study highlights the detrimental effects of pesticides on honey bee olfaction through behavioural studies, scanning electron microscopic imaging of antennal sensillae and confocal microscopic studies of honey bee brains for calcium ions on Apis cerana, a native Indian honey bee species. There was a significant decrease in proboscis extension response and biologically active free ...

Adaptive evolution of a key gene affecting queen and worker traits in the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

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Kent, Clement F; Issa, Amer; Bunting, Alexandra C; Zayed, Amro

2011-12-01

The vitellogenin egg yolk precursor protein represents a well-studied case of social pleiotropy in the model organism Apis mellifera. Vitellogenin is associated with fecundity in queens and plays a major role in controlling division of labour in workers, thereby affecting both individual and colony-level fitness. We studied the molecular evolution of vitellogenin and seven other genes sequenced in a large population panel of Apis mellifera and several closely related species to investigate the role of social pleiotropy on adaptive protein evolution. We found a significant excess of nonsynonymous fixed differences between A. mellifera, A. cerana and A. florea relative to synonymous sites indicating high rates of adaptive evolution at vitellogenin. Indeed, 88% of amino acid changes were fixed by selection in some portions of the gene. Further, vitellogenin exhibited hallmark signatures of selective sweeps in A. mellifera, including a significant skew in the allele frequency spectrum, extreme levels of genetic differentiation and linkage disequilibrium. Finally, replacement polymorphisms in vitellogenin were significantly enriched in parts of the protein involved in binding lipid, establishing a link between the gene's structure, function and effects on fitness. Our case study provides unequivocal evidence of historical and ongoing bouts of adaptive evolution acting on a key socially pleiotropic gene in the honey bee. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Honey Bees Modulate Their Olfactory Learning in the Presence of Hornet Predators and Alarm Component.

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Zhengwei Wang

Full Text Available In Southeast Asia the native honey bee species Apis cerana is often attacked by hornets (Vespa velutina, mainly in the period from April to November. During the co-evolution of these two species honey bees have developed several strategies to defend themselves such as learning the odors of hornets and releasing alarm components to inform other mates. However, so far little is known about whether and how honey bees modulate their olfactory learning in the presence of the hornet predator and alarm components of honey bee itself. In the present study, we test for associative olfactory learning of A. cerana in the presence of predator odors, the alarm pheromone component isopentyl acetate (IPA, or a floral odor (hexanal as a control. The results show that bees can detect live hornet odors, that there is almost no association between the innately aversive hornet odor and the appetitive stimulus sucrose, and that IPA is less well associated with an appetitive stimulus when compared with a floral odor. In order to imitate natural conditions, e.g. when bees are foraging on flowers and a predator shows up, or alarm pheromone is released by a captured mate, we tested combinations of the hornet odor and floral odor, or IPA and floral odor. Both of these combinations led to reduced learning scores. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the prey-predator system between A. cerana and V. velutina.

First detection of the larval chalkbrood disease pathogen Ascosphaera apis (Ascomycota: Eurotiomycetes: Ascosphaerales in adult bumble bees.

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Sarah A Maxfield-Taylor

Full Text Available Fungi in the genus Ascosphaera (Ascomycota: Eurotiomycetes: Ascosphaerales cause chalkbrood disease in larvae of bees. Here, we report the first-ever detection of the fungus in adult bumble bees that were raised in captivity for studies on colony development. Wild queens of Bombus griseocollis, B. nevadensis and B. vosnesenskii were collected and maintained for establishment of nests. Queens that died during rearing or that did not lay eggs within one month of capture were dissected, and tissues were examined microscopically for the presence of pathogens. Filamentous fungi that were detected were plated on artificial media containing broad spectrum antibiotics for isolation and identification. Based on morphological characters, the fungus was identified as Ascosphaera apis (Maasen ex Claussen Olive and Spiltoir, a species that has been reported earlier only from larvae of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, and the carpenter bee Xylocopa californica arizonensis. The identity of the fungus was confirmed using molecular markers and phylogenetic analysis. Ascosphaera apis was detected in queens of all three bumble bee species examined. Of 150 queens dissected, 12 (8% contained vegetative and reproductive stages of the fungus. Both fungal stages were also detected in two workers collected from colonies with Ascosphaera-infected B. nevadensis queens. In this study, wild bees could have been infected prior to capture for rearing, or, the A. apis infection could have originated via contaminated European honey bee pollen fed to the bumble bees in captivity. Thus, the discovery of A. apis in adult bumble bees in the current study has important implications for commercial production of bumble bee colonies and highlights potential risks to native bees via pathogen spillover from infected bees and infected pollen.

First detection of the larval chalkbrood disease pathogen Ascosphaera apis (Ascomycota: Eurotiomycetes: Ascosphaerales) in adult bumble bees.

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Maxfield-Taylor, Sarah A; Mujic, Alija B; Rao, Sujaya

2015-01-01

Fungi in the genus Ascosphaera (Ascomycota: Eurotiomycetes: Ascosphaerales) cause chalkbrood disease in larvae of bees. Here, we report the first-ever detection of the fungus in adult bumble bees that were raised in captivity for studies on colony development. Wild queens of Bombus griseocollis, B. nevadensis and B. vosnesenskii were collected and maintained for establishment of nests. Queens that died during rearing or that did not lay eggs within one month of capture were dissected, and tissues were examined microscopically for the presence of pathogens. Filamentous fungi that were detected were plated on artificial media containing broad spectrum antibiotics for isolation and identification. Based on morphological characters, the fungus was identified as Ascosphaera apis (Maasen ex Claussen) Olive and Spiltoir, a species that has been reported earlier only from larvae of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, and the carpenter bee Xylocopa californica arizonensis. The identity of the fungus was confirmed using molecular markers and phylogenetic analysis. Ascosphaera apis was detected in queens of all three bumble bee species examined. Of 150 queens dissected, 12 (8%) contained vegetative and reproductive stages of the fungus. Both fungal stages were also detected in two workers collected from colonies with Ascosphaera-infected B. nevadensis queens. In this study, wild bees could have been infected prior to capture for rearing, or, the A. apis infection could have originated via contaminated European honey bee pollen fed to the bumble bees in captivity. Thus, the discovery of A. apis in adult bumble bees in the current study has important implications for commercial production of bumble bee colonies and highlights potential risks to native bees via pathogen spillover from infected bees and infected pollen.

Screening alternative therapies to control Nosemosis type C in honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) colonies.

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Botías, Cristina; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Meana, Aránzazu; Higes, Mariano

2013-12-01

Nosemosis type C caused by the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is one of the most widespread of the adult honey bee diseases, and due to its detrimental effects on both strength and productivity of honey bee colonies, an appropriate control of this disease is advisable. Fumagillin is the only veterinary medicament recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to suppress infections by Nosema, but the use of this antibiotic is prohibited in the European Union and few alternatives are available at present to control the disease. In the present study three therapeutic agents (Nosestat®, Phenyl salicylate and Vitafeed Gold®) have been tested to control N. ceranae infection in honey bee colonies, and have been compared to the use of fumagillin. None of the products tested was effective against Nosema under our experimental conditions. Low consumption of the different doses of treatments may have had a strong influence on the results obtained, highlighting the importance of this issue and emphasizing that this should be evaluated in studies to test therapeutic treatments of honey bee colonies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pollinator-mediated selection on nectary depth in Urophysa (Ranunculaceae

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Li Sun

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Pollinator-mediated selection has been considered to be one of major factors that shapes the evolution of flowers by matching flowers to their pollinators on traits associated with attraction of pollinators or mechanical fit. The match between nectary depth, which means the length of the tubular structure formed in many plant species to hide the nectary and store nectar, and the mouthparts length of its major nectar-foraging pollinators has been repeatedly demonstrated as an example, because this trait have shown a positive relationship with pollen removal and deposition in experimental manipulations in many synpetalous plants and orchid family. However, it remains unclear how pollinator-mediated selection affects the evolution of nectary depth in choripetalous and actinomorphic flowers, such as most flowers in Ranunculaceae. Here we investigated floral characteristics and pollinators in Urophysa rockii Ulbr. and U. henryi (Oliv. Ulbr., as they are quite the same in habitat, anthesis and morphological characteristics except for nectary depth. Both of these species have flat white sepals and yellow petals each has a spatial structure at the base that contains nectar, but the nectary depth of U. rockii is deeper than that of U. henryi, for the former petals are shortly spurred about 3-4mm in length while the latter are saccate. Meanwhile, the flowers of both species are most frequently visited by Apis cerana, the Chinese honey bee, and one or two species of hover fly, Syrphidae, but only A. cerana was able to forage nectar in U. rockii while all visitors can forage nectar in U. henryi. A. cerana always lands on the center of a flower and projects its proboscis into each petal when its thorax touches anthers and stigmas. The difference between two species is that U. rockii was visited by A. cerana with a higher frequency, longer visiting time per flower and more activities on flowers than U. henryi. Besides, the petal width and its nectary depth of

Analytical methodology for the determination of potentially effective compounds from natural products to control nosema ceranae infection in honey bee (apis mellifera)

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Ares Sacristán, Ana María

2015-01-01

En los últimos años se ha venido observando una extraña desaparición de las abejas melíferas (Apis mellifera) que está afectando drásticamente a un elevado número de colmenas por todo el mundo, causando serios problemas no sólo a la apicultura sino a todas las actividades agrícolas relacionadas con la polinización. Una de las hipótesis que puede explicar estos problemas es la propagación de la nosemosis, que es una enfermedad digestiva de las abejas causadas por los microsporidios Nosema apis...

Quantitative proteomics reveals divergent responses in Apis mellifera worker and drone pupae to parasitization by Varroa destructor.

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Surlis, Carla; Carolan, James C; Coffey, Mary; Kavanagh, Kevin

Varroa destructor is a haemophagous ectoparasite of honeybees and is considered a major causal agent of colony losses in Europe and North America. Although originating in Eastern Asia where it parasitizes Apis cerana, it has shifted hosts to the western honeybee Apis mellifera on which it has a greater deleterious effect on the individual and colony level. To investigate this important host-parasite interaction and to determine whether Varroa causes different effects on different castes we conducted a label free quantitative proteomic analysis of Varroa-parasitized and non-parasitized drone and worker Apis mellifera pupae. 1195 proteins were identified in total, of which 202 and 250 were differentially abundant in parasitized drone and worker pupae, respectively. Both parasitized drone and worker pupae displayed reduced abundance in proteins associated with the cuticle, lipid transport and innate immunity. Proteins involved in metabolic processes were more abundant in both parasitized castes although the response in workers was more pronounced. A number of caste specific responses were observed including differential abundance of numerous cytoskeletal and muscle proteins, which were of higher abundance in parasitized drones in comparison to parasitized workers. Proteins involved in fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism were more abundant in parasitized workers as were a large number of ribosomal proteins highlighting either potentially divergent responses to Varroa or a different strategy by the mite when parasitizing the different castes. This data improves our understanding of this interaction and may provide a basis for future studies into improvements to therapy and control of Varroasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of Environmental Conditions, Bee Management and the Epidemiological Situation in Apiaries Varying in the Level of Colony Losses

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Pohorecka Krystyna

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Explaining the reasons for the increased mortality of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L. in recent years, in Europe and North America, has become a global research priority in apicultural science. Our project was aimed at determining the relationship between environmental conditions, beekeeping techniques, the epidemiological situation of pathogens, and the mortality rate of bee colonies. Dead bee samples were collected by beekeepers from 2421 colonies. The samples were examined for the presence of V. destructor, Nosema spp. (Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV, acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV, deformed wing virus (DWV, and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV.

The effect of pathogens and pests on honey bee gene expression

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Navajas Navarro, Maria; Martin, Jean-François; Le Conte, Yves; Queen's University Belfast

2008-01-01

The effect of pathogens and pests on honey bee gene expression is a fascinating area of research in itself and can lead to new molecular tools for diagnostics and selection in beekeeping. In this framework, we first investigated Varroa-bee interactions by using a combination of nuc1ear and mitochondrial DNA markers of Varroa destructor to trace the parasite invasion of Apis mellifera since it shifted from A. cerana. The extremely low worldwide mite genetic diversity found on A. ...

Molecular, physiological and behavioral responses of honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones to infection with microsporidian parasites.

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Holt, Holly L; Villar, Gabriel; Cheng, Weiyi; Song, Jun; Grozinger, Christina M

2018-04-26

Susceptibility to pathogens and parasites often varies between sexes due to differences in life history traits and selective pressures. Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are damaging intestinal pathogens of European honey bees (Apis mellifera). Nosema pathology has primarily been characterized in female workers where infection is energetically costly and accelerates worker behavioral maturation. Few studies, however, have examined infection costs in male honey bees (drones) to determine if Nosema similarly affects male energetic status and sexual maturation. We infected newly emerged adult drones with Nosema spores and conducted a series of molecular, physiological, and behavioral assays to characterize Nosema etiology in drones. We found that infected drones starved faster than controls and exhibited altered patterns of flight activity in the field, consistent with energetic distress or altered rates of sexual maturation. Moreover, expression of candidate genes with metabolic and/or hormonal functions, including members of the insulin signaling pathway, differed by infection status. Of note, while drone molecular responses generally tracked predictions based on worker studies, several aspects of infected drone flight behavior contrasted with previous observations of infected workers. While Nosema infection clearly imposed energetic costs in males, infection had no impact on drone sperm numbers and had only limited effects on antennal responsiveness to a major queen sex pheromone component (9-ODA). We compare Nosema pathology in drones with previous studies describing symptoms in workers and discuss ramifications for drone and colony fitness. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Dual Effect of Phenolic Nectar on Three Floral Visitors of Elsholtzia rugulosa (Lamiaceae) in SW China.

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Zhang, Feng-Ping; Yang, Qiu-Yun; Zhang, Shi-Bao

2016-01-01

Some plants secrete toxic nectar to appeal to most effective pollinators and deter non-pollinators or nectar thieves; however available information about ecological function of toxic nectar remains scarce. Elsholtzia rugulosa stands out as a plant with toxic nectar recorded in SW China. We focused on the functional significance of the phenolic compound that imparts toxic to the nectar of E. rugulosa. The effects of phenolic nectar were studied in three visitors of the flowers of the winter-blooming E. rugulosa Hemsl. (Lamiaceae) in SW China. The pollinating species Apis cerana Fabricius (Apidae; Asian honey bee) and two occasional visitors, Vespa velutina Lepeletier (Vespidae; yellow-legged Asian hornet) and Bombus eximius Smith (Apidae; a bumble bee) were tested for their preferences for low and high concentrations of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in hexose and sucrose solutions. The pollinator is important for the plant, which is dependent on pollinator visits to attain a higher seed production and it is most likely that the combination of phenolic toxic nectar and the adaptation to phenolic nectar by A. cerana delivers an evolutionary advantage to both actors. The low and high concentrations of the phenolic acid were nearly totally refused by both occasional visitors V. velutina and B. eximius and were preferred by the pollinator A. cerana. E. rugulosa gains by having a much higher seed production and the pollinating honey bee by having an exclusive and reliable food source during the winter season at high altitudes in SW China. We found that the function of the toxic phenolic compound has dual roles by appealing to legitimate pollinators and deterring non-pollinators of E. rugulosa.

Dual Effect of Phenolic Nectar on Three Floral Visitors of Elsholtzia rugulosa (Lamiaceae in SW China.

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Feng-Ping Zhang

Full Text Available Some plants secrete toxic nectar to appeal to most effective pollinators and deter non-pollinators or nectar thieves; however available information about ecological function of toxic nectar remains scarce. Elsholtzia rugulosa stands out as a plant with toxic nectar recorded in SW China. We focused on the functional significance of the phenolic compound that imparts toxic to the nectar of E. rugulosa. The effects of phenolic nectar were studied in three visitors of the flowers of the winter-blooming E. rugulosa Hemsl. (Lamiaceae in SW China. The pollinating species Apis cerana Fabricius (Apidae; Asian honey bee and two occasional visitors, Vespa velutina Lepeletier (Vespidae; yellow-legged Asian hornet and Bombus eximius Smith (Apidae; a bumble bee were tested for their preferences for low and high concentrations of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in hexose and sucrose solutions. The pollinator is important for the plant, which is dependent on pollinator visits to attain a higher seed production and it is most likely that the combination of phenolic toxic nectar and the adaptation to phenolic nectar by A. cerana delivers an evolutionary advantage to both actors. The low and high concentrations of the phenolic acid were nearly totally refused by both occasional visitors V. velutina and B. eximius and were preferred by the pollinator A. cerana. E. rugulosa gains by having a much higher seed production and the pollinating honey bee by having an exclusive and reliable food source during the winter season at high altitudes in SW China. We found that the function of the toxic phenolic compound has dual roles by appealing to legitimate pollinators and deterring non-pollinators of E. rugulosa.

Microsporidia infection impacts the host cell's cycle and reduces host cell apoptosis

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Higes, Mariano; Sagastume, Soledad; Juarranz, Ángeles; Dias-Almeida, Joyce; Budge, Giles E.; Meana, Aránzazu; Boonham, Neil

2017-01-01

Intracellular parasites can alter the cellular machinery of host cells to create a safe haven for their survival. In this regard, microsporidia are obligate intracellular fungal parasites with extremely reduced genomes and hence, they are strongly dependent on their host for energy and resources. To date, there are few studies into host cell manipulation by microsporidia, most of which have focused on morphological aspects. The microsporidia Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are worldwide parasites of honey bees, infecting their ventricular epithelial cells. In this work, quantitative gene expression and histology were studied to investigate how these two parasites manipulate their host’s cells at the molecular level. Both these microsporidia provoke infection-induced regulation of genes involved in apoptosis and the cell cycle. The up-regulation of buffy (which encodes a pro-survival protein) and BIRC5 (belonging to the Inhibitor Apoptosis protein family) was observed after infection, shedding light on the pathways that these pathogens use to inhibit host cell apoptosis. Curiously, different routes related to cell cycle were modified after infection by each microsporidia. In the case of N. apis, cyclin B1, dacapo and E2F2 were up-regulated, whereas only cyclin E was up-regulated by N. ceranae, in both cases promoting the G1/S phase transition. This is the first report describing molecular pathways related to parasite-host interactions that are probably intended to ensure the parasite’s survival within the cell. PMID:28152065

Tratamentos alternativos no combate à Varroa. Aplicação na apicultura biológica em Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

OpenAIRE

Vilas-Boas, Miguel

2004-01-01

A varroose é urna doença parasitária externa das abelhas causada por um ácaro denominado por Varroa destructor. Este parasita original mente presente nas abelhas melíferas asiáticas Apis cerana, onde coexiste numa relação simbiótica parasita/hospedeiro,foi detectado pela primeira vez em 1963 em colónias de abelhas Appis mellífera. Este salto imediato não Ihes permitiu criar os seus mecanismos de resistência ao parasita, pelo que se verifica actualmente urna mortalidade eleva...

Diversity of Pollinator Insects in Relation to Seed Set of Mustard (Brassica rapa L.: Cruciferae

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TRI ATMOWIDI

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Pollinators provide key services to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Agricultural productivity depends, in part, on pollinator populations from adjacent seminatural habitats. Here we analysed the diversity of pollinator insects and its effect to seed set of mustard (Brassica rapa planted in agricultural ecosystem near the Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park, West Java. At least 19 species of insects pollinated the mustard, and three species, i.e. Apis cerana, Ceratina sp., and Apis dorsata showed a high abundance. The higher abundance and species richness of pollinators occurred at 08.30-10.30 am and the diversity was related to the number of flowering plants. Insect pollinations increased the number of pods, seeds per pod, seed weights per plant, and seed germination.

Gamma irradiation inactivates honey bee fungal, microsporidian, and viral pathogens and parasites.

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Simone-Finstrom, Michael; Aronstein, Kate; Goblirsch, Michael; Rinkevich, Frank; de Guzman, Lilia

2018-03-01

Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations are currently facing unsustainable losses due to a variety of factors. Colonies are challenged with brood pathogens, such as the fungal agent of chalkbrood disease, the microsporidian gut parasite Nosema spp., and several viruses. These pathogens may be transmitted horizontally from worker to worker, vertically from queen to egg and via vectors like the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Despite the fact that these pathogens are widespread and often harbored in wax comb that is reused from year to year and transferred across beekeeping operations, few, if any, universal treatments exist for their control. In order to mitigate some of these biological threats to honey bees and to allow for more sustainable reuse of equipment, investigations into techniques for the sterilization of hive equipment and comb are of particular significance. Here, we investigated the potential of gamma irradiation for inactivation of the fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apis, the microsporidian Nosema ceranae and three honey bee viruses (Deformed wing virus [DWV], Black queen cell virus [BQCV], and Chronic bee paralysis virus [CBPV]), focusing on the infectivity of these pathogens post-irradiation. Results indicate that gamma irradiation can effectively inactivate A. apis, N. ceranae, and DWV. Partial inactivation was noted for BQCV and CBPV, but this did not reduce effects on mortality at the tested, relatively high doses. These findings highlight the importance of studying infection rate and symptom development post-treatment and not simply rate or quantity detected. These findings suggest that gamma irradiation may function as a broad treatment to help mitigate colony losses and the spread of pathogens through the exchange of comb across colonies, but raises the question why some viruses appear to be unaffected. These results provide the basis for subsequent studies on benefits of irradiation of used comb for colony health and productivity

Prospects of apicultural entrepreneurship in coastal districts of eastern India: a melissopalynological evaluation.

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Upadhyay, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Swapan; Ferguson, David K; Bera, Subir

2014-01-01

A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter) collected during 2010-2011 from two east-coastal districts (20(0)20/ to 22(0)11/ N, 82(0)39/ to 87(0)01/ E) of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region.

REVIEW: The Diversity of Indigenous Honey Bee Species of Indonesia

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SOESILAWATI HADISOESILO

2001-01-01

Full Text Available It has been known that Indonesia has the most diverse honey bee species in the world. At least five out of nine species of honey bees are native to Indonesia namely Apis andreniformis, A. dorsata, A. cerana, A. koschevnikovi, and A. nigrocincta. One species, A. florea, although it was claimed to be a species native to Indonesia, it is still debatable whether it is really found in Indonesia or not. The new species, A. nuluensis, which is found in Sabah, Borneo is likely to be found in Kalimantan but it has not confirmed yet. This paper discusses briefly the differences among those native honey bees.

Genome Sequences of Apibacter spp., Gut Symbionts of Asian Honey Bees

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Kwong, Waldan K; Steele, Margaret I; Moran, Nancy A

2018-01-01

Abstract Honey bees have distinct gut microbiomes consisting almost entirely of several host-specific bacterial species. We present the genomes of three strains of Apibacter spp., bacteria of the Bacteroidetes phylum that are endemic to Asian honey bee species (Apis dorsata and Apis cerana). The Apibacter strains have similar metabolic abilities to each other and to Apibacter mensalis, a species isolated from a bumble bee. They use microaerobic respiration and fermentation to catabolize a limited set of monosaccharides and dicarboxylic acids. All strains are capable of gliding motility and encode a type IX secretion system. Two strains and A. mensalis have type VI secretion systems, and all strains encode Rhs or VgrG proteins used in intercellular interactions. The characteristics of Apibacter spp. are consistent with adaptions to life in a gut environment; however, the factors responsible for host-specificity and mutualistic interactions remain to be uncovered. PMID:29635372

Mechanism of action of recombinant acc-royalisin from royal jelly of Asian honeybee against gram-positive bacteria.

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Lirong Shen

Full Text Available The antibacterial activity of royalisin, an antimicrobial peptide from the royal jelly produced by honeybees, has been addressed extensively. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, a recombinant royalisin, RAcc-royalisin from the royal jelly of Asian honeybee Apis cerana cerana, was expressed by fusing with glutathione S-transferase (GST in Escherichia coli BL21, isolated and purified. The agar dilution assays with inhibition zone showed that RAcc-royalisin, similar to nisin, inhibits the growth of Gram-positive bacteria. The antibacterial activity of RAcc-royalisin was associated with its concentration, and was weakened by heat treatment ranging from 55°C to 85°C for 15 min. Both RAcc-royalisin and nisin exhibited the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC of 62.5 µg/ml, 125 µg/ml, and 250 µg/ml against Gram-positive bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus flavus and Staphyloccocus aureus in the microplate assay, respectively. However, RAcc-royalisin did not show antimicrobial activity against tested Gram-negative bacterial and fungal strains. The antibacterial activity of RAcc-royalisin agrees well with the decrease in bacterial cell hydrophobicity, the leakage of 260-nm absorbing materials, and the observation by transmission electron microscopy, all indicating that RAcc-royalisin induced the disruption and dysfunction of cell walls and membranes. This is the first report detailing the antibacterial mechanism of royalisin against Gram-positive bacteria, and provides insight into the application of recombinant royalisin in food and pharmaceutical industries as an antimicrobial agent.

Sublethal doses of neonicotinoid imidacloprid can interact with honey bee chemosensory protein 1 (CSP1) and inhibit its function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hongliang; Tan, Jing; Song, Xinmi; Wu, Fan; Tang, Mingzhu; Hua, Qiyun; Zheng, Huoqing; Hu, Fuliang

2017-01-01

As a frequently used neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid can impair the chemoreceptive behavior of honey bees even at sublethal doses, while the physiochemical mechanism has not been further revealed. Here, multiple fluorescence spectra, thermodynamic method, and molecular docking were used to study the interaction and the functional inhibition of imidacloprid to the recombinant CSP1 protein in Asian honey bee, Apis cerana. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity (λ em  = 332 nm) of CSP1 could be significantly quenched by imidacloprid in a dynamic mode. During the quenching process, ΔH > 0, ΔS > 0, indicating that the acting forces of imidacloprid with CSP1 are mainly hydrophobic interactions. Synchronous fluorescence showed that the fluorescence of CSP1 was mainly derived from tryptophan, and the hydrophobicity of tryptophan decreased with the increase of imidacloprid concentration. Molecular docking predicted the optimal pose and the amino acid composition of the binding process. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that imidacloprid reduced the α-helix of CSP1 and caused the extension of the CSP1 peptide chain. In addition, the binding of CSP1 to floral scent β-ionone was inhibited by nearly 50% of the apparent association constant (K A ) in the presence of 0.28–2.53 ng/bee of imidacloprid, and the inhibition rate of nearly 95% at 3.75 ng/bee of imidacloprid at sublethal dose level. This study initially revealed the molecular physiochemical mechanism that sublethal doses of neonicotinoid still interact and inhibit the physiological function of the honey bees' chemoreceptive system. - Highlights: • Sublethal doses of imidacloprid can directly interact with CSP1 in Apis cerana. • Sublethal imidacloprid can inhibit the function of CSP1 binding to semiochemicals. • The fluorescence intensity of CSP1 quenched by imidacloprid in a dynamic mode. • The binding between CSP1 and imidacloprid are driven by hydrophobic interactions. �

Epigenetic modification of gene expression in honey bees by heterospecific gland secretions.

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Yuan Yuan Shi

Full Text Available In the honey bee (Apis mellifera, queen and workers have different behavior and reproductive capacity despite possessing the same genome. The primary substance that leads to this differentiation is royal jelly (RJ, which contains a range of proteins, amino acids, vitamins and nucleic acids. MicroRNA (miRNA has been found to play an important role in regulating the expression of protein-coding genes and cell biology. In this study, we characterized the miRNAs in RJ from two honey bee sister species and determined their possible effect on transcriptome in one species.We sequenced the miRNAs in RJ either from A. mellifera (RJM or A. cerana (RJC. We then determined the global transcriptomes of adult A. mellifera developed from larvae fed either with RJM (mRJM or RJC (mRJC. Finally we analyzed the target genes of those miRNA that are species specific or differentially expressed in the two honey bee species. We show that there were differences in miRNA between RJM and RJC, and that transcriptomes of adult A. mellifera were affected by the two types of RJ. A high proportion (23.3% of the affected genes were target genes of differential miRNAs.We show for the first time that there are differences in miRNAs in RJ between A. mellifera and A. cerana. Further, the differences in transcriptomes of bees reared from these two RJs might be related to miRNA differences of the two species. This study provides the first evidence that heterospecific royal jelly can modify gene expression in honey bees through an epigenetic mechanism.

Prospects of Apicultural Entrepreneurship in Coastal Districts of Eastern India: A Melissopalynological Evaluation

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Upadhyay, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Swapan; Ferguson, David K.; Bera, Subir

2014-01-01

A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter) collected during 2010–2011 from two east-coastal districts (20020/ to 22011/ N, 82039/ to 87001/ E) of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (<0.09) HDE/P for 98% of the samples and absence of toxic palynotaxa assure that these honeys are suitable for human consumption. Quite extended honey flow period with spring and summer as best forage seasons for the honeybees and occurrence of 82% of these honeys with APC Group II, III and IV justify the sustainability of the present study area for establishing moderate to large-scale apicultural entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region. PMID:24740144

Prospects of apicultural entrepreneurship in coastal districts of eastern India: a melissopalynological evaluation.

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Debasis Upadhyay

Full Text Available A melissopalynological analysis of fifty-one natural honey samples (twenty four spring, fifteen summer and twelve winter collected during 2010-2011 from two east-coastal districts (20(020/ to 22(011/ N, 82(039/ to 87(001/ E of Orissa, India was performed. Out of 37 unifloral samples found 25 were contributed by Apis cerana indica, seven by A. dorsata and the remaining five by A. florea. Out of 14 multifloral samples five were contributed by A. cerana indica, five by A. dorsata and the remaining four by A. florea. Principal component analysis confirmed the palynological classification of the unifloral honey samples. Eighty-two bee-plant taxa belonging to forty four families were recovered. The predominant nectariferous taxa of the spring season were Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Phoenix paludosa, Pongamia pinnata, Prosopis juliflora, Sonneratia apetala and Syzygium cumini. In the summer the predominant nectariferous taxa were Borassus flabellifer, C. nucifera, E. globulus, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna, Aegiceras corniculatum, P. paludosa and Sonneratia apetala while those of the winter were Brassica nigra, Coriandrum sativum, Zizyphus jujuba, Alstonia scholaris, E. globulus and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Very low (<0.09 HDE/P for 98% of the samples and absence of toxic palynotaxa assure that these honeys are suitable for human consumption. Quite extended honey flow period with spring and summer as best forage seasons for the honeybees and occurrence of 82% of these honeys with APC Group II, III and IV justify the sustainability of the present study area for establishing moderate to large-scale apicultural entrepreneurship. This should improve the socio-economic status of the people of this region.

Field populations of native Indian honey bees from pesticide intensive agricultural landscape show signs of impaired olfaction

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Chakrabarti, Priyadarshini; Rana, Santanu; Bandopadhyay, Sreejata; Naik, Dattatraya G.; Sarkar, Sagartirtha; Basu, Parthiba

2015-07-01

Little information is available regarding the adverse effects of pesticides on natural honey bee populations. This study highlights the detrimental effects of pesticides on honey bee olfaction through behavioural studies, scanning electron microscopic imaging of antennal sensillae and confocal microscopic studies of honey bee brains for calcium ions on Apis cerana, a native Indian honey bee species. There was a significant decrease in proboscis extension response and biologically active free calcium ions and adverse changes in antennal sensillae in pesticide exposed field honey bee populations compared to morphometrically similar honey bees sampled from low/no pesticide sites. Controlled laboratory experiments corroborated these findings. This study reports for the first time the changes in antennal sensillae, expression of Calpain 1(an important calcium binding protein) and resting state free calcium in brains of honey bees exposed to pesticide stress.

An invasive social insect overcomes genetic load at the sex locus.

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Gloag, Rosalyn; Ding, Guiling; Christie, Joshua R; Buchmann, Gabriele; Beekman, Madeleine; Oldroyd, Benjamin P

2016-11-07

Some invasive hymenopteran social insects found new populations with very few reproductive individuals. This is despite the high cost of founder effects for such insects, which generally require heterozygosity at a single locus-the complementary sex determiner, csd-to develop as females. Individuals that are homozygous at csd develop as either infertile or subfertile diploid males or not at all. Furthermore, diploid males replace the female workers that are essential for colony function. Here we document how the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) overcame the diploid male problem during its invasion of Australia. Natural selection prevented the loss of rare csd alleles due to genetic drift and corrected the skew in allele frequencies caused by founder effects to restore high average heterozygosity. Thus, balancing selection can alleviate the genetic load at csd imposed by severe bottlenecks, and so facilitate invasiveness.

Differential proteomics reveals novel insights into Nosema-honey bee interactions.

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Kurze, Christoph; Dosselli, Ryan; Grassl, Julia; Le Conte, Yves; Kryger, Per; Baer, Boris; Moritz, Robin F A

2016-12-01

Host manipulation is a common strategy by parasites to reduce host defense responses, enhance development, host exploitation, reproduction and, ultimately, transmission success. As these parasitic modifications can reduce host fitness, increased selection pressure may result in reciprocal adaptations of the host. Whereas the majority of studies on host manipulation have explored resistance against parasites (i.e. ability to prevent or limit an infection), data describing tolerance mechanisms (i.e. ability to limit harm of an infection) are scarce. By comparing differential protein abundance, we provide evidence of host-parasite interactions in the midgut proteomes of N. ceranae-infected and uninfected honey bees from both Nosema-tolerant and Nosema-sensitive lineages. We identified 16 proteins out of 661 protein spots that were differentially abundant between experimental groups. In general, infections of Nosema resulted in an up-regulation of the bee's energy metabolism. Additionally, we identified 8 proteins that were differentially abundant between tolerant and sensitive honey bees regardless of the Nosema infection. Those proteins were linked to metabolism, response to oxidative stress and apoptosis. In addition to bee proteins, we also identified 3 Nosema ceranae proteins. Interestingly, abundance of two of these Nosema proteins were significantly higher in infected Nosema-sensitive honeybees relative to the infected Nosema-tolerant lineage. This may provide a novel candidate for studying the molecular interplay between N. ceranae and its honey bee host in more detail. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Iridovirus and microsporidian linked to honey bee colony decline.

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Bromenshenk, Jerry J; Henderson, Colin B; Wick, Charles H; Stanford, Michael F; Zulich, Alan W; Jabbour, Rabih E; Deshpande, Samir V; McCubbin, Patrick E; Seccomb, Robert A; Welch, Phillip M; Williams, Trevor; Firth, David R; Skowronski, Evan; Lehmann, Margaret M; Bilimoria, Shan L; Gress, Joanna; Wanner, Kevin W; Cramer, Robert A

2010-10-06

In 2010 Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), again devastated honey bee colonies in the USA, indicating that the problem is neither diminishing nor has it been resolved. Many CCD investigations, using sensitive genome-based methods, have found small RNA bee viruses and the microsporidia, Nosema apis and N. ceranae in healthy and collapsing colonies alike with no single pathogen firmly linked to honey bee losses. We used Mass spectrometry-based proteomics (MSP) to identify and quantify thousands of proteins from healthy and collapsing bee colonies. MSP revealed two unreported RNA viruses in North American honey bees, Varroa destructor-1 virus and Kakugo virus, and identified an invertebrate iridescent virus (IIV) (Iridoviridae) associated with CCD colonies. Prevalence of IIV significantly discriminated among strong, failing, and collapsed colonies. In addition, bees in failing colonies contained not only IIV, but also Nosema. Co-occurrence of these microbes consistently marked CCD in (1) bees from commercial apiaries sampled across the U.S. in 2006-2007, (2) bees sequentially sampled as the disorder progressed in an observation hive colony in 2008, and (3) bees from a recurrence of CCD in Florida in 2009. The pathogen pairing was not observed in samples from colonies with no history of CCD, namely bees from Australia and a large, non-migratory beekeeping business in Montana. Laboratory cage trials with a strain of IIV type 6 and Nosema ceranae confirmed that co-infection with these two pathogens was more lethal to bees than either pathogen alone. These findings implicate co-infection by IIV and Nosema with honey bee colony decline, giving credence to older research pointing to IIV, interacting with Nosema and mites, as probable cause of bee losses in the USA, Europe, and Asia. We next need to characterize the IIV and Nosema that we detected and develop management practices to reduce honey bee losses.

Highly controlled nest homeostasis of honey bees helps deactivate phenolics in nectar

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Liu, Fanglin; He, Jianzhong; Fu, Wenjun

2005-06-01

Honey bees have a highly developed nest homeostasis, for example, maintaining low CO2 levels and stable nest temperatures at 35°C.We investigate the role of nest homeostasis in deactivating phenolic compounds present in the nectar of Aloe littoralis. We show that the phenolic content in nectar was reduced (from 0.65% to 0.49%) after nectar was incubated in a nest of Apis cerana, and that it was reduced still more (from 0.65% to 0.37%) if nectar was mixed with hypopharyngeal gland proteins (HGP) of worker bees before being placed inside a nest. HGP had little effect on samples outside a nest, indicating that nest conditions are necessary for HGP to deactivate phenolics in nectar. Consequently, the highly controlled nest homeostasis of honey bees facilitates direct deactivation of phenolics in nectar, and plays a role in the action of HGP as well.

Live bee acupuncture (Bong-Chim) dermatitis: dermatitis due to live bee acupuncture therapy in Korea.

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Park, Joon Soo; Lee, Min Jung; Chung, Ki Hun; Ko, Dong Kyun; Chung, Hyun

2013-12-01

Live bee acupuncture (Bong-Chim) dermatitis is an iatrogenic disease induced by so-called live bee acupuncture therapy, which applies the honeybee (Apis cerana) stinger directly into the lesion to treat various diseases in Korea. We present two cases of live bee acupuncture dermatitis and review previously published articles about this disease. We classify this entity into three stages: acute, subacute, and chronic. The acute stage is an inflammatory reaction, such as anaphylaxis or urticaria. In the chronic stage, a foreign body granuloma may develop from the remaining stingers, similar to that of a bee sting reaction. However, in the subacute stage, unlike bee stings, we see the characteristic histological "flame" figures resulting from eosinophilic stimulation induced by excessive bee venom exposure. We consider this stage to be different from the adverse skin reaction of accidental bee sting. © 2013 The International Society of Dermatology.

Host-Parasite Interactions and Purifying Selection in a Microsporidian Parasite of Honey Bees.

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Huang, Qiang; Chen, Yan Ping; Wang, Rui Wu; Cheng, Shang; Evans, Jay D

2016-01-01

To clarify the mechanisms of Nosema ceranae parasitism, we deep-sequenced both honey bee host and parasite mRNAs throughout a complete 6-day infection cycle. By time-series analysis, 1122 parasite genes were significantly differently expressed during the reproduction cycle, clustering into 4 expression patterns. We found reactive mitochondrial oxygen species modulator 1 of the host to be significantly down regulated during the entire infection period. Our data support the hypothesis that apoptosis of honey bee cells was suppressed during infection. We further analyzed genome-wide genetic diversity of this parasite by comparing samples collected from the same site in 2007 and 2013. The number of SNP positions per gene and the proportion of non-synonymous substitutions per gene were significantly reduced over this time period, suggesting purifying selection on the parasite genome and supporting the hypothesis that a subset of N. ceranae strains might be dominating infection.

The Biology and Control of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella.

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Kwadha, Charles A; Ong'amo, George O; Ndegwa, Paul N; Raina, Suresh K; Fombong, Ayuka T

2017-06-09

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella Linnaeus , is a ubiquitous pest of the honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, and Apis cerana Fabricius . The greater wax moth larvae burrow into the edge of unsealed cells with pollen, bee brood, and honey through to the midrib of honeybee comb. Burrowing larvae leave behind masses of webs which causes galleriasis and later absconding of colonies. The damage caused by G. mellonella larvae is severe in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and is believed to be one of the contributing factors to the decline in both feral and wild honeybee populations. Previously, the pest was considered a nuisance in honeybee colonies, therefore, most studies have focused on the pest as a model for in vivo studies of toxicology and pathogenicity. It is currently widespread, especially in Africa, and the potential of transmitting honeybee viruses has raised legitimate concern, thus, there is need for more studies to find sustainable integrated management strategies. However, our knowledge of this pest is limited. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on the biology, distribution, economic damage, and management options. In addition, we provide prospects that need consideration for better understanding and management of the pest.

Rapid parallel evolution overcomes global honey bee parasite.

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Oddie, Melissa; Büchler, Ralph; Dahle, Bjørn; Kovacic, Marin; Le Conte, Yves; Locke, Barbara; de Miranda, Joachim R; Mondet, Fanny; Neumann, Peter

2018-05-16

In eusocial insect colonies nestmates cooperate to combat parasites, a trait called social immunity. However, social immunity failed for Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) when the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor switched hosts from Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana). This mite has since become the most severe threat to A. mellifera world-wide. Despite this, some isolated A. mellifera populations are known to survive infestations by means of natural selection, largely by supressing mite reproduction, but the underlying mechanisms of this are poorly understood. Here, we show that a cost-effective social immunity mechanism has evolved rapidly and independently in four naturally V. destructor-surviving A. mellifera populations. Worker bees of all four 'surviving' populations uncapped/recapped worker brood cells more frequently and targeted mite-infested cells more effectively than workers in local susceptible colonies. Direct experiments confirmed the ability of uncapping/recapping to reduce mite reproductive success without sacrificing nestmates. Our results provide striking evidence that honey bees can overcome exotic parasites with simple qualitative and quantitative adaptive shifts in behaviour. Due to rapid, parallel evolution in four host populations this appears to be a key mechanism explaining survival of mite infested colonies.

Building Walkways: Observation on Nest Duplication of Stingless Bee Trigona iridipennins Smith (1854

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Preeti S. Virkar

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Beekeeping for honey and other bee products is an age old practice. Besides the popular honeybees, Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, stingless bees belonging to the tribe Meliponini, subfamily Apinae and family Apidae (Michener, 2007 are also reared for honey, having high medicinal value. Stingless bees are exclusive to tropics and their size ranges from 2mm to slightly bigger than the popular honeybee A. mellifera (O'Toole & Raw, 1999. The practice of keeping stingless bees is called meliponiculture, and once it was an integral part of the culture of indigenous people of South and Central America. It held a social and religious significance in the meso-American culture, mainly the ancient Mayans (Sommeijer, 1999. Stingless bee products such as honey, wax and propolis formed a small-scale economy in their livelihood as well (Cortopassi-Laurino et al., 2006. Although least explored, meliponiculture is an age old practice in India also. Kani tribe in Western Ghats is the only reported reference, keeping stingless bees (Kumar et al., 2012. Trigona iridipennis is the widespread stingless bee species in the Indian subcontinent and used for meliponiculture.

Host-Parasite Interactions and Purifying Selection in a Microsporidian Parasite of Honey Bees.

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Qiang Huang

Full Text Available To clarify the mechanisms of Nosema ceranae parasitism, we deep-sequenced both honey bee host and parasite mRNAs throughout a complete 6-day infection cycle. By time-series analysis, 1122 parasite genes were significantly differently expressed during the reproduction cycle, clustering into 4 expression patterns. We found reactive mitochondrial oxygen species modulator 1 of the host to be significantly down regulated during the entire infection period. Our data support the hypothesis that apoptosis of honey bee cells was suppressed during infection. We further analyzed genome-wide genetic diversity of this parasite by comparing samples collected from the same site in 2007 and 2013. The number of SNP positions per gene and the proportion of non-synonymous substitutions per gene were significantly reduced over this time period, suggesting purifying selection on the parasite genome and supporting the hypothesis that a subset of N. ceranae strains might be dominating infection.

Sudden deaths and colony population decline in Greek honey bee colonies.

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Bacandritsos, N; Granato, A; Budge, G; Papanastasiou, I; Roinioti, E; Caldon, M; Falcaro, C; Gallina, A; Mutinelli, F

2010-11-01

During June and July of 2009, sudden deaths, tremulous movements and population declines of adult honey bees were reported by the beekeepers in the region of Peloponnesus (Mt. Mainalo), Greece. A preliminary study was carried out to investigate these unexplained phenomena in this region. In total, 37 bee samples, two brood frames containing honey bee brood of various ages, eight sugar samples and four sugar patties were collected from the affected colonies. The samples were tested for a range of pests, pathogens and pesticides. Symptomatic adult honey bees tested positive for Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae, Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), Acute paralysis virus (ABPV), Deformed wing virus (DWV), Sacbrood virus (SBV) and Black queen cell virus (BQCV), but negative for Acarapis woodi. American Foulbrood was absent from the brood samples. Chemical analysis revealed that amitraz, thiametoxan, clothianidin and acetamiprid were all absent from symptomatic adult bees, sugar and sugar patty samples. However, some bee samples, were contaminated with imidacloprid in concentrations between 14 ng/g and 39 ng/g tissue. We present: the infection of Greek honey bees by multiple viruses; the presence of N. ceranae in Greek honey bees and the first record of imidacloprid (neonicotonoid) residues in Greek honey bee tissues. The presence of multiple pathogens and pesticides made it difficult to associate a single specific cause to the depopulation phenomena observed in Greece, although we believe that viruses and N. ceranae synergistically played the most important role. A follow-up in-depth survey across all Greek regions is required to provide context to these preliminary findings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Survival and immune response of drones of a Nosemosis tolerant honey bee strain towards N. ceranae infections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huanga, Qiang; Kryger, Per; Le Conte, Yves

2012-01-01

Honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) have been selected for low level of Nosema in Denmark over decades and Nosema is now rarely found in bee colonies from these breeding lines. We compared the immune response of a selected and an unselected honey bee lineage, taking advantage of the haploid males...

Spatial vision in Bombus terrestris

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Aravin eChakravarthi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Bombus terrestris is one of the most commonly used insect models to investigate visually guided behavior and spatial vision in particular. Two fundamental measures of spatial vision are spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity. In this study, we report the threshold of spatial resolution in B. terrestris and characterize the contrast sensitivity function of the bumblebee visual system for a dual choice discrimination task. We trained bumblebees in a Y-maze experimental set-up to associate a vertical sinusoidal grating with a sucrose reward, and a horizontal grating with absence of a reward. Using a logistic psychometric function, we estimated a resolution threshold of 0.21 cycles deg-1 of visual angle. This resolution is in the same range but slightly lower than that found in honeybees (Apis mellifera and A. cerana and another bumblebee species (B. impatiens. We also found that the contrast sensitivity of B. terrestris was 1.57 for the spatial frequency 0.09 cycles deg-1 and 1.26. for 0.18 cycles deg-1.

Hypopharyngeal Gland Activity in Task-Specific Workers Under Brood and Broodless Conditions in Apis Cerana Indica (Fab.

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Rahman Seydur

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The hypopharyngeal gland (HPG is the principal organ of protein synthesis in honey bees. It is involved in larval rearing. We examined the fresh head weight, HPG acini diameter, and HPG protein content in worker bees engaged in different tasks and under brood and broodless conditions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the HPG acini diameter of worker bees was related to their task. The highest HPG volume was found in nurse bees, and the volume regressed when the task changed from guarding to foraging. The fresh head weight was positively correlated with HPG acini diameter. Although, there was no positive correlation between HPG acini diameter and protein concentration, the glandular protein concentration increased progressively in nurse bees and declined in guard and forager bees. Histochemistry revealed similar results. Despite displaying significantly larger glands, guard bee protein secretion was similar to that of the foragers. Brooding had a significant effect on HPG activity. Only worker bees from the colony with an intact brood showed elevated rates of protein synthesis; thus, it is possible that a signal was emitted by the brood, which stimulated protein synthesis in the HPG. However, the size of the HPG was similar in both brood and broodless conditions.

Binding interaction between a queen pheromone component HOB and pheromone binding protein ASP1 of Apis cerana.

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Weng, Chen; Fu, Yuxia; Jiang, Hongtao; Zhuang, Shulin; Li, Hongliang

2015-01-01

The honeybee's social behavior is closely related to the critical response to pheromone, while pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) play an important role in binding and transferring those pheromones. Here we report one known PBP, antennal special protein 1(ASP1), which has high affinity with a queen mandibular pheromone component, methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB). In this study, multiple fluorescent spectra, UV absorption spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra and molecular docking analysis were combined to clarify the binding process. Basically, fluorescence intensity of ASP1 could be considerably quenched by HOB with an appropriate interaction distance (3.1 nm), indicating that a complex, which is more stable in lower temperature, was formed. The fact ΔH < 0, ΔS < 0, by thermodynamic analysis, indicated the van der Waals and hydrogen bond as main driving force. Moreover, synchronous fluorescence spectra and CD spectra analysis showed the change of partial hydrophilicity of ASP1 and the increase of α-helix after HOB addition. In conclusion, ASP1 can strongly and spontaneously interact with HOB. But the binding ability decreases with the rise of temperature, which may be necessary for sufficient social stability of hives. This study provides elucidation of the detailed binding mechanism and potential physicochemical basis of thermal stability to the social behavior of honeybee. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limitações ao uso de Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae para a polinização dirigida de cultivares: um estudo de caso com a pereira-portuguesa (Pyrus communis L. cv. Rocha

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André Amarildo Sezerino

2015-03-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2015v28n2p73 A existência de polinizadores capazes de promover a xenogamia é um fator decisivo na produtividade dos pomares. Por ser alógama, devido à autoincompatibilidade gametofítica, a maioria das cultivares europeias de pereiras não produzem frutos com sementes sem a presença de insetos polinizadores. Portanto, o correto manejo e a qualidade das colmeias de Apis mellifera instaladas nos pomares são imprescindíveis para assegurar produções economicamente viáveis. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se avaliar alguns aspectos do sistema de polinização dirigida com A. mellifera que podem interferir decisivamente na eficiência da polinização em um pomar comercial de pereira portuguesa nas condições ecológicas do planalto serrano catarinense, no Sul do Brasil. Foi observada uma baixa visitação de abelhas nas flores de pereira, possivelmente devido a dois fatores: competição floral e densidade insuficiente de colmeias instaladas no pomar. Não foi observada a deposição de pólen nos estigmas, o que confirma a deficiência de polinização na área. A qualidade das colmeias alugadas apresentou diferenças entre os anos, com presença do ácaro Varroa destructor e do microsporídeo Nosema ceranae, os quais podem ter contribuído para o despovoamento das colmeias durante o período de floração e, consequentemente, redução da deposição de pólen no estigma das flores da cultivar produtora de frutos.

Study of an API migration for two XML APIs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.T. Bartholomei; K. Czarnecki; R. Lämmel (Ralf); T. van der Storm (Tijs); M.G.J. van den Brand (Mark); D. Gasevic; J. Gray

2010-01-01

htmlabstractAPI migration refers to adapting an application such that its dependence on a given API (the source API) is eliminated in favor of depending on an alternative API (the target API) with the source and target APIs serving the same domain. One may attempt to automate API migration by code

Secapin, a bee venom peptide, exhibits anti-fibrinolytic, anti-elastolytic, and anti-microbial activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Choi, Yong Soo; Jin, Byung Rae

2016-10-01

Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents that have various biological, toxicological, and pharmacological actions. However, the biological actions of secapin, a venom peptide in bee venom, remain largely unknown. Here, we provide the evidence that Asiatic honeybee (Apis cerana) secapin (AcSecapin-1) exhibits anti-fibrinolytic, anti-elastolytic, and anti-microbial activities. The recombinant mature AcSecapin-1 peptide was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells. AcSecapin-1 functions as a serine protease inhibitor-like peptide that has inhibitory effects against plasmin, elastases, microbial serine proteases, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. Consistent with these functions, AcSecapin-1 inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products, thus indicating the role of AcSecapin-1 as an anti-fibrinolytic agent. AcSecapin-1 also inhibited both human neutrophil and porcine pancreatic elastases. Furthermore, AcSecapin-1 bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the bee venom peptide secapin has multifunctional roles as an anti-fibrinolytic agent during fibrinolysis and an anti-microbial agent in the innate immune response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medicinal and cosmetic uses of Bee's Honey - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ediriweera, E R H S S; Premarathna, N Y S

2012-04-01

Bee's honey is one of the most valued and appreciated natural substances known to mankind since ancient times. There are many types of bee's honey mentioned in Ayurveda. Their effects differ and 'Makshika' is considered medicinally the best. According to modern scientific view, the best bee's honey is made by Apis mellifera (Family: Apidae). In Sri Lanka, the predominant honey-maker bee is Apis cerana. The aim of this survey is to emphasize the importance of bee's honey and its multitude of medicinal, cosmetic and general values. Synonyms, details of formation, constitution, properties, and method of extraction and the usages of bee's honey are gathered from text books, traditional and Ayurvedic physicians of Western and Southern provinces, villagers of 'Kalahe' in Galle district of Sri Lanka and from few search engines. Fresh bee's honey is used in treatment of eye diseases, throat infections, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, hiccups, thirst, dizziness, fatigue, hepatitis, worm infestation, constipation, piles, eczema, healing of wounds, ulcers and used as a nutritious, easily digestible food for weak people. It promotes semen, mental health and used in cosmetic purposes. Old bee's honey is used to treat vomiting, diarrhea, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes mellitus and in preserving meat and fruits. Highly popular in cosmetic treatment, bee's honey is used in preparing facial washes, skin moisturizers, hair conditioners and in treatment of pimples. Bee's honey could be considered as one of the finest products of nature that has a wide range of beneficial uses.

Evolution of the complementary sex-determination gene of honey bees: balancing selection and trans-species polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Soochin; Huang, Zachary Y; Green, Daniel R; Smith, Deborah R; Zhang, Jianzhi

2006-11-01

The mechanism of sex determination varies substantively among evolutionary lineages. One important mode of genetic sex determination is haplodiploidy, which is used by approximately 20% of all animal species, including >200,000 species of the entire insect order Hymenoptera. In the honey bee Apis mellifera, a hymenopteran model organism, females are heterozygous at the csd (complementary sex determination) locus, whereas males are hemizygous (from unfertilized eggs). Fertilized homozygotes develop into sterile males that are eaten before maturity. Because homozygotes have zero fitness and because common alleles are more likely than rare ones to form homozygotes, csd should be subject to strong overdominant selection and negative frequency-dependent selection. Under these selective forces, together known as balancing selection, csd is expected to exhibit a high degree of intraspecific polymorphism, with long-lived alleles that may be even older than the species. Here we sequence the csd genes as well as randomly selected neutral genomic regions from individuals of three closely related species, A. mellifera, Apis cerana, and Apis dorsata. The polymorphic level is approximately seven times higher in csd than in the neutral regions. Gene genealogies reveal trans-species polymorphisms at csd but not at any neutral regions. Consistent with the prediction of rare-allele advantage, nonsynonymous mutations are found to be positively selected in csd only in early stages after their appearances. Surprisingly, three different hypervariable repetitive regions in csd are present in the three species, suggesting variable mechanisms underlying allelic specificities. Our results provide a definitive demonstration of balancing selection acting at the honey bee csd gene, offer insights into the molecular determinants of csd allelic specificities, and help avoid homozygosity in bee breeding.

APIs

CERN Document Server

Jacobson, Daniel; Woods, Dan

2011-01-01

Programmers used to be the only people excited about APIs, but now a growing number of companies see them as a hot new product channel. This concise guide describes the tremendous business potential of APIs, and demonstrates how you can use them to provide valuable services to clients, partners, or the public via the Internet. You'll learn all the steps necessary for building a cohesive API business strategy from experts in the trenches. Facebook and Twitter APIs continue to be extremely successful, and many other companies find that API demand greatly exceeds website traffic. This book offe

The Dutch xAPI Experience: xAPI Recipes

OpenAIRE

Berg, Alan; Scheffel, Maren; Drachsler, Hendrik; Ternier, Stefaan; Specht, Marcus

2017-01-01

We present the collected experiences since 2012 of the Dutch Special Interest Group (SIG) for Learning Analytics in the application of the xAPI standard and best practices around the application of xAPI in various contexts. We present three projects that apply xAPI in very different ways and publish a consistent set of xAPI recipes.

The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsevegmid, Khaliunaa; Neumann, Peter; Yañez, Orlando

2016-01-01

Parasites and pathogens are apparent key factors for the detrimental health of managed European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera. Apicultural trade is arguably the main factor for the almost global distribution of most honey bee diseases, thereby increasing chances for multiple infestations/infections of regions, apiaries, colonies and even individual bees. This imposes difficulties to evaluate the effects of pathogens in isolation, thereby creating demand to survey remote areas. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive survey for 14 honey bee pathogens in Mongolia (N = 3 regions, N = 9 locations, N = 151 colonies), where honey bee colonies depend on humans to overwinter. In Mongolia, honey bees, Apis spp., are not native and colonies of European A. mellifera subspecies have been introduced ~60 years ago. Despite the high detection power and large sample size across Mongolian regions with beekeeping, the mite Acarapis woodi, the bacteria Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the microsporidian Nosema apis, Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai virus strain 2 were not detected, suggesting that they are either very rare or absent. The mite Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae and four viruses (Sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Chronic bee paralysis virus) were found with different prevalence. Despite the positive correlation between the prevalence of V. destructor mites and DWV, some areas had only mites, but not DWV, which is most likely due to the exceptional isolation of apiaries (up to 600 km). Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses reveal their clustering and European origin, thereby supporting the role of trade for pathogen spread and the isolation of Mongolia from South-Asian countries. In conclusion, this survey reveals the distinctive honey bee pathosphere of Mongolia, which offers opportunities for exciting future research.

The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaliunaa Tsevegmid

Full Text Available Parasites and pathogens are apparent key factors for the detrimental health of managed European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera. Apicultural trade is arguably the main factor for the almost global distribution of most honey bee diseases, thereby increasing chances for multiple infestations/infections of regions, apiaries, colonies and even individual bees. This imposes difficulties to evaluate the effects of pathogens in isolation, thereby creating demand to survey remote areas. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive survey for 14 honey bee pathogens in Mongolia (N = 3 regions, N = 9 locations, N = 151 colonies, where honey bee colonies depend on humans to overwinter. In Mongolia, honey bees, Apis spp., are not native and colonies of European A. mellifera subspecies have been introduced ~60 years ago. Despite the high detection power and large sample size across Mongolian regions with beekeeping, the mite Acarapis woodi, the bacteria Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the microsporidian Nosema apis, Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai virus strain 2 were not detected, suggesting that they are either very rare or absent. The mite Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae and four viruses (Sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, Deformed wing virus (DWV and Chronic bee paralysis virus were found with different prevalence. Despite the positive correlation between the prevalence of V. destructor mites and DWV, some areas had only mites, but not DWV, which is most likely due to the exceptional isolation of apiaries (up to 600 km. Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses reveal their clustering and European origin, thereby supporting the role of trade for pathogen spread and the isolation of Mongolia from South-Asian countries. In conclusion, this survey reveals the distinctive honey bee pathosphere of Mongolia, which offers opportunities for exciting future research.

A New Method for Quick and Easy Hemolymph Collection from Apidae Adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Borsuk

Full Text Available Bio-analysis of insects is increasingly dependent on highly sensitive methods that require high quality biological material, such as hemolymph. However, it is difficult to collect fresh and uncontaminated hemolymph from adult bees since they are very active and have the potential to sting, and because hemolymph is rapidly melanized. Here we aimed to develop and test a quick and easy method for sterile and contamination-free hemolymph sampling from adult Apidae. Our novel antennae method for hemolymph sampling (AMHS, entailed the detachment of an antenna, followed by application of delicate pressure to the bee's abdomen. This resulted in the appearance of a drop of hemolymph at the base of the detached antenna, which was then aspirated using an automatic pipetter. Larger insect size corresponded to easier and faster hemolymph sampling, and to a greater sample volume. We obtained 80-100 μL of sterile non-melanized hemolymph in 1 minute from one Bombus terrestris worker, in 6 minutes from 10 Apis mellifera workers, and in 15 minutes from 18 Apis cerana workers (+/-0.5 minutes. Compared to the most popular method of hemolymph collection, in which hemolymph is sampled by puncturing the dorsal sinus of the thorax with a capillary (TCHS, significantly fewer bees were required to collect 80-100 μL hemolymph using our novel AMHS method. Moreover, the time required for hemolymph collection was significantly shorter using the AMHS compared to the TCHS, which protects the acquired hemolymph against melanization, thus providing the highest quality material for biological analysis.

Cloning and expression analysis of a transformer gene in Daphnia pulex during different reproduction stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ping; Xu, Shan-Liang; Zhou, Wei; Guo, Xiao-Ge; Wang, Chun-Lin; Wang, Dan-Li; Zhao, Yun-Long

2014-05-01

The full-length cDNA of a transformer gene (Dptra) was cloned from the cladoceran Daphnia pulex using RACE. Dptra expression was assessed by qPCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization in different reproductive stages. The Dptra cDNA, 1652bp in length, has a 1158-bp open reading frame that encodes a 385 amino acid polypeptide containing one Sex determination protein N terminal (SDP_N) superfamily, eight putative phosphorylation sites, and an arginine-serine (RS)-rich domain at the N-terminus. Dptra showed 81%, 53%, 51% and 45% identity to orthologous genes in Daphnia magna, Apis mellifera, Apis cerana and Bombus terrestris, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on deduced amino acid sequences revealed that Dptra clustered in the hymenopteran clade and was most closely related to D. magna and A. mellifera. qPCR showed that Dptra expression increased significantly (P<0.05) in different reproductive stages in the following order: male, ephippial female, parthenogenetic female, resting egg and juvenile female. Dptra expression is significantly different between males and females and it is significantly greater in ephippial females and males than in parthenogenetic D. pulex (with summer eggs). Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that Dptra was expressed at different levels between males and females. In males, hybridization signals were found in the first antennae, second antennae and thoracic limb, whereas expression levels in the corresponding sites of parthenogenetic and ephippial females were relatively weak. This suggests that the Dptra gene plays significant roles in switching modes of reproduction and in sexual differentiation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insect pollination and self-incompatibility in edible and/or medicinal crops in southwestern China, a global hotspot of biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Zong-Xin; Wang, Hong; Bernhardt, Peter; Li, De-Zhu

2014-10-01

An increasing global demand for food, coupled with the widespread decline of pollinator diversity, remains an international concern in agriculture and genetic conservation. In particular, there are large gaps in the study of the pollination of economically important and traditionally grown species in China. Many plant species grown in China are both edible and used medicinally. The country retains extensive written records of agricultural and apicultural practices, facilitating contemporary studies of some important taxa. Here, we focus on Yunnan in southwestern China, a mega-biodiversity hotspot for medicinal/food plants. We used plant and insect taxa as model systems to understand the patterns and consequences of pollinator deficit to crops. We identified several gaps and limitations in research on the pollination ecology and breeding systems of domesticated taxa and their wild relatives in Yunnan and asked the following questions: (1) What is known about pollination systems of edible and medicinal plants in Yunnan? (2) What are the most important pollinators of Codonopsis subglobosa (Campanulaceae)? (3) How important are native pollinator species for maximizing yield in Chinese crops compared with the introduced Apis mellifera? We found that some crops that require cross-pollination now depend exclusively on hand pollination. Three domesticated crops are dependent primarily on the native but semidomesticated Apis cerana and the introduced A. mellifera. Other species of wild pollinators often play important roles for certain specialty crops (e.g., Vespa velutina pollinates Codonopsis subglobosa). We propose a more systematic and comprehensive approach to applied research in the future. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Quantifying the Establishment Likelihood of Invasive Alien Species Introductions Through Ports with Application to Honeybees in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Heersink, Daniel K; Caley, Peter; Paini, Dean R; Barry, Simon C

2016-05-01

The cost of an uncontrolled incursion of invasive alien species (IAS) arising from undetected entry through ports can be substantial, and knowledge of port-specific risks is needed to help allocate limited surveillance resources. Quantifying the establishment likelihood of such an incursion requires quantifying the ability of a species to enter, establish, and spread. Estimation of the approach rate of IAS into ports provides a measure of likelihood of entry. Data on the approach rate of IAS are typically sparse, and the combinations of risk factors relating to country of origin and port of arrival diverse. This presents challenges to making formal statistical inference on establishment likelihood. Here we demonstrate how these challenges can be overcome with judicious use of mixed-effects models when estimating the incursion likelihood into Australia of the European (Apis mellifera) and Asian (A. cerana) honeybees, along with the invasive parasites of biosecurity concern they host (e.g., Varroa destructor). Our results demonstrate how skewed the establishment likelihood is, with one-tenth of the ports accounting for 80% or more of the likelihood for both species. These results have been utilized by biosecurity agencies in the allocation of resources to the surveillance of maritime ports. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Laurel leaf extracts for honeybee pest and disease management: antimicrobial, microsporicidal, and acaricidal activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Damiani, Natalia; Fernández, Natalia J; Porrini, Martín P; Gende, Liesel B; Álvarez, Estefanía; Buffa, Franco; Brasesco, Constanza; Maggi, Matías D; Marcangeli, Jorge A; Eguaras, Martín J

2014-02-01

A diverse set of parasites and pathogens affects productivity and survival of Apis mellifera honeybees. In beekeeping, traditional control by antibiotics and molecules of synthesis has caused problems with contamination and resistant pathogens. In this research, different Laurus nobilis extracts are tested against the main honeybee pests through an integrated point of view. In vivo effects on bee survival are also evaluated. The ethanol extract showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 208 to 416 μg/mL, having the best antimicrobial effect on Paenibacillus larvae among all substances tested. Similarly, this leaf extract showed a significant antiparasitic activity on Varroa destructor, killing 50 % of mites 24 h after a 30-s exposure, and on Nosema ceranae, inhibiting the spore development in the midgut of adult bees ingesting 1 × 10(4) μg/mL of extract solution. Both ethanol extract and volatile extracts (essential oil, hydrolate, and its main component) did not cause lethal effects on adult honeybees. Thus, the absence of topical and oral toxicity of the ethanol extract on bees and the strong antimicrobial, microsporicidal, and miticidal effects registered in this study place this laurel extract as a promising integrated treatment of bee diseases and stimulates the search for other bioactive phytochemicals from plants.

Differential proteomics reveals novel insights into Nosema-honey bee interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurze, Christoph; Dosselli, Ryan; Grassl, Julia

2016-01-01

. In general, infections of Nosema resulted in an up-regulation of the bee's energy metabolism. Additionally, we identified 8 proteins that were differentially abundant between tolerant and sensitive honey bees regardless of the Nosema infection. Those proteins were linked to metabolism, response to oxidative...... stress and apoptosis. In addition to bee proteins, we also identified 3 Nosema ceranae proteins. Interestingly, abundance of two of these Nosema proteins were significantly higher in infected Nosema-sensitive honeybees relative to the infected Nosema-tolerant lineage. This may provide a novel candidate...

Drug Interaction API

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Interaction API is a web service for accessing drug-drug interactions. No license is needed to use the Interaction API. Currently, the API uses DrugBank for its...

DIRAC RESTful API

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casajus Ramo, A; Graciani Diaz, R; Tsaregorodtsev, A

2012-01-01

The DIRAC framework for distributed computing has been designed as a flexible and modular solution that can be adapted to the requirements of any community. Users interact with DIRAC via command line, using the web portal or accessing resources via the DIRAC python API. The current DIRAC API requires users to use a python version valid for DIRAC. Some communities have developed their own software solutions for handling their specific workload, and would like to use DIRAC as their back-end to access distributed computing resources easily. Many of these solutions are not coded in python or depend on a specific python version. To solve this gap DIRAC provides a new language agnostic API that any software solution can use. This new API has been designed following the RESTful principles. Any language with libraries to issue standard HTTP queries may use it. GSI proxies can still be used to authenticate against the API services. However GSI proxies are not a widely adopted standard. The new DIRAC API also allows clients to use OAuth for delegating the user credentials to a third party solution. These delegated credentials allow the third party software to query to DIRAC on behalf of the users. This new API will further expand the possibilities communities have to integrate DIRAC into their distributed computing models.

No effect of low-level chronic neonicotinoid exposure on bumblebee learning and fecundity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saija Piiroinen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, many pollinators have declined in abundance and diversity worldwide, presenting a potential threat to agricultural productivity, biodiversity and the functioning of natural ecosystems. One of the most debated factors proposed to be contributing to pollinator declines is exposure to pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, a widely used class of systemic insecticide. Also, newly emerging parasites and diseases, thought to be spread via contact with managed honeybees, may pose threats to other pollinators such as bumblebees. Compared to honeybees, bumblebees could be particularly vulnerable to the effects of stressors due to their smaller and more short-lived colonies. Here, we studied the effect of field-realistic, chronic clothianidin exposure and inoculation with the parasite Nosema ceranae on survival, fecundity, sugar water collection and learning using queenless Bombus terrestris audax microcolonies in the laboratory. Chronic exposure to 1 ppb clothianidin had no significant effects on the traits studied. Interestingly, pesticide exposure in combination with additional stress caused by harnessing bees for Proboscis Extension Response (PER learning assays, led to an increase in mortality. In contrast to previous findings, the bees did not become infected by N. ceranae after experimental inoculation with the parasite spores, suggesting variability in host resistance or parasite virulence. However, this treatment induced a slight, short-term reduction in sugar water collection, potentially through stimulation of the immune system of the bees. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to 1 ppb clothianidin does not have adverse effects on bumblebee fecundity or learning ability.

Keanekaragaman, aktivitas kunjungan, dan keefektifan lebah penyerbuk pada tanaman tomat (Solanum lycopersicum L: Solanaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Gita Maulidyah Indraswari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. is a hermaphrodite plant and capable of auto pollination. However it still need pollinators to maximize pollination success. This research was aimed to determine the diversity, foraging activity of pollinator bees and its effectiveness on seeds and fruits formation of tomato. Scan sampling method was used to determine the diversity of pollinators and focal sampling method was used to observe visiting behavior of the bees. We conducted two experiments i.e., screen caged plants and open plants to compare the effect of the bee pollinators on fruits and seeds set formation. Results showed that eleven species of bees were found, i.e., Megachile conjuncta Smith, Megachile fulfifrons Smith, Megachile unbripennis Smith, Xylocopa confusa Latreille, Xylocopa latipes Drury, Xylocopa caerulea Fabricius, Ceratina cognata Latreille, Nomia quadridentata Bingham, Amegilla cyrtandrae Lieftinck, Amegilla burneensis Friese, and Apis cerana Fabricius. Three species of bees were dominant, i.e., X. confusa, A. cyrtandrae, and C. cognata. Bee, X. confusa visited more flowers per minute, followed by A. cyrtandrae and C. cognata. The longest species visiting in plants were C. cognata, followed by X. confusa and A. cyrtandrae. Bee pollinators increase 8.92% of fruiting, 43% of fruit size, 189% of number of seeds per fruit, and 355% of weight of seeds of tomato plants.

ANALISIS PAKET TEKNOLOGI LOKAL DALAM PENGELOLAAN PRODUKSI MADU ORGANIK UNTUK PASAR GLOBAL DAN INDUSTRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudi Hilmanto

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Production of honey conventionally by community do generate constraint at marketing to global market and industry. Model local technological packet is hoped improve the value sell honey commodity to go in global market and industry. Activity of production organic honey use local technological packet is hoped able to face Free Trade Agreement (FTA for local farmer. Local Technological packet at activity produce honey commodity, is expected be able to develop and strengthen production quality commodity. The objective of this research was to analyse the local technological packet at activity produce organic honey commodity to industrial and the global market in the form of technological model of management produce honey. The research method use Knowledge Base Creation constructively computer program of Agroekological Knowledge Toolkit 5 (AKT5. Result of research indicate that application local technological packet at activity produce organic honey had to watched five activity, namely: (a system agroforestry as source of nectar and pollen; (b to improve the stock honeybee; (c select, breeder, making bee hive honey; (d give meal artificial (e time and technique of cropping, till the product was sold. The result of reseach showed that the responder group applying activity produce honey organic at species Apis cerana yield 2,5 kg each stup, rate moisture content 20%, not turbid, and cleared at yielded honey. Result Interpretation was showed fulfill ideal technology management target

Android quick APIs reference

CERN Document Server

Cinar, Onur

2015-01-01

The Android Quick APIs Reference is a condensed code and APIs reference for the new Google Android 5.0 SDK. It presents the essential Android APIs in a well-organized format that can be used as a handy reference. You won't find any technical jargon, bloated samples, drawn out history lessons, or witty stories in this book. What you will find is a software development kit and APIs reference that is concise, to the point and highly accessible. The book is packed with useful information and is a must-have for any mobile or Android app developer or programmer. In the Android Quick APIs Refe

Advanced API security securing APIs with OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, JWS, and JWE

CERN Document Server

Siriwardena, Prabath

2014-01-01

Advanced API Security is a complete reference to the next wave of challenges in enterprise security--securing public and private APIs. API adoption in both consumer and enterprises has gone beyond predictions. It has become the 'coolest' way of exposing business functionalities to the outside world. Both your public and private APIs, need to be protected, monitored and managed. Security is not an afterthought, but API security has evolved a lot in last five years. The growth of standards, out there, has been exponential. That's where AdvancedAPI Security comes in--to wade through the weeds

Web API Fragility : How Robust is Your Web API Client

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Espinha, T.; Zaidman, A.; Gross, H.G.

2014-01-01

Web APIs provide a systematic and extensible approach for application-to-application interaction. A large number of mobile applications makes use of web APIs to integrate services into apps. Each Web API’s evolution pace is determined by their respective developer and mobile application developers

Healthcare Finder API

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — All of the data used on the Finder.HealthCare.gov web application is available through this API. There are multiple collections of data available through the API. 1....

Norwegian honey bees surviving Varroa destructor mite infestations by means of natural selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Oddie, Melissa A Y; Dahle, Bjørn; Neumann, Peter

2017-01-01

Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera , are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor , that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera , is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control. However, at least three populations of European honey bees have developed this ability by means of natural selection and have been surviving for >10 years without mite treatments. Reduced mite reproductive success has been suggested as a key factor explaining this natural survival. Here, we report a managed A. mellifera population in Norway, that has been naturally surviving consistent V. destructor infestations for >17 years. Surviving colonies and local susceptible controls were evaluated for mite infestation levels, mite reproductive success and two potential mechanisms explaining colony survival: grooming of adult worker bees and Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH): adult workers specifically detecting and removing mite-infested brood. Mite infestation levels were significantly lower in surviving colonies and mite reproductive success was reduced by 30% when compared to the controls. No significant differences were found between surviving and control colonies for either grooming or VSH. Our data confirm that reduced mite reproductive success seems to be a key factor for natural survival of infested A. mellifera colonies. However, neither grooming nor VSH seem to explain colony survival. Instead, other behaviors of the adult bees seem to be sufficient to hinder mite reproductive success, because brood for this experiment was taken from susceptible donor colonies only. To mitigate the global impact of V. destructor , we suggest learning more from nature, i.e., identifying the obviously

Norwegian honey bees surviving Varroa destructor mite infestations by means of natural selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa A.Y. Oddie

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control. However, at least three populations of European honey bees have developed this ability by means of natural selection and have been surviving for >10 years without mite treatments. Reduced mite reproductive success has been suggested as a key factor explaining this natural survival. Here, we report a managed A. mellifera population in Norway, that has been naturally surviving consistent V. destructor infestations for >17 years. Methods Surviving colonies and local susceptible controls were evaluated for mite infestation levels, mite reproductive success and two potential mechanisms explaining colony survival: grooming of adult worker bees and Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH: adult workers specifically detecting and removing mite-infested brood. Results Mite infestation levels were significantly lower in surviving colonies and mite reproductive success was reduced by 30% when compared to the controls. No significant differences were found between surviving and control colonies for either grooming or VSH. Discussion Our data confirm that reduced mite reproductive success seems to be a key factor for natural survival of infested A. mellifera colonies. However, neither grooming nor VSH seem to explain colony survival. Instead, other behaviors of the adult bees seem to be sufficient to hinder mite reproductive success, because brood for this experiment was taken from susceptible donor colonies only. To mitigate the global impact of V. destructor, we suggest learning

Biology and control of Varroa destructor.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenkranz, Peter; Aumeier, Pia; Ziegelmann, Bettina

2010-01-01

The ectoparasitic honey bee mite Varroa destructor was originally confined to the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana. After a shift to the new host Apis mellifera during the first half of the last century, the parasite dispersed world wide and is currently considered the major threat for apiculture. The damage caused by Varroosis is thought to be a crucial driver for the periodical colony losses in Europe and the USA and regular Varroa treatments are essential in these countries. Therefore, Varroa research not only deals with a fascinating host-parasite relationship but also has a responsibility to find sustainable solutions for the beekeeping. This review provides a survey of the current knowledge in the main fields of Varroa research including the biology of the mite, damage to the host, host tolerance, tolerance breeding and Varroa treatment. We first present a general view on the functional morphology and on the biology of the Varroa mite with special emphasis on host-parasite interactions during reproduction of the female mite. The pathology section describes host damage at the individual and colony level including the problem of transmission of secondary infections by the mite. Knowledge of both the biology and the pathology of Varroa mites is essential for understanding possible tolerance mechanisms in the honey bee host. We comment on the few examples of natural tolerance in A. mellifera and evaluate recent approaches to the selection of Varroa tolerant honey bees. Finally, an extensive listing and critical evaluation of chemical and biological methods of Varroa treatments is given. This compilation of present-day knowledge on Varroa honey bee interactions emphasizes that we are still far from a solution for Varroa infestation and that, therefore, further research on mite biology, tolerance breeding, and Varroa treatment is urgently needed. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex and caste-specific variation in compound eye morphology of five honeybee species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Streinzer

Full Text Available Ranging from dwarfs to giants, the species of honeybees show remarkable differences in body size that have placed evolutionary constrains on the size of sensory organs and the brain. Colonies comprise three adult phenotypes, drones and two female castes, the reproductive queen and sterile workers. The phenotypes differ with respect to tasks and thus selection pressures which additionally constrain the shape of sensory systems. In a first step to explore the variability and interaction between species size-limitations and sex and caste-specific selection pressures in sensory and neural structures in honeybees, we compared eye size, ommatidia number and distribution of facet lens diameters in drones, queens and workers of five species (Apis andreniformis, A. florea, A. dorsata, A. mellifera, A. cerana. In these species, male and female eyes show a consistent sex-specific organization with respect to eye size and regional specialization of facet diameters. Drones possess distinctly enlarged eyes with large dorsal facets. Aside from these general patterns, we found signs of unique adaptations in eyes of A. florea and A. dorsata drones. In both species, drone eyes are disproportionately enlarged. In A. dorsata the increased eye size results from enlarged facets, a likely adaptation to crepuscular mating flights. In contrast, the relative enlargement of A. florea drone eyes results from an increase in ommatidia number, suggesting strong selection for high spatial resolution. Comparison of eye morphology and published mating flight times indicates a correlation between overall light sensitivity and species-specific mating flight times. The correlation suggests an important role of ambient light intensities in the regulation of species-specific mating flight times and the evolution of the visual system. Our study further deepens insights into visual adaptations within the genus Apis and opens up future perspectives for research to better understand the

The putative serine protease inhibitor Api m 6 from Apis mellifera venom: recombinant and structural evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Michel, Y; McIntyre, M; Ginglinger, H; Ollert, M; Cifuentes, L; Blank, S; Spillner, E

2012-01-01

Immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated reactions to honeybee venom can cause severe anaphylaxis, sometimes with fatal consequences. Detailed knowledge of the allergic potential of all venom components is necessary to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment of allergy and to gain a better understanding of the allergological mechanisms of insect venoms. Our objective was to undertake an immunochemical and structural evaluation of the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6, a component of honeybee venom. We recombinantly produced Api m 6 as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli and in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells.We also assessed specific IgE reactivity of venom-sensitized patients with 2 prokaryotically produced Api m 6 variants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, we built a structural model ofApi m 6 and compared it with other protease inhibitor structures to gain insights into the function of Api m 6. In a population of 31 honeybee venom-allergic patients, 26% showed specific IgE reactivity with prokaryotically produced Api m 6, showing it to be a minor but relevant allergen. Molecular modeling of Api m 6 revealed a typical fold of canonical protease inhibitors, supporting the putative function of this venom allergen. Although Api m 6 has a highly variant surface charge, its epitope distribution appears to be similar to that of related proteins. Api m 6 is a honeybee venom component with IgE-sensitizing potential in a fraction of venom-allergic patients. Recombinant Api m 6 can help elucidate individual component-resolved reactivity profiles and increase our understanding of immune responses to low-molecular-weight allergens

Data.gov CKAN API

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — The data.gov catalog is powered by CKAN, a powerful open source data platform that includes a robust API. Please be aware that data.gov and the data.gov CKAN API...

Bee pathogens found in Bombus atratus from Colombia: A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamboa, Viviana; Ravoet, Jorgen; Brunain, Marleen; Smagghe, Guy; Meeus, Ivan; Figueroa, Judith; Riaño, Diego; de Graaf, Dirk C

2015-07-01

Bombus atratus bumblebees from Colombia that were caught in the wild and from breeding programs were screened for a broad set of bee pathogens. We discovered for the first time Lake Sinai Virus and confirmed the infection by other common viruses. The prevalence of Apicystis bombi, Crithidia bombi and Nosema ceranae was remarkably high. According to other studies the former two could have been co-introduced in South America with exotic bumble bees as Bombus terrestris or Bombus ruderatus. Given the fact that none of these species occur in Colombia, our data puts a new light on the spread of these pathogens over the South American continent. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HEURISTIC EVALUATION FOR MOBILE APPLICATION (STUDI KASUS: APLIKASI DEPO AUTO 2000 TANJUNG API API PALEMBANG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Usman Ependi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Heuristic evaluation merupakan salah satu bentuk usability testing perangkat lunak yang dinilai oleh pengguna (evaluator. Dalam melakukan heuristic evaluation instrumen penilaian terdiri dari sepuluh (10 pernyataan dengan lima pilihan jawaban dalam skala severity ratings. Dalam penelitian ini heuristic evaluation terhadap aplikasi Depo Auto 2000 Tanjung Api-Api Palembang yang dilakukan oleh 4 evaluator.  Hasil dari heuristic evaluation dikelompokkan kedalam  masing-masing instrumen yaitu visibility of system status dengan nilai 0,75, match between system and the real world dengan nilai 0,25, user control and freedom dengan nilai 0,25, consistency and standards dengan nilai 0,75, error prevention dengan nilai 1, recognition rather than recall dengan nilai 1,25, flexibility and efficiency of use dengan nilai 0,25, Aesthetic and minimalist design dengan nilai 0,25, help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors dengan nilai 1 dan Help and documentation dengan nilai 0. Dari hasil heuristic evaluation yang dilakukan menunjukkan bahwa evaluator memberikan nilai 0 dan 1 aplikasi Depo Atuo 2000 Tanjung Api-Api Palembang. Hasil penilaian tersebut menunjukkan bahwa aplikasi yang buat tidak ada masalah usability dan hanya memiliki cosmetic problem sehingga aplikasi Depo Auto 2000 Tanjung Api Api Palembang  dapat dinyatakan layak untuk didistribusikan kepada pengguna akhir (end user.

Iridescent Virus and Nosema ceranae Linked to Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

protein An08g03390 ( Aspergillus niger ] >Nosema|151302943|gb|AAB54170 2| Hypothetical protein C44E4 2 [Caenortiabditis elegans] >Nosema|134076966|emb...CAK45375 1| unnamed protein product [ Aspergillus niger ] >Nosema|29691978|dbj[BAC754S5.1| putative spore surface protein [Microspondium sp TB-2M-H] A

Mars Atmospheric Aggregation System API

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The {MAAS} API is an open source REST API built to help make it easier and more efficient to build interactive applications that want to utilize the wealth of...

Beebread from Apis mellifera and Apis dorsata. Comparative Chemical Composition and Bioactivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otilia BOBIS

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Beebread is a valuable bee product, both for bee nutrition and for humans. The high nutritional and bioactive properties of beebread were evaluated by chemical composition analysis of beebread from Apis mellifera and Apis dorsata. Bee bread harvested from Romania and India, coming from Apis mellifera and Apis dorsata bees, were evaluated for their chemical composition. Analyses were made in APHIS Laboratory from USAMV Cluj, using validated methods for bee products. Lipids were determined by the Soxhlet extraction method, total protein content was determined by Kjehldahl method, sugar spectrum was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection (HPLC-IR. Water content of beebread samples were situated between 11.45 and 16.46%, total protein content between 16.84 and 19.19% and total lipids between 6.36 and 13.47%.  Beebread has high bioactive properties which can be expressed as antioxidant and/or antibacterial activity. Chemical composition and bioactive properties of beebread is influenced by floral origin of the pollen which the bees collect and place in combs for fermentation. Also the climatic conditions have an important role in developing different fermentation compounds, that may act as antioxidants or antibacterial agents.

Updated API document 6A will close API-ISO 9000 gap. [Oil and gas wellhead standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bell, S.

1993-10-01

The 17th edition of the American Petroleum Institute's (API) document 6A, covering wellheads and their components, is due early next year. As the API vs. International Standards Organization (ISO) 9000 struggle continues, this edition of 6A eliminates some unnecessary specifications, clarifies others, and includes metric specifications accepted by the ISO. The 17th edition will clarify some of the interpretations from earlier editions and further advise users how to acquire the API monogram. The goal of this edition is to make 6A acceptable to ISO as an international document so API can maintain control over petroleum equipment specifications and provide input and guidance in future regulations.

Intro to the Zotero API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Morton

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use python with the Zotero API to interact with your Zotero library. The Zotero API is a powerful interface that would allow you to build a complete Zotero client from scratch if you so desired. But like most APIs, it works in small, discrete steps, so we have to build our way up to the complicated requests we might want to use to access our Zotero libraries. But this incremental building gives us plenty of time to learn as we go along.

Bluetooth API Implementation into Android

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konev Sergey

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Bluetooth is a popular method of communication between devices. Many smartphones today have the capability to communicate using Bluetooth. Android developers sometimes need to use Bluetooth in their projects. Android OS provides a powerful API for Bluetooth that allows to simplify scanning the environment for devices, pairing and connecting, data transfer between devices and more. However, utilizing the Bluetooth API can be difficult for first-time users. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the key points of implementing Bluetooth API in the Android application.

Restful API Architecture Based on Laravel Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xianjun; Ji, Zhoupeng; Fan, Yu; Zhan, Yongsong

2017-10-01

Web service has been an industry standard tech for message communication and integration between heterogeneous systems. RESTFUL API has become mainstream web service development paradigm after SOAP, how to effectively construct RESTFUL API remains a research hotspots. This paper presents a development model of RESTFUL API construction based on PHP language and LARAVEL framework. The key technical problems that need to be solved during the construction of RESTFUL API are discussed, and implementation details based on LARAVEL are given.

Fearful foragers: honey bees tune colony and individual foraging to multi-predator presence and food quality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken Tan

Full Text Available Fear can have strong ecosystem effects by giving predators a role disproportionate to their actual kill rates. In bees, fear is shown through foragers avoiding dangerous food sites, thereby reducing the fitness of pollinated plants. However, it remains unclear how fear affects pollinators in a complex natural scenario involving multiple predator species and different patch qualities. We studied hornets, Vespa velutina (smaller and V. tropica (bigger preying upon the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana in China. Hornets hunted bees on flowers and were attacked by bee colonies. Bees treated the bigger hornet species (which is 4 fold more massive as more dangerous. It received 4.5 fold more attackers than the smaller hornet species. We tested bee responses to a three-feeder array with different hornet species and varying resource qualities. When all feeders offered 30% sucrose solution (w/w, colony foraging allocation, individual visits, and individual patch residence times were reduced according to the degree of danger. Predator presence reduced foraging visits by 55-79% and residence times by 17-33%. When feeders offered different reward levels (15%, 30%, or 45% sucrose, colony and individual foraging favored higher sugar concentrations. However, when balancing food quality against multiple threats (sweeter food corresponding to higher danger, colonies exhibited greater fear than individuals. Colonies decreased foraging at low and high danger patches. Individuals exhibited less fear and only decreased visits to the high danger patch. Contrasting individual with emergent colony-level effects of fear can thus illuminate how predators shape pollination by social bees.

Making Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody And Radiolabelling For Medical Purpose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Thi Thu; Duong Van Dong; Vo Thi Cam Hoa; Bui Van Cuong; Chu Van Khoa; Vu Bich Huong; Le Quang Huan

2008-01-01

Recombinant monoclonal antibody labeling with 131 I specific to tumor cell has been studied and prepared for treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma. In this study, a recombinant monoclonal antibody with two specific properties is a hybrid molecule created by coupling an antibody variable fragments with peptide melittin. The gene coding the antibody fragment has been obtained from human synthetic Fv libraries using for panning and screening on populations of lymphocytes fragmented from human blood cells with Hodgkin diseases. The gene encoding peptit melittin has been cloned from honeybee Apis cerana DNA. The gene coding recombinant monoclonal antibody has been expressed in E.coli BL21 (DE3) at 37 o C and was induced with 0.6 mM IPTG. The recombinant compound has been purified by affinity chromatography with HiTrap affinity column. The obtained recombinant monoclonal antibody has showed cytolytic activities when added to cell culture medium for LU cancer cell line with the amount of 100 - 200 mg/ml. This monoclonal antibody is labeled with 131 I using chloramine T procedure. ChT mass for the oxidation of 50 μg monoclonal antibody in 76 MBq was 10 μg. Sodium metabisulfite was used as a reducing agent. Reaction time was above 3 mins. The radiochemical purity was determined using electrophoresis and TLC methods. Radiochemical yield was > 97%. Radiochemical purity after purification was > 99%. Nuclear purity was > 99%. Stability of the label antibody was 12 days. This is the product promise potential used in the diagnostic and therapeutic of Hodgkin lymphoma. (author)

A comparative analysis of colour preferences in temperate and tropical social bees

Science.gov (United States)

Balamurali, G. S.; Nicholls, Elizabeth; Somanathan, Hema; Hempel de Ibarra, Natalie

2018-02-01

The spontaneous occurrence of colour preferences without learning has been demonstrated in several insect species; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. Here, we use a comparative approach to investigate spontaneous and learned colour preferences in foraging bees of two tropical and one temperate species. We hypothesised that tropical bees utilise different sets of plants and therefore might differ in their spontaneous colour preferences. We tested colour-naive bees and foragers from colonies that had been enclosed in large flight cages for a long time. Bees were shortly trained with triplets of neutral, UV-grey stimuli placed randomly at eight locations on a black training disk to induce foraging motivation. During unrewarded tests, the bees' responses to eight colours were video-recorded. Bees explored all colours and displayed an overall preference for colours dominated by long or short wavelengths, rather than a single colour stimulus. Naive Apis cerana and Bombus terrestris showed similar choices. Both inspected long-wavelength stimuli more than short-wavelength stimuli, whilst responses of the tropical stingless bee Tetragonula iridipennis differed, suggesting that resource partitioning could be a determinant of spontaneous colour preferences. Reward on an unsaturated yellow colour shifted the bees' preference curves as predicted, which is in line with previous findings that brief colour experience overrides the expression of spontaneous preferences. We conclude that rather than determining foraging behaviour in inflexible ways, spontaneous colour preferences vary depending on experimental settings and reflect potential biases in mechanisms of learning and decision-making in pollinating insects.

The relationship between managed bees and the prevalence of parasites in bumblebees.

Science.gov (United States)

Graystock, Peter; Goulson, Dave; Hughes, William O H

2014-01-01

Honey bees and, more recently, bumblebees have been domesticated and are now managed commercially primarily for crop pollination, mixing with wild pollinators during foraging on shared flower resources. There is mounting evidence that managed honey bees or commercially produced bumblebees may affect the health of wild pollinators such as bumblebees by increasing competition for resources and the prevalence of parasites in wild bees. Here we screened 764 bumblebees from around five greenhouses that either used commercially produced bumblebees or did not, as well as bumblebees from 10 colonies placed at two sites either close to or far from a honey bee apiary, for the parasites Apicystis bombi, Crithidia bombi, Nosema bombi, N. ceranae, N. apis and deformed wing virus. We found that A. bombi and C. bombi were more prevalent around greenhouses using commercially produced bumblebees, while C. bombi was 18% more prevalent in bumblebees at the site near to the honey bee apiary than those at the site far from the apiary. Whilst these results are from only a limited number of sites, they support previous reports of parasite spillover from commercially produced bumblebees to wild bumblebees, and suggest that the impact of stress from competing with managed bees or the vectoring of parasites by them on parasite prevalence in wild bees needs further investigation. It appears increasingly likely that the use of managed bees comes at a cost of increased parasites in wild bumblebees, which is not only a concern for bumblebee conservation, but which may impact other pollinators as well.

Contribution of Plantation Forest on Wild Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea Pollinators Conservation in Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Widhiono

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Wild bee pollinators (Hymenoptera : Apiade diversity and abundance were studied in three types of plantation forest on Mt. Slamet (Central Java Province, Indonesia. The aims of the research was to know the diversity and abundance of wild bee pollinators and to determine the possibility of plantation forest contribution on wild bees conservation. Sampling has been done at three stands: a pine forest (PF, with Pinus merkusii, an Agathis forest (AF, with Agathis damara and a community forest (CF, with Albizia falctaria. Each habitat was divided into 5 line transect (100 x 5 m and sweep nets were used to collect the wild bee samples. Sampling was done eah month from April to August 2015. The diversity of wild bees was high (12 species in 9 genera; members of the Apidae (7 species were dominant. The most abundant species across the forests were Apis cerana (343 individuals; 25.5% of total, Trigona laeviceps (195 individuals; 14.5%, and Megachille relativa (165 individuals; 12.3%. Measurements of species diversity (H’, species evenness (E, habitat similarity (Ss and species richness indicated that the wild bee species diversity in the region was relatively high (H’ = 1.275 to (H’ = 1.730;(E= 0.870 to (E = 0.93. The result showed that the diversity of wild bees in three different plantation forest habitats on Mt. Slamet were similar and can be concluded that plantation forest types were important for pollinator conservation, and an appropriate future preservation strategy should include of the areas of all plantation forest types.

The relationship between managed bees and the prevalence of parasites in bumblebees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Graystock

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Honey bees and, more recently, bumblebees have been domesticated and are now managed commercially primarily for crop pollination, mixing with wild pollinators during foraging on shared flower resources. There is mounting evidence that managed honey bees or commercially produced bumblebees may affect the health of wild pollinators such as bumblebees by increasing competition for resources and the prevalence of parasites in wild bees. Here we screened 764 bumblebees from around five greenhouses that either used commercially produced bumblebees or did not, as well as bumblebees from 10 colonies placed at two sites either close to or far from a honey bee apiary, for the parasites Apicystis bombi, Crithidia bombi, Nosema bombi, N. ceranae, N. apis and deformed wing virus. We found that A. bombi and C. bombi were more prevalent around greenhouses using commercially produced bumblebees, while C. bombi was 18% more prevalent in bumblebees at the site near to the honey bee apiary than those at the site far from the apiary. Whilst these results are from only a limited number of sites, they support previous reports of parasite spillover from commercially produced bumblebees to wild bumblebees, and suggest that the impact of stress from competing with managed bees or the vectoring of parasites by them on parasite prevalence in wild bees needs further investigation. It appears increasingly likely that the use of managed bees comes at a cost of increased parasites in wild bumblebees, which is not only a concern for bumblebee conservation, but which may impact other pollinators as well.

Accelerated evolution of innate immunity proteins in social insects: adaptive evolution or relaxed constraint?

Science.gov (United States)

Harpur, Brock A; Zayed, Amro

2013-07-01

The genomes of eusocial insects have a reduced complement of immune genes-an unusual finding considering that sociality provides ideal conditions for disease transmission. The following three hypotheses have been invoked to explain this finding: 1) social insects are attacked by fewer pathogens, 2) social insects have effective behavioral or 3) novel molecular mechanisms for combating pathogens. At the molecular level, these hypotheses predict that canonical innate immune pathways experience a relaxation of selective constraint. A recent study of several innate immune genes in ants and bees showed a pattern of accelerated amino acid evolution, which is consistent with either positive selection or a relaxation of constraint. We studied the population genetics of innate immune genes in the honey bee Apis mellifera by partially sequencing 13 genes from the bee's Toll pathway (∼10.5 kb) and 20 randomly chosen genes (∼16.5 kb) sequenced in 43 diploid workers. Relative to the random gene set, Toll pathway genes had significantly higher levels of amino acid replacement mutations segregating within A. mellifera and fixed between A. mellifera and A. cerana. However, levels of diversity and divergence at synonymous sites did not differ between the two gene sets. Although we detect strong signs of balancing selection on the pathogen recognition gene pgrp-sa, many of the genes in the Toll pathway show signatures of relaxed selective constraint. These results are consistent with the reduced complement of innate immune genes found in social insects and support the hypothesis that some aspect of eusociality renders canonical innate immunity superfluous.

A comparative analysis of colour preferences in temperate and tropical social bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Balamurali, G S; Nicholls, Elizabeth; Somanathan, Hema; Hempel de Ibarra, Natalie

2018-01-02

The spontaneous occurrence of colour preferences without learning has been demonstrated in several insect species; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. Here, we use a comparative approach to investigate spontaneous and learned colour preferences in foraging bees of two tropical and one temperate species. We hypothesised that tropical bees utilise different sets of plants and therefore might differ in their spontaneous colour preferences. We tested colour-naive bees and foragers from colonies that had been enclosed in large flight cages for a long time. Bees were shortly trained with triplets of neutral, UV-grey stimuli placed randomly at eight locations on a black training disk to induce foraging motivation. During unrewarded tests, the bees' responses to eight colours were video-recorded. Bees explored all colours and displayed an overall preference for colours dominated by long or short wavelengths, rather than a single colour stimulus. Naive Apis cerana and Bombus terrestris showed similar choices. Both inspected long-wavelength stimuli more than short-wavelength stimuli, whilst responses of the tropical stingless bee Tetragonula iridipennis differed, suggesting that resource partitioning could be a determinant of spontaneous colour preferences. Reward on an unsaturated yellow colour shifted the bees' preference curves as predicted, which is in line with previous findings that brief colour experience overrides the expression of spontaneous preferences. We conclude that rather than determining foraging behaviour in inflexible ways, spontaneous colour preferences vary depending on experimental settings and reflect potential biases in mechanisms of learning and decision-making in pollinating insects.

Web API Growing Pains : Loosely Coupled yet Strongly Tied

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Espinha, T.; Zaidman, A.; Gross, H.G.

2014-01-01

Web APIs provide a systematic and extensible approach for application-toapplication interaction. Developers using web APIs are forced to accompany the API providers in their software evolution tasks. In order to understand the distress caused by this imposition on web API client developers we

Jobs API

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This Jobs API returns job openings across the federal government and includes all current openings posted on USAJobs.gov that are open to the public and located in...

Species differences in brain gene expression profiles associated with adult behavioral maturation in honey bees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robinson Gene E

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Honey bees are known for several striking social behaviors, including a complex pattern of behavioral maturation that gives rise to an age-related colony division of labor and a symbolic dance language, by which successful foragers communicate the location of attractive food sources to their nestmates. Our understanding of honey bees is mostly based on studies of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, even though there are 9–10 other members of genus Apis, showing interesting variations in social behavior relative to A. mellifera. To facilitate future in-depth genomic and molecular level comparisons of behavior across the genus, we performed a microarray analysis of brain gene expression for A. mellifera and three key species found in Asia, A. cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata. Results For each species we compared brain gene expression patterns between foragers and adult one-day-old bees on an A. mellifera cDNA microarray and calculated within-species gene expression ratios to facilitate cross-species analysis. The number of cDNA spots showing hybridization fluorescence intensities above the experimental threshold was reduced by an average of 16% in the Asian species compared to A. mellifera, but an average of 71% of genes on the microarray were available for analysis. Brain gene expression profiles between foragers and one-day-olds showed differences that are consistent with a previous study on A. mellifera and were comparable across species. Although 1772 genes showed significant differences in expression between foragers and one-day-olds, only 218 genes showed differences in forager/one-day-old expression between species (p Conclusion We conclude that the A. mellifera cDNA microarray can be used effectively for cross-species comparisons within the genus. Our results indicate that there is a widespread conservation of the molecular processes in the honey bee brain underlying behavioral maturation. Species differences in

Recalls API

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This Recalls API allows you to tap into a list of (1) drug and food safety recalls from the Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and...

Improving the API dissolution rate during pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion I: Effect of the API particle size, and the co-rotating, twin-screw extruder screw configuration on the API dissolution rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Meng; Gogos, Costas G; Ioannidis, Nicolas

2015-01-15

The dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion is the most critical elementary step during the extrusion of amorphous solid solutions - total dissolution has to be achieved within the short residence time in the extruder. Dissolution and dissolution rates are affected by process, material and equipment variables. In this work, we examine the effect of one of the material variables and one of the equipment variables, namely, the API particle size and extruder screw configuration on the API dissolution rate, in a co-rotating, twin-screw extruder. By rapidly removing the extruder screws from the barrel after achieving a steady state, we collected samples along the length of the extruder screws that were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the amount of undissolved API. Analyses of samples indicate that reduction of particle size of the API and appropriate selection of screw design can markedly improve the dissolution rate of the API during extrusion. In addition, angle of repose measurements and light microscopy images show that the reduction of particle size of the API can improve the flowability of the physical mixture feed and the adhesiveness between its components, respectively, through dry coating of the polymer particles by the API particles. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

fine-GRAPE : Fine-grained APi usage extractor – an approach and dataset to investigate API usage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sawant, A.A.; Bacchelli, A.

An Application Programming Interface (API) provides a set of functionalities to a developer with the aim of enabling reuse. APIs have been investigated from different angles such as popularity usage and evolution to get a better understanding of their various characteristics. For such studies,

DySectAPI: Scalable Prescriptive Debugging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Nicklas Bo; Karlsson, Sven; Quarfot Nielsen, Niklas

We present the DySectAPI, a tool that allow users to construct probe trees for automatic, event-driven debugging at scale. The traditional, interactive debugging model, whereby users manually step through and inspect their application, does not scale well even for current supercomputers. While...... lightweight debugging models scale well, they can currently only debug a subset of bug classes. DySectAPI fills the gap between these two approaches with a novel user-guided approach. Using both experimental results and analytical modeling we show how DySectAPI scales and can run with a low overhead...

APIs and Researchers: The Emperor's New Clothes?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Edmond

2015-02-01

Full Text Available As part of the Europeana Cloud (eCloud project, Trinity College Dublin investigated best practice in the use of web services, such as APIs, for accessing large data sets from cultural heritage collections. This research looked into the provision and use of APIs, and moreover, whether or not more customised programmatic access to datasets is what researchers want or need. In order to understand whether current patterns of API usage reflect a skills gap on the part of researchers or a mismatch of tool to purpose, we looked not only at the creators and developer/users of APIs, but also at humanists already re-using big data; approaches in cultural heritage institutions and other research infrastructures to bring API use to non-technical audiences; and the kinds of training and other support services available or emerging within the data-intensive humanities research lifecycle. We conducted both desk research and a series of 11 interviews with figures working as researchers, developers or data providers, including figures from both the API development and the data usage communities. This research, conducted under the eCloud project and supported by the European Commission’s ICT Policy and Support Programme (Grant number 325091, was begun in March 2014 and is now in its concluding validation stage. The results of the research are not yet finalised, but the contribution is already emerging of this work to the debate about APIs being either the way forward for digital cultural heritage collections, or the Emperor’s New Clothes (or maybe a bit of both.

USAJOBS Job Opportunity Announcements (JOA) REST API

Data.gov (United States)

Office of Personnel Management — This REST-based API is designed to support lightweight Federal Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) content consumption by consumers. It is anticipated that this API...

47 CFR 61.46 - Adjustments to the API.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Adjustments to the API. 61.46 Section 61.46... Rules for Dominant Carriers § 61.46 Adjustments to the API. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and... carrier must calculate an API for each affected basket pursuant to the following methodology: APIt = APIt...

Recent advances in the API quality program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gollhofer, F.R.

1991-01-01

The API now has more than 3 years' operating experience in licensing manufacturers under the API Quality Program. The API evaluation procedures, described in this paper, provide consistency in evaluation and should allow full participation of petroleum equipment suppliers in the worldwide market during the 1990's and into the 21st century. The program's flexibility will allow it to cope with significant changes resulting from the planned European Common Market's Global Approach to Certification and Testing scheduled to occur in 1992

USAJOBS Job Opportunity Announcements (JOA) SOAP API

Data.gov (United States)

Office of Personnel Management — The purpose of the SOAP based API is to provide the full Federal Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) content to the consumer. It is anticipated that this API will be...

Safe "cloudification" of large images through picker APIs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bremer, Erich; Kurc, Tahsin; Gao, Yi; Saltz, Joel; Almeida, Jonas S

2016-01-01

The "Box model" allows users with no particular training in informatics, or access to specialized infrastructure, operate generic cloud computing resources through a temporary URI dereferencing mechanism known as "drop-file-picker API" ("picker API" for sort). This application programming interface (API) was popularized in the web app development community by DropBox, and is now a consumer-facing feature of all major cloud computing platforms such as Box.com, Google Drive and Amazon S3. This reports describes a prototype web service application that uses picker APIs to expose a new, "cloudified", API tailored for image analysis, without compromising the private governance of the data exposed. In order to better understand this cross-platform cloud computing landscape, we first measured the time for both transfer and traversing of large image files generated by whole slide imaging (WSI) in Digital Pathology. The verification that there is extensive interconnectivity between cloud resources let to the development of a prototype software application that exposes an image-traversing REST API to image files stored in any of the consumer-facing "boxes". In summary, an image file can be upload/synchronized into a any cloud resource with a file picker API and the prototype service described here will expose an HTTP REST API that remains within the safety of the user's own governance. The open source prototype is publicly available at sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox. Availability The accompanying prototype application is made publicly available, fully functional, with open source, at http://sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox://sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox. An illustrative webcasted use of this Web App is included with the project codebase at https://github.com/SBU-BMI/imageboxs://github.com/SBU-BMI/imagebox.

Sublethal doses of neonicotinoid imidacloprid can interact with honey bee chemosensory protein 1 (CSP1) and inhibit its function.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongliang; Tan, Jing; Song, Xinmi; Wu, Fan; Tang, Mingzhu; Hua, Qiyun; Zheng, Huoqing; Hu, Fuliang

2017-04-29

As a frequently used neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid can impair the chemoreceptive behavior of honey bees even at sublethal doses, while the physiochemical mechanism has not been further revealed. Here, multiple fluorescence spectra, thermodynamic method, and molecular docking were used to study the interaction and the functional inhibition of imidacloprid to the recombinant CSP1 protein in Asian honey bee, Apis cerana. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity (λ em  = 332 nm) of CSP1 could be significantly quenched by imidacloprid in a dynamic mode. During the quenching process, ΔH > 0, ΔS > 0, indicating that the acting forces of imidacloprid with CSP1 are mainly hydrophobic interactions. Synchronous fluorescence showed that the fluorescence of CSP1 was mainly derived from tryptophan, and the hydrophobicity of tryptophan decreased with the increase of imidacloprid concentration. Molecular docking predicted the optimal pose and the amino acid composition of the binding process. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that imidacloprid reduced the α-helix of CSP1 and caused the extension of the CSP1 peptide chain. In addition, the binding of CSP1 to floral scent β-ionone was inhibited by nearly 50% of the apparent association constant (K A ) in the presence of 0.28-2.53 ng/bee of imidacloprid, and the inhibition rate of nearly 95% at 3.75 ng/bee of imidacloprid at sublethal dose level. This study initially revealed the molecular physiochemical mechanism that sublethal doses of neonicotinoid still interact and inhibit the physiological function of the honey bees' chemoreceptive system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated Ply Inspection (API) for AFP, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Automated Ply Inspection (API) system autonomously inspects layups created by high speed automated fiber placement (AFP) machines. API comprises a high accuracy...

Analysing PKCS#11 Key Management APIs with Unbounded Fresh Data

Science.gov (United States)

Fröschle, Sibylle; Steel, Graham

We extend Delaune, Kremer and Steel’s framework for analysis of PKCS#11-based APIs from bounded to unbounded fresh data. We achieve this by: formally defining the notion of an attribute policy; showing that a well-designed API should have a certain class of policy we call complete; showing that APIs with complete policies may be safely abstracted to APIs where the attributes are fixed; and proving that these static APIs can be analysed in a small bounded model such that security properties will hold for the unbounded case. We automate analysis in our framework using the SAT-based security protocol model checker SATMC. We show that a symmetric key management subset of the Eracom PKCS#11 API, used in their ProtectServer product, preserves the secrecy of sensitive keys for unbounded numbers of fresh keys and handles, i.e. pointers to keys. We also show that this API is not robust: if an encryption key is lost to the intruder, SATMC finds an attack whereby all the keys may be compromised.

Compositional mining of multiple object API protocols through state abstraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ziying; Mao, Xiaoguang; Lei, Yan; Qi, Yuhua; Wang, Rui; Gu, Bin

2013-01-01

API protocols specify correct sequences of method invocations. Despite their usefulness, API protocols are often unavailable in practice because writing them is cumbersome and error prone. Multiple object API protocols are more expressive than single object API protocols. However, the huge number of objects of typical object-oriented programs poses a major challenge to the automatic mining of multiple object API protocols: besides maintaining scalability, it is important to capture various object interactions. Current approaches utilize various heuristics to focus on small sets of methods. In this paper, we present a general, scalable, multiple object API protocols mining approach that can capture all object interactions. Our approach uses abstract field values to label object states during the mining process. We first mine single object typestates as finite state automata whose transitions are annotated with states of interacting objects before and after the execution of the corresponding method and then construct multiple object API protocols by composing these annotated single object typestates. We implement our approach for Java and evaluate it through a series of experiments.

Comparison of API 510 pressure vessels inspection planning with API 581 risk-based inspection planning approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shishesaz, Mohammad Reza; Nazarnezhad Bajestani, Mohammad; Hashemi, Seyed Javad; Shekari, Elahe

2013-01-01

To ensure mechanical integrity, all pressure vessels shall be inspected at the intervals provided in inspection codes or based on a risk-based inspection (RBI) assessment. The RBI assessment may allow previously established inspection intervals to be extended. This paper describes the methodology, analysis and results of two RBI studies conducted on 293 pressure vessel components in two crude oil distillation units. Based on API RBI methodology in API 581 (2008), risk target concept was used for determining inspection dates. It was shown that when thinning is the major active damage, the RBI recommended intervals are as long as twice the API 510 intervals. This paper summarizes that, as a fundamental step in the risk calculation, RBI has a more defined methodology for evaluating equipment for multiple damage mechanisms and a more defined approach to specify the use of other inspection technologies beyond the traditional visual, ultrasonic, and radiography tests. -- Highlights: • RBI calculated inspection intervals are as long as twice of API 510 inspection code. • Two case studies verified the advantage of RBI in inspection planning. • RBI is a more reliable methodology when evaluating multiple damage mechanisms. • Damage factor calculations can be used for determining RSFa value in FFS assessments

Thermodynamic phase behavior of API/polymer solid dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Prudic, Anke; Ji, Yuanhui; Sadowski, Gabriele

2014-07-07

To improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), these materials are often integrated into a polymer matrix that acts as a carrier. The resulting mixture is called a solid dispersion. In this work, the phase behaviors of solid dispersions were investigated as a function of the API as well as of the type and molecular weight of the carrier polymer. Specifically, the solubility of artemisinin and indomethacin was measured in different poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEG 400, PEG 6000, and PEG 35000). The measured solubility data and the solubility of sulfonamides in poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) K10 and PEG 35000 were modeled using the perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT). The results show that PC-SAFT predictions are in a good accordance with the experimental data, and PC-SAFT can be used to predict the whole phase diagram of an API/polymer solid dispersion as a function of the kind of API and polymer and of the polymer's molecular weight. This remarkably simplifies the screening process for suitable API/polymer combinations.

A knowledge discovery object model API for Java

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jones Steven JM

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biological data resources have become heterogeneous and derive from multiple sources. This introduces challenges in the management and utilization of this data in software development. Although efforts are underway to create a standard format for the transmission and storage of biological data, this objective has yet to be fully realized. Results This work describes an application programming interface (API that provides a framework for developing an effective biological knowledge ontology for Java-based software projects. The API provides a robust framework for the data acquisition and management needs of an ontology implementation. In addition, the API contains classes to assist in creating GUIs to represent this data visually. Conclusions The Knowledge Discovery Object Model (KDOM API is particularly useful for medium to large applications, or for a number of smaller software projects with common characteristics or objectives. KDOM can be coupled effectively with other biologically relevant APIs and classes. Source code, libraries, documentation and examples are available at http://www.bcgsc.ca/bioinfo/software.

Validation of the Parlay API through prototyping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellenthal, J.W.; Planken, F.J.M.; Wegdam, M.

2001-01-01

The desire within the telecommunications world for new and faster business growth has been a major drive towards the development of open network API. Over the past 7 years several (semi) standardization groups have announced work on network API, including TINA-C, JAIN, IEEE P1520, INforum, 3GPP,

A Ruby API to query the Ensembl database for genomic features.

Science.gov (United States)

Strozzi, Francesco; Aerts, Jan

2011-04-01

The Ensembl database makes genomic features available via its Genome Browser. It is also possible to access the underlying data through a Perl API for advanced querying. We have developed a full-featured Ruby API to the Ensembl databases, providing the same functionality as the Perl interface with additional features. A single Ruby API is used to access different releases of the Ensembl databases and is also able to query multi-species databases. Most functionality of the API is provided using the ActiveRecord pattern. The library depends on introspection to make it release independent. The API is available through the Rubygem system and can be installed with the command gem install ruby-ensembl-api.

A framework for API solubility modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conte, Elisa; Gani, Rafiqul; Crafts, Peter

. In addition, most of the models are not predictive and requires experimental data for the calculation of the needed parameters. This work aims at developing an efficient framework for the solubility modelling of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in water and organic solvents. With this framework......-SAFT) are used for solubility calculations when the needed interaction parameters or experimental data are available. The CI-UNIFAC is instead used when the previous models lack interaction parameters or when solubility data are not available. A new GC+ model for APIs solvent selection based...... on the hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity and polarity information of the API and solvent is also developed, for performing fast solvent selection and screening. Eventually, all the previous developments are integrated in a framework for their efficient and integrated use. Two case studies are presented: the first...

Infections with the Sexually Transmitted Pathogen Nosema apis Trigger an Immune Response in the Seminal Fluid of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera).

Science.gov (United States)

Grassl, Julia; Peng, Yan; Baer-Imhoof, Barbara; Welch, Mat; Millar, A Harvey; Baer, Boris

2017-01-06

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) males are highly susceptible to infections with the sexually transmitted fungal pathogen Nosema apis. However, they are able to suppress this parasite in the ejaculate using immune molecules in the seminal fluid. We predicted that males respond to infections by altering the seminal fluid proteome to minimize the risk to sexually transmit the parasite to the queen and her colony. We used iTRAQ isotopic labeling to compare seminal fluid proteins from infected and noninfected males and found that N. apis infections resulted in significant abundance changes in 111 of the 260 seminal fluid proteins quantitated. The largest group of proteins with significantly changed abundances consisted of 15 proteins with well-known immune-related functions, which included two significantly more abundant chitinases in the seminal fluid of infected males. Chitinases were previously hypothesized to be involved in honey bee antifungal activity against N. apis. Here we show that infection with N. apis triggers a highly specific immune response in the seminal fluid of honey bee males.

Unified Medical Language System Terminology Services (UTS) API

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The UTS API is intended for application developers to perform Web service calls and retrieve UMLS data within their own applications. The UTS API provides the...

CALIBRATION, OPTIMIZATION, AND SENSITIVITY AND UNCERTAINTY ALGORITHMS APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE (COSU-API)

Science.gov (United States)

The Application Programming Interface (API) for Uncertainty Analysis, Sensitivity Analysis, and Parameter Estimation (UA/SA/PE API) tool development, here fore referred to as the Calibration, Optimization, and Sensitivity and Uncertainty Algorithms API (COSU-API), was initially d...

The JANA calibrations and conditions database API

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrence, David

2010-01-01

Calibrations and conditions databases can be accessed from within the JANA Event Processing framework through the API defined in its JCalibration base class. The API is designed to support everything from databases, to web services to flat files for the backend. A Web Service backend using the gSOAP toolkit has been implemented which is particularly interesting since it addresses many modern cybersecurity issues including support for SSL. The API allows constants to be retrieved through a single line of C++ code with most of the context, including the transport mechanism, being implied by the run currently being analyzed and the environment relieving developers from implementing such details.

The JANA calibrations and conditions database API

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawrence, David, E-mail: davidl@jlab.or [12000 Jefferson Ave., Suite 8, Newport News, VA 23601 (United States)

2010-04-01

Calibrations and conditions databases can be accessed from within the JANA Event Processing framework through the API defined in its JCalibration base class. The API is designed to support everything from databases, to web services to flat files for the backend. A Web Service backend using the gSOAP toolkit has been implemented which is particularly interesting since it addresses many modern cybersecurity issues including support for SSL. The API allows constants to be retrieved through a single line of C++ code with most of the context, including the transport mechanism, being implied by the run currently being analyzed and the environment relieving developers from implementing such details.

Associated particle imaging (API)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-05-01

Associated Particle Imaging (API) is an active neutron probe technique that provides a 3-D image with elemental composition of the material under interrogation, and so occupies a unique niche in the interrogation of unknown objects. The highly penetrating nature of neutrons enables API to provide detailed information about targets of interest that are hidden from view. Due to the isotropic nature of the induced reactions, radiation detectors can be set on the same side of the object as the neutron source, so that the object can be interrogated from a single side. At the heat of the system is a small generator that produces a continuous, monoenergetic flux of neutrons. By measuring the trajectory of coincident alpha particles that are produced as part of the process, the trajectory of the neutron can be inferred. Interactions between a neutron and the material in its path often produce a gamma ray whose energy is characteristic of that material. When the gamma ray is detected, its energy is measured and combined with the trajectory information to produce a 3-D image of the composition of the object being interrogated. During the course of API development, a number of improvements have been made. A new, more rugged sealed Tube Neutron Generator (STNG) has been designed and fabricated that is less susceptible to radiation damage and better able to withstand the rigors of fielding than earlier designs. A specialized high-voltage power supply for the STNG has also been designed and built. A complete package of software has been written for the tasks of system calibration, diagnostics and data acquisition and analysis. A portable system has been built and field tested, proving that API can be taken out of the lab and into real-world situations, and that its performance in the field is equal to that in the lab

Uncovering the immune responses of Apis mellifera ligustica larval gut to Ascosphaera apis infection utilizing transcriptome sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dafu; Guo, Rui; Xu, Xijian; Xiong, Cuiling; Liang, Qin; Zheng, Yanzhen; Luo, Qun; Zhang, Zhaonan; Huang, Zhijian; Kumar, Dhiraj; Xi, Weijun; Zou, Xuan; Liu, Min

2017-07-20

Honeybees are susceptible to a variety of diseases, including chalkbrood, which is capable of causing huge losses of both the number of bees and colony productivity. This research is designed to characterize the transcriptome profiles of Ascosphaera apis-treated and un-treated larval guts of Apis mellifera ligustica in an attempt to unravel the molecular mechanism underlying the immune responses of western honeybee larval guts to mycosis. In this study, 24, 296 and 2157 genes were observed to be differentially expressed in A. apis-treated Apis mellifera (4-, 5- and 6-day-old) compared with un-treated larval guts. Moreover, the expression patterns of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were examined via trend analysis, and subsequently, gene ontology analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for DEGs involved in up- and down-regulated profiles. Immunity-related pathways were selected for further analysis, and our results demonstrated that a total of 13 and 50 DEGs were annotated in the humoral immune-related and cellular immune-related pathways, respectively. Additionally, we observed that many DEGs up-regulated in treated guts were part of cellular immune pathways, such as the lysosome, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and insect hormone biosynthesis pathways and were induced by A. apis invasion. However, more down-regulated DEGs were restrained. Surprisingly, a majority of DEGs within the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway were up-regulated in treated guts, while all but two genes involved in the NF-κB signaling pathway were down-regulated, which suggested that most genes involved in humoral immune-related pathways were activated in response to the invasive fungal pathogen. This study's findings provide valuable information regarding the investigation of the molecular mechanism of immunity defenses of A. m. ligustica larval guts to infection with A. apis. Furthermore, these studies lay the groundwork for

GIANT API: an application programming interface for functional genomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Andrew M; Wong, Aaron K; Fisk, Ian; Troyanskaya, Olga G

2016-07-08

GIANT API provides biomedical researchers programmatic access to tissue-specific and global networks in humans and model organisms, and associated tools, which includes functional re-prioritization of existing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. Using tissue-specific interaction networks, researchers are able to predict relationships between genes specific to a tissue or cell lineage, identify the changing roles of genes across tissues and uncover disease-gene associations. Additionally, GIANT API enables computational tools like NetWAS, which leverages tissue-specific networks for re-prioritization of GWAS results. The web services covered by the API include 144 tissue-specific functional gene networks in human, global functional networks for human and six common model organisms and the NetWAS method. GIANT API conforms to the REST architecture, which makes it stateless, cacheable and highly scalable. It can be used by a diverse range of clients including web browsers, command terminals, programming languages and standalone apps for data analysis and visualization. The API is freely available for use at http://giant-api.princeton.edu. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Building API manufacturing in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Loots, Glaudina

2017-10-01

Full Text Available projects) Challenges • Lack of relevant skills – process chemistry, process engineering (cGMP standards), project engineering, project management, process operations, maintenance and process quality control and assurance. – platform for skills... development - to enable a sustained pipeline of multidisciplinary skills for the envisaged API industry expansion. – entrepreneurial thinking – attract young talent in establishing niche businesses within the API manufacturing sector. • Small local...

The API petroassist network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boortz, M.J.; Jardim, G.M.; Horn, S.A.; Disbennett, D.B.

1993-01-01

Past spill responses, such as those in the Exxon Valdez and American Trader incidents, demonstrated the value of companies volunteering their in-house experts and local knowledge to help other companies in spill response. The American Petroleum Institute (API) formed the PetroAssist Network to provide a means for oil companies to readily gain access to the expertise and communications equipment of other oil companies when needed for spill responses. An API work group developed the PetroAssist Network legal agreement and management and activation procedures. To minimize red tape and reduce the burden on members, existing systems were used whenever possible. The network became operational on January 1, 1992, with more than 40 members

The Ruby UCSC API: accessing the UCSC genome database using Ruby.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishima, Hiroyuki; Aerts, Jan; Katayama, Toshiaki; Bonnal, Raoul J P; Yoshiura, Koh-ichiro

2012-09-21

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) genome database is among the most used sources of genomic annotation in human and other organisms. The database offers an excellent web-based graphical user interface (the UCSC genome browser) and several means for programmatic queries. A simple application programming interface (API) in a scripting language aimed at the biologist was however not yet available. Here, we present the Ruby UCSC API, a library to access the UCSC genome database using Ruby. The API is designed as a BioRuby plug-in and built on the ActiveRecord 3 framework for the object-relational mapping, making writing SQL statements unnecessary. The current version of the API supports databases of all organisms in the UCSC genome database including human, mammals, vertebrates, deuterostomes, insects, nematodes, and yeast.The API uses the bin index-if available-when querying for genomic intervals. The API also supports genomic sequence queries using locally downloaded *.2bit files that are not stored in the official MySQL database. The API is implemented in pure Ruby and is therefore available in different environments and with different Ruby interpreters (including JRuby). Assisted by the straightforward object-oriented design of Ruby and ActiveRecord, the Ruby UCSC API will facilitate biologists to query the UCSC genome database programmatically. The API is available through the RubyGem system. Source code and documentation are available at https://github.com/misshie/bioruby-ucsc-api/ under the Ruby license. Feedback and help is provided via the website at http://rubyucscapi.userecho.com/.

The Ruby UCSC API: accessing the UCSC genome database using Ruby

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) genome database is among the most used sources of genomic annotation in human and other organisms. The database offers an excellent web-based graphical user interface (the UCSC genome browser) and several means for programmatic queries. A simple application programming interface (API) in a scripting language aimed at the biologist was however not yet available. Here, we present the Ruby UCSC API, a library to access the UCSC genome database using Ruby. Results The API is designed as a BioRuby plug-in and built on the ActiveRecord 3 framework for the object-relational mapping, making writing SQL statements unnecessary. The current version of the API supports databases of all organisms in the UCSC genome database including human, mammals, vertebrates, deuterostomes, insects, nematodes, and yeast. The API uses the bin index—if available—when querying for genomic intervals. The API also supports genomic sequence queries using locally downloaded *.2bit files that are not stored in the official MySQL database. The API is implemented in pure Ruby and is therefore available in different environments and with different Ruby interpreters (including JRuby). Conclusions Assisted by the straightforward object-oriented design of Ruby and ActiveRecord, the Ruby UCSC API will facilitate biologists to query the UCSC genome database programmatically. The API is available through the RubyGem system. Source code and documentation are available at https://github.com/misshie/bioruby-ucsc-api/ under the Ruby license. Feedback and help is provided via the website at http://rubyucscapi.userecho.com/. PMID:22994508

The Ruby UCSC API: accessing the UCSC genome database using Ruby

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mishima Hiroyuki

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC genome database is among the most used sources of genomic annotation in human and other organisms. The database offers an excellent web-based graphical user interface (the UCSC genome browser and several means for programmatic queries. A simple application programming interface (API in a scripting language aimed at the biologist was however not yet available. Here, we present the Ruby UCSC API, a library to access the UCSC genome database using Ruby. Results The API is designed as a BioRuby plug-in and built on the ActiveRecord 3 framework for the object-relational mapping, making writing SQL statements unnecessary. The current version of the API supports databases of all organisms in the UCSC genome database including human, mammals, vertebrates, deuterostomes, insects, nematodes, and yeast. The API uses the bin index—if available—when querying for genomic intervals. The API also supports genomic sequence queries using locally downloaded *.2bit files that are not stored in the official MySQL database. The API is implemented in pure Ruby and is therefore available in different environments and with different Ruby interpreters (including JRuby. Conclusions Assisted by the straightforward object-oriented design of Ruby and ActiveRecord, the Ruby UCSC API will facilitate biologists to query the UCSC genome database programmatically. The API is available through the RubyGem system. Source code and documentation are available at https://github.com/misshie/bioruby-ucsc-api/ under the Ruby license. Feedback and help is provided via the website at http://rubyucscapi.userecho.com/.

Pathogen prevalence and abundance in honey bee colonies involved in almond pollination.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavigli, Ian; Daughenbaugh, Katie F; Martin, Madison; Lerch, Michael; Banner, Katie; Garcia, Emma; Brutscher, Laura M; Flenniken, Michelle L

Honey bees are important pollinators of agricultural crops. Since 2006, US beekeepers have experienced high annual honey bee colony losses, which may be attributed to multiple abiotic and biotic factors, including pathogens. However, the relative importance of these factors has not been fully elucidated. To identify the most prevalent pathogens and investigate the relationship between colony strength and health, we assessed pathogen occurrence, prevalence, and abundance in Western US honey bee colonies involved in almond pollination. The most prevalent pathogens were Black queen cell virus (BQCV), Lake Sinai virus 2 (LSV2), Sacbrood virus (SBV), Nosema ceranae , and trypanosomatids. Our results indicated that pathogen prevalence and abundance were associated with both sampling date and beekeeping operation, that prevalence was highest in honey bee samples obtained immediately after almond pollination, and that weak colonies had a greater mean pathogen prevalence than strong colonies.

Tropilaelaps mite: an emerging threat to European honey bee.

Science.gov (United States)

Chantawannakul, Panuwan; Ramsey, Samuel; vanEngelsdorp, Dennis; Khongphinitbunjong, Kitiphong; Phokasem, Patcharin

2018-04-01

The risk of transmission of honey bee parasites has increased substantially as a result of trade globalization and technical developments in transportation efficacy. Great concern over honey bee decline has accelerated research on newly emerging bee pests and parasites. These organisms are likely to emerge from Asia as it is the only region where all 10 honey bee species co-occur. Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite, is a classic example of a pest that has shifted from A. cerana, a cavity nesting Asian honey bee to A. mellifera, the European honey bee. In this review, we will describe the potential risks to global apiculture of the global expansion of Tropilaelaps mercedesae, originally a parasite of the open-air nesting Asian giant honey bee, compared to the impact of V. destructor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GIBS API for Developers

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — API using Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) designed to deliver global, full-resolution satellite imagery to users in a highly responsive manner, enabling...

Windows API funkcijų sekų perėmimo bibliotekų tyrimas Windows API Hooking Libraries Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukas Radvilavičius

2011-08-01

Full Text Available

Nagrinėjamos bibliotekos, skirtos Windows API funkcijų sekų perėmimui. Sekų perėmimas gali būti panaudojamas įvairiose srityse: siekiant išsiaiškinti operacinės sistemos veikimo principus, norint atlikti programos derinimą arba pridėti papildomą funkcionalumą prie jau esamo. Straipsnyje apžvelgiamos Windows API ir pateikiamos trečiųjų šalių priemonės funkcijų sekoms  perimti. Aptariamos jų teikiamos galimybės, panaudojimo specifika. Taip pat atlikti testai, siekiant išsiaiškinti, kuri biblioteka su užduotimis susitvarko greičiausiai. Tyrimui pasirinkti du nemokami gaminiai: Microsoft Detours ir EasyHook bibliotekos.

Straipsnis lietuvių kalba

The paper describes methods how to apply Windows API hooking with third party libraries and solutions. In this research were used Windows API function SetWindowsHookEx, Detours and EasyHook libraries. Libraries methods, features and advantages were discussed in this paper. The practical part contains libraries tests. In analysis we tested target program start with hooking library and injected function call.

Article in Lithuanian

Coming 5th Edition of the API Standard 618: major changes compared to the API 618, 4th edition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pyle, A.; Eijk, A.; Elferink, H.

2003-01-01

This paper will present the highlights of changes that will be found in the 5th Edition of API 618, which is expected to be published in late 2003 or early 2004. Approximately every 5 years the API Standards are revised in such a way that the latest field experiences and proven designs are included

A Web API ecosystem through feature-based reuse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verborgh, Ruben; Dumontier, Michel

2016-01-01

The current Web API landscape does not scale well: every API requires its own hardcoded clients in an unusually short-lived, tightly coupled relationship of highly subjective quality. This directly leads to inflated development costs, and prevents the design of a more intelligent generation of

Practical Implementation of 10 Rules for Writing REST APIs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Hradil

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper shows a practical implementation of “10 Rules for Writing REST APIs introduced in the article” (Hradil, 2016. The application is done in Invoice Home (Wikilane, 2016, an invoicing web application for small business and entrepreneurs available world-wide. The API is implemented in JSON hypermedia format (ECMA International, 2016 and with Ruby on Rails framework (Hansson, 2016. The main purpose of the API is to allow connection of Invoice Home with external systems and offer Invoice Home data in simpler format compared to the current HTML format of the full-stack web application. The paper could be also used as a basic template or pattern for any other implementation of the JSON API in any web-based application.

Building Hypermedia APIs with HTML5 and Node

CERN Document Server

Amundsen, Mike

2011-01-01

With this concise book, you'll learn the art of building hypermedia APIs that don't simply run on the Web, but that actually exist in the Web. You'll start with the general principles and technologies behind this architectural approach, and then dive hands-on into three fully-functional API examples. Too many APIs rely on concepts rooted in desktop and local area network patterns that don't scale well-costly solutions that are difficult to maintain over time. This book shows system architects and web developers how to design and implement human- and machine-readable web services that remain

The geospatial data quality REST API for primary biodiversity data.

Science.gov (United States)

Otegui, Javier; Guralnick, Robert P

2016-06-01

We present a REST web service to assess the geospatial quality of primary biodiversity data. It enables access to basic and advanced functions to detect completeness and consistency issues as well as general errors in the provided record or set of records. The API uses JSON for data interchange and efficient parallelization techniques for fast assessments of large datasets. The Geospatial Data Quality API is part of the VertNet set of APIs. It can be accessed at http://api-geospatial.vertnet-portal.appspot.com/geospatial and is already implemented in the VertNet data portal for quality reporting. Source code is freely available under GPL license from http://www.github.com/vertnet/api-geospatial javier.otegui@gmail.com or rguralnick@flmnh.ufl.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

NSLS-II High Level Application Infrastructure And Client API Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, G.; Yang, L.; Shroff, K.

2011-01-01

The beam commissioning software framework of NSLS-II project adopts a client/server based architecture to replace the more traditional monolithic high level application approach. It is an open structure platform, and we try to provide a narrow API set for client application. With this narrow API, existing applications developed in different language under different architecture could be ported to our platform with small modification. This paper describes system infrastructure design, client API and system integration, and latest progress. As a new 3rd generation synchrotron light source with ultra low emittance, there are new requirements and challenges to control and manipulate the beam. A use case study and a theoretical analysis have been performed to clarify requirements and challenges to the high level applications (HLA) software environment. To satisfy those requirements and challenges, adequate system architecture of the software framework is critical for beam commissioning, study and operation. The existing traditional approaches are self-consistent, and monolithic. Some of them have adopted a concept of middle layer to separate low level hardware processing from numerical algorithm computing, physics modelling, data manipulating, plotting, and error handling. However, none of the existing approaches can satisfy the requirement. A new design has been proposed by introducing service oriented architecture technology. The HLA is combination of tools for accelerator physicists and operators, which is same as traditional approach. In NSLS-II, they include monitoring applications and control routines. Scripting environment is very important for the later part of HLA and both parts are designed based on a common set of APIs. Physicists and operators are users of these APIs, while control system engineers and a few accelerator physicists are the developers of these APIs. With our Client/Server mode based approach, we leave how to retrieve information to the

API and ISO standards can be combined

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weightman, R.T.; Warnack, M.F.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that oil field equipment and product manufacturers can maintain a competitive advantage and minimize costs by integrating American Petroleum Institute (API) licensing programs with International Standards Organization (ISO) 9001 standards under one quality system. A combined quality system approach can position a company for quality system certification under ISO 9001 while maintaining API specifications. Furthermore, only one quality system manual is needed for API licensing and ISO certification, avoiding duplication of effort. The benefits of a documented quality program include the flowing: Job descriptions and personnel qualification requirements are documented; The improved documentation allows direct tracing of specific production activities; Laboratory test methods and calibration of test equipment follow accepted standards for more reliable and reproducible test data; Quality control becomes proactive, not reactive, through internal process controls previously not implemented; Employee attitudes improve through appreciation for the overall goals of the company; Ambiguous quality issues, such as documenting special customer requirements, are easily resolved; and The company image improves with customers, particularly for those that require API Specification Q1 or ISO 9001 compliance or those having their own quality performance standards

The Web as an API.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roman, J. H. (Jorge H.)

2001-01-01

As programmers we have worked with many Application Development Interface API development kits. They are well suited for interaction with a particular system. A vast source of information can be made accessible by using the http protocol through the web as an API. This setup has many advantages including the vast knowledge available on setting web servers and services. Also, these tools are available on most hardware and operating system combinations. In this paper I will cover the various types of systems that can be developed this way, their advantages and some drawbacks of this approach. Index Terms--Application Programmer Interface, Distributed applications, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, Web.

Cross-linking BioThings APIs through JSON-LD to facilitate knowledge exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Jiwen; Afrasiabi, Cyrus; Lelong, Sebastien; Adesara, Julee; Tsueng, Ginger; Su, Andrew I; Wu, Chunlei

2018-02-01

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are now widely used to distribute biological data. And many popular biological APIs developed by many different research teams have adopted Javascript Object Notation (JSON) as their primary data format. While usage of a common data format offers significant advantages, that alone is not sufficient for rich integrative queries across APIs. Here, we have implemented JSON for Linking Data (JSON-LD) technology on the BioThings APIs that we have developed, MyGene.info , MyVariant.info and MyChem.info . JSON-LD provides a standard way to add semantic context to the existing JSON data structure, for the purpose of enhancing the interoperability between APIs. We demonstrated several use cases that were facilitated by semantic annotations using JSON-LD, including simpler and more precise query capabilities as well as API cross-linking. We believe that this pattern offers a generalizable solution for interoperability of APIs in the life sciences.

Privacy Issues of the W3C Geolocation API

OpenAIRE

Doty, Nick; Mulligan, Deirdre K.; Wilde, Erik

2010-01-01

The W3C's Geolocation API may rapidly standardize the transmission of location information on the Web, but, in dealing with such sensitive information, it also raises serious privacy concerns. We analyze the manner and extent to which the current W3C Geolocation API provides mechanisms to support privacy. We propose a privacy framework for the consideration of location information and use it to evaluate the W3C Geolocation API, both the specification and its use in the wild, and recommend s...

a five year review of api20e bacteria identification system's

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The API20E system (API; bioMérieux, France) is a plastic strip with microtubes containing dehydrated substrates, originally designed for the identification of Enterobacteriaceae so that identification of fermenters with the system would be straightforward. The API20E system was extended to include non- fermenters by the ...

Influence of humidity on the phase behavior of API/polymer formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Prudic, Anke; Ji, Yuanhui; Luebbert, Christian; Sadowski, Gabriele

2015-08-01

Amorphous formulations of APIs in polymers tend to absorb water from the atmosphere. This absorption of water can induce API recrystallization, leading to reduced long-term stability during storage. In this work, the phase behavior of different formulations was investigated as a function of relative humidity. Indomethacin and naproxen were chosen as model APIs and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVPVA64) as excipients. The formulations were prepared by spray drying. The water sorption in pure polymers and in formulations was measured at 25°C and at different values of relative humidity (RH=25%, 50% and 75%). Most water was absorbed in PVP-containing systems, and water sorption was decreasing with increasing API content. These trends could also be predicted in good agreement with the experimental data using the thermodynamic model PC-SAFT. Furthermore, the effect of absorbed water on API solubility in the polymer and on the glass-transition temperature of the formulations was predicted with PC-SAFT and the Gordon-Taylor equation, respectively. The absorbed water was found to significantly decrease the API solubility in the polymer as well as the glass-transition temperature of the formulation. Based on a quantitative modeling of the API/polymer phase diagrams as a function of relative humidity, appropriate API/polymer compositions can now be selected to ensure long-term stable amorphous formulations at given storage conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Staphylococcus species with the API STAPH-IDENT system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kloos, W E; Wolfshohl, J F

1982-01-01

The API STAPH-IDENT system was compared with conventional methods for the identification of 14 Staphylococcus species. Conventional methods included the Kloos and Schleifer simplified scheme and DNA-DNA hybridization. The API STAPH-IDENT strip utilizes a battery of 10 miniaturized biochemical tests, including alkaline phosphatase, urease, beta-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, and beta-galactosidase activity, aerobic acid formation from D-(+)-mannose, D-mannitol, D-(+)-trehalose, and salicin, and utilization of arginine. Reactions of cultures were determined after 5 h of incubation at 35 degrees C. Results indicated a high degree of congruence (greater than 90%) between the expedient API system and conventional methods for most species. The addition of a test for novobiocin susceptibility to the API system increased the accuracy of identification of S. saprophyticus, S. cohnii, and S. hominis, significantly. Several strains of S. hominis, S. haemolyticus, and S. warneri which were difficult to separate with the Kloos and Schleifer simplified scheme were accurately resolved by the API system. PMID:6752190

EKSPLORASI AKTINOMISET SEBAGAI PENGHASIL ANTIBIOTIKA DARI TANAH MANGROVE Sonneratia caseolaris DI TANJUNG API API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Awalul Fatiqin

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Actinomycetes are soil organisms that have traits that are common to bacteria and fungi but also have quite different characteristics that limit into one group which is distinctly different. Study aimed to explore the mangrove actinomycetes from soil and tested the antibacterial potency. Soil samples taken from the mangrove land at Tanjung Api-api mangrove species Sonneratia caseolaris. Activity test antibacterial using a method modified disk a test bacterium Escherichia coli. Identification isolates of actinomycetes by observing the character of macroscopic colonies, microscopic conidia. The results showed that the obtained three different actinomycetes isolates, 1 isolate has the most potential ability to inhibit bacterial growth test with an average value of 1:13 cm in inhibiting the bacteria Escherichia coli.

A Monte Carlo modeling alternative for the API Gamma Ray Calibration Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galford, J.E.

2017-01-01

The gamma ray pit at the API Calibration Facility, located on the University of Houston campus, defines the API unit for natural gamma ray logs used throughout the petroleum logging industry. Future use of the facility is uncertain. An alternative method is proposed to preserve the gamma ray API unit definition as an industry standard by using Monte Carlo modeling to obtain accurate counting rate-to-API unit conversion factors for gross-counting and spectral gamma ray tool designs. - Highlights: • A Monte Carlo alternative is proposed to replace empirical calibration procedures. • The proposed Monte Carlo alternative preserves the original API unit definition. • MCNP source and materials descriptions are provided for the API gamma ray pit. • Simulated results are presented for several wireline logging tool designs. • The proposed method can be adapted for use with logging-while-drilling tools.

Effect of honeybee stinger and its microstructured barbs on insertion and pull force.

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Jintian; Song, Zhenhua; Wang, Jiarui; Chen, Keyun; Li, Jiyu; Xu, Shujia; Ren, Lei; Chen, Zhipeng; Jin, Dianwen; Jiang, Lelun

2017-04-01

Worker honeybee is well-known for its stinger with microscopic backward-facing barbs for self-defense. The natural geometry of the stinger enables painless penetration and adhesion in the human skin to deliver poison. In this study, Apis cerana worker honeybee stinger and acupuncture microneedle (as a barbless stinger) were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The insertion and pull process of honeybee stinger into rabbit skin was performed by a self-developed mechanical loading equipment in comparison with acupuncture needle. In order to better understand the insertion and pull mechanisms of the stinger and its barbs in human multilayer skin, a nonlinear finite element method (FEM) was conducted. Experimental results showed that the average pull-out force of the stinger was 113.50mN and the average penetration force was only 5.75mN. The average penetration force of the stinger was about one order of magnitude smaller than that of an acupuncture microneedle while the average pull-out force was about 70 times larger than that of an acupuncture microneedle. FEM results showed that the stress concentrations were around the stinger tip and its barbs during the insertion process. The barbs were jammed in and torn the skin during the pull process. The insertion force of the stinger was greatly minimized due to its ultrasharp stinger tip and barbs while the pull force was seriously enhanced due to the mechanical interlocking of the barbs in the skin. These excellent properties are mainly a result of optimal geometry evolved by nature. Such finding may provide an inspiration for the further design of improved tissue adhesives and micro-needles for painless transdermal drug delivery and bio-signal recording. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Circumferential welding of API X80 steel pipes; Soldagem circunferencial em tubos de aco da classe API X80

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castello Branco, J.F.; Bott, Ivani de S. [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencia dos Materiais e Metalurgia]. E-mails: joaofcb@uol.com.br; bott@dcmm.puc-rio.br; Fedele, R.A. [Boehler Thyssen Welding, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: engenharia@btwbr.com.br; Souza, Luis Felipe G. de [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (CEFET-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Industrial Mecanica]. E-mail: lfelipe@cefet-rj.br

2003-07-01

The present work is a part of an extensive program for the development of API 5L Gr.X80 grade steel , produced by the well-known UOE production process, for pipeline fabrication. The current stage of this program involves the characterization and performance evaluation/qualification of girth welds produced by Shield Metal Arc Weld (SMAW) under simulated field conditions, with tubes fixed in the horizontal position. Three types of electrodes were utilized for the basic tasks; the root pass, the hot pass and fill and cap passes. The root pass was carried out with an E-6010 electrode to avoid incomplete joint penetration. The hot pass, applied over the root pass, was performed with an E-9010-G electrode. The fill and cap passes were executed with E-10018-G electrodes. The welded joints produced were evaluated according to the API 1104 specification, which requires: side bend, nick- break and tensile tests. Additionally, non-destructive tests, Charpy-V impact tests and metallographic characterization were undertaken. It was verified that this welding procedure, based on three types of electrodes, could produce welded joints in accordance to the API 1104 specification. These results ensure the applicability of the API 5L Gr. X80 steel developed in this research project for use in pipeline construction. (author)

Predominant Api m 10 sensitization as risk factor for treatment failure in honey bee venom immunotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frick, Marcel; Fischer, Jörg; Helbing, Arthur

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Component resolution recently identified distinct sensitization profiles in honey bee venom (HBV) allergy, some of which were dominated by specific IgE to Api m 3 and/or Api m 10, which have been reported to be underrepresented in therapeutic HBV preparations. OBJECTIVE: We performed...... responders and nonresponders regarding levels of IgE sensitization to Api m 1, Api m 2, Api m 3, and Api m 5. In contrast, Api m 10 specific IgE was moderately but significantly increased in nonresponders. Predominant Api m 10 sensitization (>50% of specific IgE to HBV) was the best discriminator...... (specificity, 95%; sensitivity, 25%) with an odds ratio of 8.444 (2.127-33.53; P = .0013) for treatment failure. Some but not all therapeutic HBV preparations displayed a lack of Api m 10, whereas Api m 1 and Api m 3 immunoreactivity was comparable to that of crude HBV. In line with this, significant Api m 10...

Investigation into process-induced de-aggregation of cohesive micronised API particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Magnus; Wray, Patrick S; Gamble, John F; Tobyn, Mike

2015-09-30

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of unit processes on the de-aggregation of a cohesive micronised API within a pharmaceutical formulation using near-infrared chemical imaging. The impact on the primary API particles was also investigated using an image-based particle characterization system with integrated Raman analysis. The blended material was shown to contain large, API rich domains which were distributed in-homogeneously across the sample, suggesting that the blending process was not aggressive enough to disperse aggregates of micronised drug particles. Cone milling, routinely used to improve the homogeneity of such cohesive formulations, was observed to substantially reduce the number and size of API rich domains; however, several smaller API domains survived the milling process. Conveyance of the cone milled formulation through the Alexanderwerk WP120 powder feed system completely dispersed all remaining aggregates. Importantly, powder feed transmission of the un-milled formulation was observed to produce an equally homogeneous API distribution. The size of the micronised primary drug particles remained unchanged during powder feed transmission. These findings provide further evidence that this powder feed system does induce shear, and is in fact better able to disperse aggregates of a cohesive micronised API within a blend than the blend-mill-blend step. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Macelignan inhibits bee pathogenic fungi Ascophaera apis growth through HOG1 pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.K. Shin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Ascosphaera apis is a bee pathogen that causes bee larvae infection disease, to which treatment is not yet well investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate antifungal susceptibility in vitro against A. apis and to identify a new antifungal agent for this pathogen through minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC assay and western blot analysis. Macelignan had 1.56 and 3.125 μg/mL MIC against A. apis after 24 and 48 h, respectively, exhibiting the strongest growth inhibition against A. apis among the tested compounds (corosolic acid, dehydrocostus lactone, loganic acid, tracheloside, fangchinoline and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. Furthermore, macelignan showed a narrow-ranged spectrum against various fungal strains without any mammalian cell cytotoxicity. In spite of miconazole having powerful broad-ranged anti-fungal activity including A. apis, it demonstrated strong cytotoxicity. Therefore, even if macelignan alone was effective as an antifungal agent to treat A. apis, combined treatment with miconazole was more useful to overcome toxicity, drug resistance occurrence and cost effectiveness. Finally, HOG1 was revealed as a target molecule of macelignan in the anti-A. apis activity by inhibiting phosphorylation using S. cerevisiae as a model system. Based on our results, macelignan, a food-grade antimicrobial compound, would be an effective antifungal agent against A. apis infection in bees.

IgE recognition of chimeric isoforms of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom allergen Api m 10 evaluated by protein array technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Vaerenbergh, Matthias; De Smet, Lina; Rafei-Shamsabadi, David; Blank, Simon; Spillner, Edzard; Ebo, Didier G; Devreese, Bart; Jakob, Thilo; de Graaf, Dirk C

2015-02-01

Api m 10 has recently been established as novel major allergen that is recognized by more than 60% of honeybee venom (HBV) allergic patients. Previous studies suggest Api m 10 protein heterogeneity which may have implications for diagnosis and immunotherapy of HBV allergy. In the present study, RT-PCR revealed the expression of at least nine additional Api m 10 transcript isoforms by the venom glands. Two distinct mechanisms are responsible for the generation of these isoforms: while the previously known variant 2 is produced by an alternative splicing event, novel identified isoforms are intragenic chimeric transcripts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the identification of chimeric transcripts generated by the honeybee. By a retrospective proteomic analysis we found evidence for the presence of several of these isoforms in the venom proteome. Additionally, we analyzed IgE reactivity to different isoforms by protein array technology using sera from HBV allergic patients, which revealed that IgE recognition of Api m 10 is both isoform- and patient-specific. While it was previously demonstrated that the majority of HBV allergic patients display IgE reactivity to variant 2, our study also shows that some patients lacking IgE antibodies for variant 2 display IgE reactivity to two of the novel identified Api m 10 variants, i.e. variants 3 and 4. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why and How Java Developers Break APIs

OpenAIRE

Brito, Aline; Xavier, Laerte; Hora, Andre; Valente, Marco Tulio

2018-01-01

Modern software development depends on APIs to reuse code and increase productivity. As most software systems, these libraries and frameworks also evolve, which may break existing clients. However, the main reasons to introduce breaking changes in APIs are unclear. Therefore, in this paper, we report the results of an almost 4-month long field study with the developers of 400 popular Java libraries and frameworks. We configured an infrastructure to observe all changes in these libraries and t...

Pro REST API development with nodejs

CERN Document Server

Doglio, Fernando

2015-01-01

Pro REST API Development with Node.js is your guide to managing and understanding the full capabilities of successful REST development. API design is a hot topic in the programming world, but not many resources exist for developers to really understand how you can leverage the advantages. This book will provide a brief background on REST and the tools it provides (well known and not so well known). Understand how there is more to REST than just JSON and URLs. You will then cover and compare the maintained modules currently available in the npm community, including Express, Restify, Vatican,

rApi m 3 and rApi m 10 improve detection of honey bee sensitization in Hymenoptera venom-allergic patients with double sensitization to honey bee and yellow jacket venom.

Science.gov (United States)

Frick, M; Müller, S; Bantleon, F; Huss-Marp, J; Lidholm, J; Spillner, E; Jakob, T

2015-12-01

Recombinant allergens improve the diagnostic precision in Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA), in particular in patients with double sensitization to both honey bee (HBV) and yellow jacket venom (YJV). While currently available vespid allergens allow the detection of >95% of YJV-allergic patients, the sensitization frequency to the only available HBV marker allergen rApi m 1 in HBV-allergic patients is lower. Here, we demonstrate that sIgE to additional HBV marker allergens rApi m 3 and rApi m 10 allows the detection of genuine HBV sensitization in 46-65% of Api m 1 negative sera. This is of particular relevance in patients with double sensitization to HBV and YJV that did not identify the culprit insect. Addition of sIgE to rApi m 3 and rApi m 10 provides evidence of HBV sensitization in a large proportion of rApi m 1-negative patients and thus provides a diagnostic marker and rationale for VIT treatment with HBV, which otherwise would have been missing. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrated platform and API for electrophysiological data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobolev, Andrey; Stoewer, Adrian; Leonhardt, Aljoscha; Rautenberg, Philipp L; Kellner, Christian J; Garbers, Christian; Wachtler, Thomas

2014-01-01

Recent advancements in technology and methodology have led to growing amounts of increasingly complex neuroscience data recorded from various species, modalities, and levels of study. The rapid data growth has made efficient data access and flexible, machine-readable data annotation a crucial requisite for neuroscientists. Clear and consistent annotation and organization of data is not only an important ingredient for reproducibility of results and re-use of data, but also essential for collaborative research and data sharing. In particular, efficient data management and interoperability requires a unified approach that integrates data and metadata and provides a common way of accessing this information. In this paper we describe GNData, a data management platform for neurophysiological data. GNData provides a storage system based on a data representation that is suitable to organize data and metadata from any electrophysiological experiment, with a functionality exposed via a common application programming interface (API). Data representation and API structure are compatible with existing approaches for data and metadata representation in neurophysiology. The API implementation is based on the Representational State Transfer (REST) pattern, which enables data access integration in software applications and facilitates the development of tools that communicate with the service. Client libraries that interact with the API provide direct data access from computing environments like Matlab or Python, enabling integration of data management into the scientist's experimental or analysis routines.

A Monte Carlo modeling alternative for the API Gamma Ray Calibration Facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Galford, J E

2017-04-01

The gamma ray pit at the API Calibration Facility, located on the University of Houston campus, defines the API unit for natural gamma ray logs used throughout the petroleum logging industry. Future use of the facility is uncertain. An alternative method is proposed to preserve the gamma ray API unit definition as an industry standard by using Monte Carlo modeling to obtain accurate counting rate-to-API unit conversion factors for gross-counting and spectral gamma ray tool designs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

grlc Makes GitHub Taste Like Linked Data APIs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meroño-Peñuela, A.; Hoekstra, Rinke; Sack, H; Rizzo, G; Steinmetz, N; Mladenić, D; Auer, S; Lange, C

2016-01-01

Building Web APIs on top of SPARQL endpoints is becoming a common practice to enable universal access to the integration favorable dataspace of Linked Data. However, the Linked Data community cannot expect users to learn SPARQL to query this dataspace, and Web APIs are the most extended way of

grlc Makes GitHub Taste Like Linked Data APIs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meroño-Peñuela, A.; Hoekstra, R.

2016-01-01

Building Web APIs on top of SPARQL endpoints is becoming a common practice to enable universal access to the integration favorable dataspace of Linked Data. However, the Linked Data community cannot expect users to learn SPARQL to query this dataspace, and Web APIs are the most common way of

Experience API: Flexible, Decentralized and Activity-Centric Data Collection

Science.gov (United States)

Kevan, Jonathan M.; Ryan, Paul R.

2016-01-01

This emerging technology report describes the Experience API (xAPI), a new e-learning specification designed to support the learning community in standardizing and collecting both formal and informal distributed learning activities. Informed by Activity Theory, a framework aligned with constructivism, data is collected in the form of activity…

A RESTful API for accessing microbial community data for MG-RAST.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Wilke

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Metagenomic sequencing has produced significant amounts of data in recent years. For example, as of summer 2013, MG-RAST has been used to annotate over 110,000 data sets totaling over 43 Terabases. With metagenomic sequencing finding even wider adoption in the scientific community, the existing web-based analysis tools and infrastructure in MG-RAST provide limited capability for data retrieval and analysis, such as comparative analysis between multiple data sets. Moreover, although the system provides many analysis tools, it is not comprehensive. By opening MG-RAST up via a web services API (application programmers interface we have greatly expanded access to MG-RAST data, as well as provided a mechanism for the use of third-party analysis tools with MG-RAST data. This RESTful API makes all data and data objects created by the MG-RAST pipeline accessible as JSON objects. As part of the DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase project (KBase, http://kbase.us we have implemented a web services API for MG-RAST. This API complements the existing MG-RAST web interface and constitutes the basis of KBase's microbial community capabilities. In addition, the API exposes a comprehensive collection of data to programmers. This API, which uses a RESTful (Representational State Transfer implementation, is compatible with most programming environments and should be easy to use for end users and third parties. It provides comprehensive access to sequence data, quality control results, annotations, and many other data types. Where feasible, we have used standards to expose data and metadata. Code examples are provided in a number of languages both to show the versatility of the API and to provide a starting point for users. We present an API that exposes the data in MG-RAST for consumption by our users, greatly enhancing the utility of the MG-RAST service.

The development, validity, and reliability of the Addiction Profile Index (API).

Science.gov (United States)

Ögel, Kültegin; Evren, Cüneyt; Karadağ, Figen; Gürol, Defne Tamar

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a practical questionnaire for multidimensional assessment of problems associated with alcohol and substance abuse that would also be useful for treatment planning. The Addiction Profile Index (API) is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 37 items and the following 5 subscales: characteristics of substance use; dependency diagnosis; the effects of subsance use on the user; craving; motivation to quit using substances. The study included 345 alcohol and/or substance abusers from 2 addiction treatment clinics and a prison addiction service. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed using the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), Readiness to Change Questionnaire (SOCRATES), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), Drug Craving Scale (DCS), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), and Addiction Severity Index (ASI). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total API was 0.89 and for the subscales it ranged from 0.63 to 0.86. Item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.42 to 0.89. The Spearman Brown split-half method coefficient for the total API was 0.83. In all, 4 factors were obtained using explanatory factor analysis that represented 52.3% of the total variance. The API craving subscale was observed to be consistent with PACS and the API motivation subscale was consistent with SOCRATES. The API total score was strongly correlated with the mean MAST score, and the composite ASI medical status, substance use, legal status, and family social relations subscale scores. Based on ROC analyses, the area under curve was 0.90. With a total API cut-off score of 4, the scale's sensitivity and specificity 0.85 was 0.78, respectively. The findings show that the API is a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used to measure the severity of different dimensions of substance dependency.

A RESTful API for accessing microbial community data for MG-RAST.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilke, Andreas; Bischof, Jared; Harrison, Travis; Brettin, Tom; D'Souza, Mark; Gerlach, Wolfgang; Matthews, Hunter; Paczian, Tobias; Wilkening, Jared; Glass, Elizabeth M; Desai, Narayan; Meyer, Folker

2015-01-01

Metagenomic sequencing has produced significant amounts of data in recent years. For example, as of summer 2013, MG-RAST has been used to annotate over 110,000 data sets totaling over 43 Terabases. With metagenomic sequencing finding even wider adoption in the scientific community, the existing web-based analysis tools and infrastructure in MG-RAST provide limited capability for data retrieval and analysis, such as comparative analysis between multiple data sets. Moreover, although the system provides many analysis tools, it is not comprehensive. By opening MG-RAST up via a web services API (application programmers interface) we have greatly expanded access to MG-RAST data, as well as provided a mechanism for the use of third-party analysis tools with MG-RAST data. This RESTful API makes all data and data objects created by the MG-RAST pipeline accessible as JSON objects. As part of the DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase project (KBase, http://kbase.us) we have implemented a web services API for MG-RAST. This API complements the existing MG-RAST web interface and constitutes the basis of KBase's microbial community capabilities. In addition, the API exposes a comprehensive collection of data to programmers. This API, which uses a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) implementation, is compatible with most programming environments and should be easy to use for end users and third parties. It provides comprehensive access to sequence data, quality control results, annotations, and many other data types. Where feasible, we have used standards to expose data and metadata. Code examples are provided in a number of languages both to show the versatility of the API and to provide a starting point for users. We present an API that exposes the data in MG-RAST for consumption by our users, greatly enhancing the utility of the MG-RAST service.

JEnsembl: a version-aware Java API to Ensembl data systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Paterson, Trevor; Law, Andy

2012-11-01

The Ensembl Project provides release-specific Perl APIs for efficient high-level programmatic access to data stored in various Ensembl database schema. Although Perl scripts are perfectly suited for processing large volumes of text-based data, Perl is not ideal for developing large-scale software applications nor embedding in graphical interfaces. The provision of a novel Java API would facilitate type-safe, modular, object-orientated development of new Bioinformatics tools with which to access, analyse and visualize Ensembl data. The JEnsembl API implementation provides basic data retrieval and manipulation functionality from the Core, Compara and Variation databases for all species in Ensembl and EnsemblGenomes and is a platform for the development of a richer API to Ensembl datasources. The JEnsembl architecture uses a text-based configuration module to provide evolving, versioned mappings from database schema to code objects. A single installation of the JEnsembl API can therefore simultaneously and transparently connect to current and previous database instances (such as those in the public archive) thus facilitating better analysis repeatability and allowing 'through time' comparative analyses to be performed. Project development, released code libraries, Maven repository and documentation are hosted at SourceForge (http://jensembl.sourceforge.net).

Upon a Message-Oriented Trading API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudiu VINTE

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we introduce the premises for a trading system application-programming interface (API based on a message-oriented middleware (MOM, and present the results of our research regarding the design and the implementation of a simulation-trading system employing a service-oriented architecture (SOA and messaging. Our research has been conducted with the aim of creating a simulation-trading platform, within the academic environment, that will provide both the foundation for future experiments with trading systems architectures, components, APIs, and the framework for research on trading strategies, trading algorithm design, and equity markets analysis tools. Mathematics Subject Classification: 68M14 (distributed systems.

grlc Makes GitHub Taste Like Linked Data APIs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merono Penuela, A.; Hoekstra, R.J.

2016-01-01

Building Web APIs on top of SPARQL endpoints is becoming common practice. It enables universal access to the integration favorable data space of Linked Data. In the majority of use cases, users cannot be expected to learn SPARQL to query this data space. Web APIs are the most common way to enable

Hot-stage microscopy for determination of API particles in a formulated tablet.

Science.gov (United States)

Simek, Michal; Grünwaldová, Veronika; Kratochvíl, Bohumil

2014-01-01

Although methods exist to readily determine the particle size distribution (PSD) of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) before its formulation into a final product, the primary challenge is to develop a method to determine the PSD of APIs in a finished tablet. To address the limitations of existing PSD methods, we used hot-stage microscopy to observe tablet disintegration during temperature change and, thus, reveal the API particles in a tablet. Both mechanical and liquid disintegration were evaluated after we had identified optimum milling time for mechanical disintegration and optimum volume of water for liquid disintegration. In each case, hot-stage micrographs, taken before and after the API melting point, were compared with image analysis software to obtain the PSDs. Then, the PSDs of the APIs from the disintegrated tablets were compared with the PSDs of raw APIs. Good agreement was obtained, thereby confirming the robustness of our methodology. The availability of such a method equips pharmaceutical scientists with an in vitro assessment method that will more reliably determine the PSD of active substances in finished tablets.

Hot-Stage Microscopy for Determination of API Particles in a Formulated Tablet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Šimek

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Although methods exist to readily determine the particle size distribution (PSD of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API before its formulation into a final product, the primary challenge is to develop a method to determine the PSD of APIs in a finished tablet. To address the limitations of existing PSD methods, we used hot-stage microscopy to observe tablet disintegration during temperature change and, thus, reveal the API particles in a tablet. Both mechanical and liquid disintegration were evaluated after we had identified optimum milling time for mechanical disintegration and optimum volume of water for liquid disintegration. In each case, hot-stage micrographs, taken before and after the API melting point, were compared with image analysis software to obtain the PSDs. Then, the PSDs of the APIs from the disintegrated tablets were compared with the PSDs of raw APIs. Good agreement was obtained, thereby confirming the robustness of our methodology. The availability of such a method equips pharmaceutical scientists with an in vitro assessment method that will more reliably determine the PSD of active substances in finished tablets.

ChemSpell Web Service API

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The ChemSpell Web Service API provides chemical name spell checking and chemical name synonym look-up. ChemSpell contains more than 1.3 million chemical names...

Safe “cloudification” of large images through picker APIs

Science.gov (United States)

Bremer, Erich; Kurc, Tahsin; Gao, Yi; Saltz, Joel; Almeida, Jonas S

2016-01-01

The “Box model” allows users with no particular training in informatics, or access to specialized infrastructure, operate generic cloud computing resources through a temporary URI dereferencing mechanism known as “drop-file-picker API” (“picker API” for sort). This application programming interface (API) was popularized in the web app development community by DropBox, and is now a consumer-facing feature of all major cloud computing platforms such as Box.com, Google Drive and Amazon S3. This reports describes a prototype web service application that uses picker APIs to expose a new, “cloudified”, API tailored for image analysis, without compromising the private governance of the data exposed. In order to better understand this cross-platform cloud computing landscape, we first measured the time for both transfer and traversing of large image files generated by whole slide imaging (WSI) in Digital Pathology. The verification that there is extensive interconnectivity between cloud resources let to the development of a prototype software application that exposes an image-traversing REST API to image files stored in any of the consumer-facing “boxes”. In summary, an image file can be upload/synchronized into a any cloud resource with a file picker API and the prototype service described here will expose an HTTP REST API that remains within the safety of the user’s own governance. The open source prototype is publicly available at sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox. Availability The accompanying prototype application is made publicly available, fully functional, with open source, at http://sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox://sbu-bmi.github.io/imagebox. An illustrative webcasted use of this Web App is included with the project codebase at https://github.com/SBU-BMI/imageboxs://github.com/SBU-BMI/imagebox. PMID:28269829

SjAPI, the first functionally characterized Ascaris-type protease inhibitor from animal venoms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zongyun Chen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Serine protease inhibitors act as modulators of serine proteases, playing important roles in protecting animal toxin peptides from degradation. However, all known serine protease inhibitors discovered thus far from animal venom belong to the Kunitz-type subfamily, and whether there are other novel types of protease inhibitors in animal venom remains unclear. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, by screening scorpion venom gland cDNA libraries, we identified the first Ascaris-type animal toxin family, which contains four members: Scorpiops jendeki Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (SjAPI, Scorpiops jendeki Ascaris-type protease inhibitor 2 (SjAPI-2, Chaerilus tricostatus Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (CtAPI, and Buthus martensii Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (BmAPI. The detailed characterization of Ascaris-type peptide SjAPI from the venom gland of scorpion Scorpiops jendeki was carried out. The mature peptide of SjAPI contains 64 residues and possesses a classical Ascaris-type cysteine framework reticulated by five disulfide bridges, different from all known protease inhibitors from venomous animals. Enzyme and inhibitor reaction kinetics experiments showed that recombinant SjAPI was a dual function peptide with α-chymotrypsin- and elastase-inhibiting properties. Recombinant SjAPI inhibited α-chymotrypsin with a Ki of 97.1 nM and elastase with a Ki of 3.7 μM, respectively. Bioinformatics analyses and chimera experiments indicated that SjAPI contained the unique short side chain functional residues "AAV" and might be a useful template to produce new serine protease inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, SjAPI is the first functionally characterized animal toxin peptide with an Ascaris-type fold. The structural and functional diversity of animal toxins with protease-inhibiting properties suggested that bioactive peptides from animal venom glands might be a new source of protease inhibitors, which will accelerate the

A quick guide to API 510 certified pressure vessel inspector syllabus example questions and worked answers

CERN Document Server

Matthews, Clifford

2010-01-01

The API Individual Certification Programs (ICPs) are well established worldwide in the oil, gas, and petroleum industries. This Quick Guide is unique in providing simple, accessible and well-structured guidance for anyone studying the API 510 Certified Pressure Vessel Inspector syllabus by summarizing and helping them through the syllabus and providing multiple example questions and worked answers.Technical standards are referenced from the API 'body of knowledge' for the examination, i.e. API 510 Pressure vessel inspection, alteration, rerating; API 572 Pressure vessel inspection; API

APIs for QoS configuration in Software Defined Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caba, Cosmin Marius; Soler, José

2015-01-01

The OpenFlow (OF) protocol is widely used in Software Defined Networking (SDN) to realize the communication between the controller and forwarding devices. OF allows great flexibility in managing traffic flows. However, OF alone is not enough to build more complex SDN services that require complete...... such as configuration of devices, ports, queues, etc. An Application Programming Interface (API) for dynamic configuration of QoS resources in the network devices is implemented herein, by using the capabilities of OVSDB. Further, the paper demonstrates the possibility to create network services with coarse granularity...... on top of the fine granular services exposed by the QoS configuration API at the SDNC. A series of tests emphasize the capabilities and the performance of the implemented QoS configuration API....

A method for designing fiberglass sucker-rod strings with API RP 11L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, J.W.; Laine, R.E.

1991-01-01

This paper presents a method for using the API recommended practice for the design of sucker-rod pumping systems with fiberglass composite rod strings. The API method is useful for obtaining quick, approximate, preliminary design calculations. Equations for calculating all the composite material factors needed in the API calculations are given

IgE-Api m 4 Is Useful for Identifying a Particular Phenotype of Bee Venom Allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, B; Serrano, P; Moreno, C

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). Prospective study of 31 patients allergic to bee venom who were assigned to phenotype group A (sIgE-Api m 4 Api m 4 ≥0.98 kU/L), treated with purified aqueous (PA) extract. Sex, age, cardiovascular risk, severity of preceding sting reaction, exposure to beekeeping, and immunological data (intradermal test, sIgE/sIgG4-Apis-nApi m 1, and sIgE-rApi m 2-Api m 4 were analyzed. Systemic reactions (SRs) during bVIT build-up were analyzed. Immunological and sting challenge outcomes were evaluated in each group after 1 and 2 years of bVIT. Phenotype B patients had more severe reactions (P=.049) and higher skin sensitivity (P=.011), baseline sIgE-Apis (P=.0004), sIgE-nApi m 1 (P=.0004), and sIgG4-Apis (P=.027) than phenotype A patients. Furthermore, 41% of patients in group B experienced SRs during the build-up phase with NA; the sting challenge success rate in this group was 82%. There were no significant reductions in serial intradermal test results, but an intense reduction in sIgE-nApi m 1 (P=.013) and sIgE-Api m 4 (P=.004) was observed after the first year of bVIT. Use of IgE-Api m 4 as the only discrimination criterion demonstrated differences in bee venom allergy. Further investigation with larger populations is necessary.

An overview of the CellML API and its implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halstead Matt

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background CellML is an XML based language for representing mathematical models, in a machine-independent form which is suitable for their exchange between different authors, and for archival in a model repository. Allowing for the exchange and archival of models in a computer readable form is a key strategic goal in bioinformatics, because of the associated improvements in scientific record accuracy, the faster iterative process of scientific development, and the ability to combine models into large integrative models. However, for CellML models to be useful, tools which can process them correctly are needed. Due to some of the more complex features present in CellML models, such as imports, developing code ab initio to correctly process models can be an onerous task. For this reason, there is a clear and pressing need for an application programming interface (API, and a good implementation of that API, upon which tools can base their support for CellML. Results We developed an API which allows the information in CellML models to be retrieved and/or modified. We also developed a series of optional extension APIs, for tasks such as simplifying the handling of connections between variables, dealing with physical units, validating models, and translating models into different procedural languages. We have also provided a Free/Open Source implementation of this application programming interface, optimised to achieve good performance. Conclusions Tools have been developed using the API which are mature enough for widespread use. The API has the potential to accelerate the development of additional tools capable of processing CellML, and ultimately lead to an increased level of sharing of mathematical model descriptions.

System for Award Management (SAM) API

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — The SAM API is a RESTful method of retrieving public information about the businesses, organizations, or individuals (referred to as entities) within the SAM entity...

Predominant Api m 10 sensitization as risk factor for treatment failure in honey bee venom immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Frick, Marcel; Fischer, Jörg; Helbling, Arthur; Ruëff, Franziska; Wieczorek, Dorothea; Ollert, Markus; Pfützner, Wolfgang; Müller, Sabine; Huss-Marp, Johannes; Dorn, Britta; Biedermann, Tilo; Lidholm, Jonas; Ruecker, Gerta; Bantleon, Frank; Miehe, Michaela; Spillner, Edzard; Jakob, Thilo

2016-12-01

Component resolution recently identified distinct sensitization profiles in honey bee venom (HBV) allergy, some of which were dominated by specific IgE to Api m 3 and/or Api m 10, which have been reported to be underrepresented in therapeutic HBV preparations. We performed a retrospective analysis of component-resolved sensitization profiles in HBV-allergic patients and association with treatment outcome. HBV-allergic patients who had undergone controlled honey bee sting challenge after at least 6 months of HBV immunotherapy (n = 115) were included and classified as responder (n = 79) or treatment failure (n = 36) on the basis of absence or presence of systemic allergic reactions upon sting challenge. IgE reactivity to a panel of HBV allergens was analyzed in sera obtained before immunotherapy and before sting challenge. No differences were observed between responders and nonresponders regarding levels of IgE sensitization to Api m 1, Api m 2, Api m 3, and Api m 5. In contrast, Api m 10 specific IgE was moderately but significantly increased in nonresponders. Predominant Api m 10 sensitization (>50% of specific IgE to HBV) was the best discriminator (specificity, 95%; sensitivity, 25%) with an odds ratio of 8.444 (2.127-33.53; P = .0013) for treatment failure. Some but not all therapeutic HBV preparations displayed a lack of Api m 10, whereas Api m 1 and Api m 3 immunoreactivity was comparable to that of crude HBV. In line with this, significant Api m 10 sIgG 4 induction was observed only in those patients who were treated with HBV in which Api m 10 was detectable. Component-resolved sensitization profiles in HBV allergy suggest predominant IgE sensitization to Api m 10 as a risk factor for treatment failure in HBV immunotherapy. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

JASPAR RESTful API: accessing JASPAR data from any programming language.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Aziz; Mathelier, Anthony

2018-05-01

JASPAR is a widely used open-access database of curated, non-redundant transcription factor binding profiles. Currently, data from JASPAR can be retrieved as flat files or by using programming language-specific interfaces. Here, we present a programming language-independent application programming interface (API) to access JASPAR data using the Representational State Transfer (REST) architecture. The REST API enables programmatic access to JASPAR by most programming languages and returns data in eight widely used formats. Several endpoints are available to access the data and an endpoint is available to infer the TF binding profile(s) likely bound by a given DNA binding domain protein sequence. Additionally, it provides an interactive browsable interface for bioinformatics tool developers. This REST API is implemented in Python using the Django REST Framework. It is accessible at http://jaspar.genereg.net/api/ and the source code is freely available at https://bitbucket.org/CBGR/jaspar under GPL v3 license. aziz.khan@ncmm.uio.no or anthony.mathelier@ncmm.uio.no. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

API manager implementation and its use for Indus accelerator control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merh, B.N.; Agrawal, R.K.; Barpande, K.; Fatnani, P.; Navathe, C.P.

2012-01-01

The control system software needed for operation of Indus accelerators is coupled to the underlying firmware and hardware of the control system by the Application Programming Interface (API) manager. In the three layered architecture of Indus control system, PVSS-II SCADA is being used at the layer-1(L1) for control and monitoring of various sub-systems. The layer-2(L2) consists of VME bus based system. The API manager plays a crucial role in interfacing the L1 and L2 of the control system. It has to interact with both the PVSS database and the L2. In order to access the PVSS database it uses the PVSS API, a C++ class library, whereas in order to access the L2 custom functions have been built. Several other custom functionalities have also been implemented. The paper presents the important aspects of the API manager like its implementation, its interface mechanism to the lower layer and features like configurability, reusable classes, multithreading capability etc. (author)

Induction bending of API 5L X80 pipes; Curvamento a quente de tubos API 5L X80

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batista, Gilmar Z. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)]. E-mail: g.zacca@petrobras.com.br; Naschpitz, Leonardo [Primus Processamento de Tubos S.A. - PROTUBO, Campo Grande, RJ (Brazil)]. E-mail: naschpitz@protubo.com.br

2005-07-01

The present work is a part of an extensive program to make possible the application of API 5L X80 in pipeline construction in Brazil. At this stage, the effect of the induction bending process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the pipe is presented. For this study an API 5L X80 pipe, made by the UOE process, is used. The pipe was manufactured from a plate produced by thermo-mechanically controlled rolling without accelerated cooling. The pipe bending was carried out applying a local induction heating following by water quenching. The bend section, outer and inner curvature regions, of the pipe bend were evaluated and compared with the original pipe. The longitudinal weld and transition zones were not evaluated at this stage. Dimensional analyses, microstructural evaluation, Charpy-V impact tests, and tensile tests were performed. A significant microstructural change was verified in the bend area. The yield strength of the pipe bend was found to be lower than original pipe and standard requirements. Other tensile properties and impact properties are compatible with API 5L X80 requirements. (author)

Application of Skype API to Control Working Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julian Vasilev

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to present an innovative approach to monitor and control working time. A special software program is developed by Delphi implementing Skype API functions. This article shows three different approaches to control working time using the Skype_API program. It automatically detects when an employee goes to his working place and when he leaves work. Moreover it can check periodically weather an employee is at work. The proposed ideas are written for the first time. They may be applied easily in many enterprises with very low costs.

A Shellcode Detection Method Based on Full Native API Sequence and Support Vector Machine

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yixuan; Fan, Wenqing; Huang, Wei; An, Jing

2017-09-01

Dynamic monitoring the behavior of a program is widely used to discriminate between benign program and malware. It is usually based on the dynamic characteristics of a program, such as API call sequence or API call frequency to judge. The key innovation of this paper is to consider the full Native API sequence and use the support vector machine to detect the shellcode. We also use the Markov chain to extract and digitize Native API sequence features. Our experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper has high accuracy and low detection rate.

Clarification of some api characteristics in relation to caribou (Rangifer tarandus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William O. Pruitt, Jr.

1990-09-01

Full Text Available A total of 2177 comparisons of api hardness vs. density in northern Saskatchewan, southeastern Manitoba and northeastern Finland revealed no consistent correlation (r varied from +.70 to -.17. A total of 1395 comparisons of horizontal hardness of the top layer of api to vertical hardness of the same layer of api in southeastern Manitoba, northeastern Finland and far eastern middle Finland revealed no consistent correlation (r varied from +.99 to -.20. Therefore one cannot substitute density for hardness nor horizontal hardness of the top layer for vertical hardness of the top layer in the terms of the Värriö Snow Index.

Real World Uses For Nagios APIs

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Janice

2014-01-01

This presentation describes the Nagios 4 APIs and how the NASA Advanced Supercomputing at Ames Research Center is employing them to upgrade its graphical status display (the HUD) and explain why it's worth trying to use them yourselves.

An improved method for interpreting API filter press hydraulic conductivity test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heslin, G.M.; Baxter, D.Y.; Filz, G.M.; Davidson, R.R.

1997-01-01

The American Petroleum Institute (API) filter press is frequently used to measure the hydraulic conductivity of soil-bentonite backfill during the mix design process and as part of construction quality controls. However, interpretation of the test results is complicated by the fact that the seepage-induced consolidation pressure varies from zero at the top of the specimen to a maximum value at the bottom of the specimen. An analytical solution is available which relates the stress, compressibility, and hydraulic conductivity in soil consolidated by seepage forces. This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation undertaken to support application of this theory to API hydraulic conductivity tests. When the API test results are interpreted using seepage consolidation theory, they are in good agreement with the results of consolidometer permeameter tests. Limitations of the API test are also discussed

Yoink: An interaction-based partitioning API.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Min; Waller, Mark P

2018-05-15

Herein, we describe the implementation details of our interaction-based partitioning API (application programming interface) called Yoink for QM/MM modeling and fragment-based quantum chemistry studies. Interactions are detected by computing density descriptors such as reduced density gradient, density overlap regions indicator, and single exponential decay detector. Only molecules having an interaction with a user-definable QM core are added to the QM region of a hybrid QM/MM calculation. Moreover, a set of molecule pairs having density-based interactions within a molecular system can be computed in Yoink, and an interaction graph can then be constructed. Standard graph clustering methods can then be applied to construct fragments for further quantum chemical calculations. The Yoink API is licensed under Apache 2.0 and can be accessed via yoink.wallerlab.org. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identification of Complete Repertoire of Apis florea Odorant Receptors Reveals Complex Orthologous Relationships with Apis mellifera

Science.gov (United States)

Karpe, Snehal D.; Jain, Rikesh; Brockmann, Axel; Sowdhamini, Ramanathan

2016-01-01

Abstract We developed a computational pipeline for homology based identification of the complete repertoire of olfactory receptor (OR) genes in the Asian honey bee species, Apis florea. Apis florea is phylogenetically the most basal honey bee species and also the most distant sister species to the Western honey bee Apis mellifera, for which all OR genes had been identified before. Using our pipeline, we identified 180 OR genes in A. florea, which is very similar to the number of ORs identified in A. mellifera (177 ORs). Many characteristics of the ORs including gene structure, synteny of tandemly repeated ORs and basic phylogenetic clustering are highly conserved. The composite phylogenetic tree of A. florea and A. mellifera ORs could be divided into 21 clades which are in harmony with the existing Hymenopteran tree. However, we found a few nonorthologous OR relationships between both species as well as independent pseudogenization of ORs suggesting separate evolutionary changes. Particularly, a subgroup of the OR gene clade XI, which had been hypothesized to code cuticular hydrocarbon receptors showed a high number of species-specific ORs. RNAseq analysis detected a total number of 145 OR transcripts in male and 162 in female antennae. Most of the OR genes were highly expressed on the female antennae. However, we detected five distinct male-biased OR genes, out of which three genes (AfOr11, AfOr18, AfOr170P) were shown to be male-biased in A. mellifera, too, thus corroborating a behavioral function in sex-pheromone communication. PMID:27540087

Using DLL as Interface between API an VC#.NET Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marian DARDALA

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a solution for using complex Win32API data structures and functions in Visual C# .NET applications. We built DLL (Dynamic Link Library to manage the API functions and data structures and we used DLL modules in a C# application. This is an easier working way compared with the traditional way of importing and managing API’s functions in C# programs.

Programmatic access to logical models in the Cell Collective modeling environment via a REST API.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowal, Bryan M; Schreier, Travis R; Dauer, Joseph T; Helikar, Tomáš

2016-01-01

Cell Collective (www.cellcollective.org) is a web-based interactive environment for constructing, simulating and analyzing logical models of biological systems. Herein, we present a Web service to access models, annotations, and simulation data in the Cell Collective platform through the Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API). The REST API provides a convenient method for obtaining Cell Collective data through almost any programming language. To ensure easy processing of the retrieved data, the request output from the API is available in a standard JSON format. The Cell Collective REST API is freely available at http://thecellcollective.org/tccapi. All public models in Cell Collective are available through the REST API. For users interested in creating and accessing their own models through the REST API first need to create an account in Cell Collective (http://thecellcollective.org). thelikar2@unl.edu. Technical user documentation: https://goo.gl/U52GWo. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Online maps with APIs and webservices

CERN Document Server

Peterson, Michael P

2014-01-01

With the Internet now the primary method of accessing maps, this volume examines developments in the world of online map delivery, focusing in particular on application programmer interfaces such as the Google Maps API, and their utility in thematic mapping.

A new detrended semipartial cross-correlation analysis: Assessing the important meteorological factors affecting API

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Chen-Hua

2015-01-01

To analyze the unique contribution of meteorological factors to the air pollution index (API), a new method, the detrended semipartial cross-correlation analysis (DSPCCA), is proposed. Based on both a detrended cross-correlation analysis and a DFA-based multivariate-linear-regression (DMLR), this method is improved by including a semipartial correlation technique, which is used to indicate the unique contribution of an explanatory variable to multiple correlation coefficients. The advantages of this method in handling nonstationary time series are illustrated by numerical tests. To further demonstrate the utility of this method in environmental systems, new evidence of the primary contribution of meteorological factors to API is provided through DMLR. Results show that the most important meteorological factors affecting API are wind speed and diurnal temperature range, and the explanatory ability of meteorological factors to API gradually strengthens with increasing time scales. The results suggest that DSPCCA is a useful method for addressing environmental systems. - Highlights: • A detrended multiple linear regression is shown. • A detrended semipartial cross correlation analysis is proposed. • The important meteorological factors affecting API are assessed. • The explanatory ability of meteorological factors to API gradually strengthens with increasing time scales.

A new detrended semipartial cross-correlation analysis: Assessing the important meteorological factors affecting API

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Chen-Hua, E-mail: shenandchen01@163.com [College of Geographical Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046 (China); Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource, Nanjing 210046 (China); Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment of Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210046 (China)

2015-12-04

To analyze the unique contribution of meteorological factors to the air pollution index (API), a new method, the detrended semipartial cross-correlation analysis (DSPCCA), is proposed. Based on both a detrended cross-correlation analysis and a DFA-based multivariate-linear-regression (DMLR), this method is improved by including a semipartial correlation technique, which is used to indicate the unique contribution of an explanatory variable to multiple correlation coefficients. The advantages of this method in handling nonstationary time series are illustrated by numerical tests. To further demonstrate the utility of this method in environmental systems, new evidence of the primary contribution of meteorological factors to API is provided through DMLR. Results show that the most important meteorological factors affecting API are wind speed and diurnal temperature range, and the explanatory ability of meteorological factors to API gradually strengthens with increasing time scales. The results suggest that DSPCCA is a useful method for addressing environmental systems. - Highlights: • A detrended multiple linear regression is shown. • A detrended semipartial cross correlation analysis is proposed. • The important meteorological factors affecting API are assessed. • The explanatory ability of meteorological factors to API gradually strengthens with increasing time scales.

Eksplorasi Potensi Ekowisata di Kawasan Api Tak Kunjung Pada Kabupaten Pamekasan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewi Kartika Sari Susena

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui aspek potensi ekowisata di kawasan Api Tak Kunjung Padam kabupaten Pamekasan dan persepsi masyarakat sekitar tentang potensi ekowisata yang ada. Metode pengambilan data meliputi mendapatkan informasi umum dari Key person dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling, penelusuran pustaka, observasi lapang, pengumpulan data lokasi berdasarkan persepsi masyarakat dengan pemilihan responden dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling dan wawancara semi terstruktur. Sumber daya alam yang ada di sekitar kawasan objek wisata yang berpotensi untuk mendukung ekowisata yaitu, objek wisata Api Tak Kunjung Padam, umbi bentul (Colocasia esculenta L., lahan pertanian Singkong (Manihot esculenta Crantz, Kacang hijau (Phaseolus radiatus L., Pisang (Musa paradisiaca L. dan Jagung (Zea mays L., rengginang lorjuk, jubada, kaldu kokot, rujak dan campur madura. Berdasarkan hasil wawancara diketahui bahwa hasil panen dari lahan pertanian dimanfaatkan masyarakat setempat untuk menambah perekonomian dengan cara dijual di kawasan Api Tak Kunjung Padam maupun di pasar. Masyarakat setempat juga belum banyak mengetahui potensi sumber daya tersebut untuk dimanfaatkan sebagai pendukung konservasi lingkungan secara umum di wilayah tersebut. Kata Kunci : Api Tak Kunjung Padam, ekowisata, Persepsi.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION : HOW APIS DRIVE BUSINESS MODEL CHANGE AND INNOVATION

OpenAIRE

Hellbe, Simon; Leung, Peter

2015-01-01

Over the years, information technology has created opportunities to improve and extend businesses and to start conducting business in new ways. With the evolution of IT, all businesses and industries are becoming increasingly digitized. This process, or coevolution, of IT and business coming together is called digital transformation. One of the recent trends in this digital transformation is the use of application programmable interfaces (APIs). APIs are standardized digital communication int...

Using the RxNorm web services API for quality assurance purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Lee; Bodenreider, Olivier

2008-11-06

Auditing large, rapidly evolving terminological systems is still a challenge. In the case of RxNorm, a standardized nomenclature for clinical drugs, we argue that quality assurance processes can benefit from the recently released application programming interface (API) provided by RxNav. We demonstrate the usefulness of the API by performing a systematic comparison of alternative paths in the RxNorm graph, over several thousands of drug entities. This study revealed potential errors in RxNorm, currently under review. The results also prompted us to modify the implementation of RxNav to navigate the RxNorm graph more accurately. The RxNav web services API used in this experiment is robust and fast.

An API for Integrating Spatial Context Models with Spatial Reasoning Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

2006-01-01

The integration of context-aware applications with spatial context models is often done using a common query language. However, algorithms that estimate and reason about spatial context information can benefit from a tighter integration. An object-oriented API makes such integration possible...... and can help reduce the complexity of algorithms making them easier to maintain and develop. This paper propose an object-oriented API for context models of the physical environment and extensions to a location modeling approach called geometric space trees for it to provide adequate support for location...... modeling. The utility of the API is evaluated in several real-world cases from an indoor location system, and spans several types of spatial reasoning algorithms....

Apoptosis inhibitor 5 (API-5; AAC-11; FIF) is upregulated in human carcinomas in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Koci, Lenka; Chlebova, Katarina; Hyzdalova, Martina; Hofmanova, Jirina; Jira, Miroslav; Kysela, Petr; Kozubik, Alois; Kala, Zdenek; Krejci, Pavel

2012-04-01

Apoptosis inhibitor 5 (API-5) is a 55 kDa nuclear protein with potent anti-apoptotic signaling in tumor cells in vitro. In this study, we analyzed the expression of the API-5 protein in vivo in a broad spectrum of human carcinomas, including those of the colon, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, stomach and esophagus using tumor tissues obtained during tumor resection. The results showed significant upregulation of API-5 expression in biopsies of lung (23%, n=13) and colorectal tumors (33%, n=27) in comparison with biopsies from the adjacent normal tissue. Colon cancer biopsies were used to study the cell populations with an upregulated level of expression of API-5 more closely. Using a magnetic bead-based selection for the epithelial cell marker EpCAM, we purified epithelial cells from the tumor and control tissues and analyzed these cells for API-5 expression by western immunoblotting. We observed that EpCAM-positive tumor cells expressed API-5 in all three colorectal cancer cases tested, in contrast to the control EpCAM-positive and EpCAM-negative cells isolated from the control or tumor tissues. These data suggest that the expression of the API-5 protein is upregulated in tumor epithelial cells and may serve as a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer.

Enersave API: Android-based power-saving framework for mobile devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M. Muharum

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Power consumption is a major factor to be taken into consideration when using mobile devices in the IoT field. Good Power management requires proper understanding of the way in which it is being consumed by the end-devices. This paper is a continuation of the work in Ref. [1] and proposes an energy saving API for the Android Operating System in order to help developers turn their applications into energy-aware ones. The main features heavily used for building smart applications, greatly impact battery life of Android devices and which have been taken into consideration are: Screen brightness, Colour scheme, CPU frequency, 2G/3G network, Maps, Low power localisation, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The assessment of the power-saving API has been performed on real Android devices and also compared to the most powerful power-saving applications – DU Battery Saver and Battery Saver 2016 – currently available on the Android market. Comparisons demonstrate that the Enersave API has a significant impact on power saving when incorporated in android applications. While DU Battery Saver and Battery Saver 2016 help saving 22.2% and 40.5% of the battery power respectively, the incorporation of the Enersave API in android applications can help save 84.6% of battery power.

ADS 2.0: New Architecture, API and Services

Science.gov (United States)

Chyla, R.; Accomazzi, A.; Holachek, A.; Grant, C. S.; Elliott, J.; Henneken, E. A.; Thompson, D. M.; Kurtz, M. J.; Murray, S. S.; Sudilovsky, V.

2015-09-01

The ADS platform is undergoing the biggest rewrite of its 20-year history. While several components have been added to its architecture over the past couple of years, this talk will concentrate on the underpinnings of ADS's search layer and its API. To illustrate the design of the components in the new system, we will show how the new ADS user interface is built exclusively on top of the API using RESTful web services. Taking one step further, we will discuss how we plan to expose the treasure trove of information hosted by ADS (10 million records and fulltext for much of the Astronomy and Physics refereed literature) to partners interested in using this API. This will provide you (and your intelligent applications) with access to ADS's underlying data to enable the extraction of new knowledge and the ingestion of these results back into the ADS. Using this framework, researchers could run controlled experiments with content extraction, machine learning, natural language processing, etc. In this talk, we will discuss what is already implemented, what will be available soon, and where we are going next.

Physical stability of API/polymer-blend amorphous solid dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmkemper, Kristin; Kyeremateng, Samuel O; Bartels, Mareike; Degenhardt, Matthias; Sadowski, Gabriele

2018-03-01

The preparation of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) is a well-established strategy for formulating active pharmaceutical ingredients by embedding them in excipients, usually amorphous polymers. Different polymers can be combined for designing ASDs with desired properties like an optimized dissolution behavior. One important criterion for the development of ASD compositions is the physical stability. In this work, the physical stability of API/polymer-blend ASDs was investigated by thermodynamic modeling and stability studies. Amorphous naproxen (NAP) and acetaminophen (APAP) were embedded in blends of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and either poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) or poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVPVA64). Parameters for modeling the API solubility in the blends and the glass-transition temperature curves of the water-free systems with Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory and Kwei equation, respectively, were correlated to experimental data. The phase behavior for standardized storage conditions (0%, 60% and 75% relative humidity (RH)) was predicted and compared to six months-long stability studies. According to modeling and experimental results, the physical stability was reduced with increasing HPMCAS content and increasing RH. This trend was observed for all investigated systems, with both APIs (NAP and APAP) and both polymer blends (PVP/HPMCAS and PVPVA64/HPMCAS). PC-SAFT and the Kwei equation turned out to be suitable tools for modeling and predicting the physical stability of the investigated API/polymer-blends ASDs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The end of polling: why and how to transform a REST API into a Data Streaming API?

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

We know interactivity is the key to keep our user’s interest alive but we can’t reduce animation to UI anymore. Twitter, Waze, Slack… users are used to have real-time data in applications they love. But how can you turn your static API into a stream of data? By pulling? Pushing? Webhook-ing? When talking about data streaming, we often think about WebSockets. But have you ever heard of Server-Sent Events? In this tools-in-action we will compare those technologies to understand which one you should opt for depending on your usecase, and I’ll show you how we have been reducing the amount of data to transfer even further with JSON-Patch. And because real-time data is not only needed by web (and because it’s much more fun), I’ll show you how we can make a drone dance on streamed APIs.

Pemanfaatan Google Maps Api Untuk Visualisasi Data Base Transceiver Station

OpenAIRE

Rani, Septia

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the use of the Google Maps API to perform data visualization for Base Transceiver Station (BTS) data. BTS are typically used by telecommunications companies to facilitate wireless communication between communication devices with the network operator. Each BTS has important information such as it's location, it's transaction traffic, as well as information about revenue. With the implementation of BTS data visualization using the Google Maps API, key information owned by e...

PEMANFAATAN GOOGLE MAPS API UNTUK VISUALISASI DATA BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION

OpenAIRE

Rani, Septia

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the use of the Google Maps API to perform data visualization for Base Transceiver Station (BTS) data. BTS are typically used by telecommunications companies to facilitate wireless communication between communication devices with the network operator. Each BTS has important information such as it’s location, it’s transaction traffic, as well as information about revenue. With the implementation of BTS data visualization using the Google Maps API, key information owned by e...

Pemanfaatan Google Maps Api Untuk Visualisasi Data Base Transceiver Station

OpenAIRE

Rani, Septia

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the use of the Google Maps API to perform data visualization for Base Transceiver Station (BTS) data. BTS are typically used by telecommunications companies to facilitate wireless communication between communication devices with the network operator. Each BTS has important information such as it’s location, it’s transaction traffic, as well as information about revenue. With the implementation of BTS data visualization using the Google Maps API, key information owned by e...

On the reaction to deprecation of clients of 4 + 1 popular Java APIs and the JDK

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sawant, A.A.; Robbes, Romain; Bacchelli, A.

2017-01-01

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are a tremendous resource—that is, when they are stable. Several studies have shown that this is unfortunately not the case. Of those, a large-scale study of API changes in the Pharo Smalltalk ecosystem documented several findings about API deprecations

Search without Boundaries Using Simple APIs

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Qi

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Library, where the author serves as the digital services librarian, is increasingly challenged to make it easier for users to find information from many heterogeneous information sources. Information is scattered throughout different software applications (i.e., library catalog, federated search engine, link resolver, and vendor websites), and each specializes in one thing. How could the library integrate the functionalities of one application with another and provide a single point of entry for users to search across? To improve the user experience, the library launched an effort to integrate the federated search engine into the library's intranet website. The result is a simple search box that leverages the federated search engine's built-in application programming interfaces (APIs). In this article, the author describes how this project demonstrated the power of APIs and their potential to be used by other enterprise search portals inside or outside of the library.

Development of an in-line Raman spectroscopic method for continuous API quantification during twin-screw wet granulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Harting, Julia; Kleinebudde, Peter

2018-04-01

Raman spectroscopy was evaluated as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for continuous API quantification during twin-screw wet granulation. Therefore, a Raman probe was implemented in front of the granulator barrel. This setup enabled the collection of Raman spectra upon a constant granule flow. To develop an in-line PLS calibration model, eight binary mixtures of the API and lactose monohydrate with API contents between 5 and 50% were pre-blended and granulated in a twin-screw granulator with a screw speed of 150 rpm and a powder feed rate of 40 g/min. Water was used as a granulation liquid with different liquid to solid ratios depending on the API content. Ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium were chosen as model drugs and separated PLS models were built for each API. The predictive performance of the developed PLS models was determined by granulating and monitoring new test samples containing different API concentrations. This evaluation showed that the models were able to predict the API concentration with an RMSEP of 0.59% for ibuprofen and 1.5% for diclofenac sodium. In a second part, the developed in-line Raman spectroscopic method was used to determine the API concentration during a split feeding process. Therefore, the API and lactose monohydrate were added by two independently adjustable feeders into the twin-screw granulator barrel. The in-line spectroscopy analysis which was verified by UV-analysis indicated that the mixing ability of the twin-screw granulator was good for the used settings and all adjusted API concentrations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flood warning level forecasting for ungauged catchments by means of a combined API storage concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmann, T; Holzmann, H

2008-01-01

The knowledge of the expected dimension of the flood peak is of major importance for security and warning services to take preventive measures. In this paper the authors want to introduce the concept of the Antecedent Precipitation Index (API) as a possible variable to estimate runoff warning classes. The aim was (a) to define API warning classes which correspond to runoff warning classes at a certain runoff gauge and (b) apply the method to ungauged basins. To consider time and state dependant rainfall losses a spatially distributed linear storage concept was applied to intercept the actual rainfall. The 3-parameter API function was fitted to several flood events at observed gauges within the district of lower Austria and lead to a set of optimized parameters. Through extreme value statistics the 1, 5 and 30 years API extremes were derived and set into correlation to the corresponding flood events. These API extremes together with the optimized API parameters were spatially interpolated and thus transferred to ungauged basins. The calculated flood events had the tendency to underestimate the smaller flood frequencies whereas the extreme flood classes could be reliably performed.

A Fine-Grained API Link Prediction Approach Supporting CMDA Mashup Recommendation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.; Bao, Q.; Lee, T. J.; Ramachandran, R.; Lee, S.; Pan, L.; Gatlin, P. N.; Maskey, M.

2017-12-01

Service (API) discovery and recommendation is key to the wide spread of service oriented architecture and service oriented software engineering. Service recommendation typically relies on service linkage prediction calculated by the semantic distances (or similarities) among services based on their collection of inherent attributes. Given a specific context (mashup goal), however, different attributes may contribute differently to a service linkage. In this work, instead of training a model for all attributes as a whole, a novel approach is presented to simultaneously train separate models for individual attributes. Our contributions are summarized in three-fold. First is that we have developed a scalable attribute-level data model, featuring scalability and extensibility. We have extended Multiplicative Attribute Graph (MAG) model to represent node profiles featuring rich categorical attributes, while relaxing its constraint of requiring a priori knowledge of predefined attributes. LDA is leveraged to dynamically identify attributes based on attribute modeling, and multiple Gaussian fit is applied to find global optimal values. The second contribution is that we have seamlessly integrated the latent relationships between API attributes as well as observed network structure based on historical API usage data. Such a layered information model enables us to predict the probability of a link between two APIs based on their attribute link affinities carrying a variety of information including meta data, semantic data, historical usage data, as well as crowdsourcing user comments and annotations. The third contribution is that we have developed a finegrained context-aware mashup-API recommendation technique. On top of individual models trained for separate attributes, a dedicated layer is trained to represent the latent attribute distribution regarding mashup purpose, i.e., sensitivity of attributes to context. Thus, given the description of an intended mashup, the

ANALISA PEREKAMAN DATA SUARA DARI SISTEM BLACKBOX PADA KERETA API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emy Setyaningsih

2016-01-01

Full Text Available             Makalah ini akan membahas tentang penerapan black box pada kereta api yang diadopsi pertama kali pada pesawat, dengan parameter perekam suara hingga waktu simpan kurang dari 1 hari 8 jam pada media penyimpanan SD Card. Tujuan dari pengujian pada makalah ini adalah membandingkan sumber suara terhadap jarak penerima, sebagai parameter perubahan tingkat suara “dB”. Sistem perekaman suara yang akan ditempatkan pada kereta api ini menggunakan modul rangkaian terintregasi WTR010. Voice record WTR010 merupakan modul rangkaian terintegrasi untuk merekam suara sendiri atau pun suara dari file music / video pada komputer dengan sangat mudah. Modul ini bisa merekam suara sendiri dan langsung di simpan ke dalam format audio. Format audio yang disediakan oleh modul voice record adalah format AD4 dan wav. Hasil pengujian modul black box yang diletakkan pada kereta api, dengan mencoba mengucapkan kata  “SAYA”,  suara dapat terekam pada modul perekam suara yang selanjutnya diolah menggunakan ”software sound editor” yang disimpan pada SD Card ber-ekstensi “wav”. Perbandingan sumber suara terhadap jarak penerima dari pengujian didapatkan sebuah persamaan regresi linier  y = -( 31x – 11  dan R² = 0.972.  Pengujian ini menghasilkan penekanan suara dB dan frekuensi sample Hz yang berbeda.  Kata kunci: black box kereta api, perekaman suara, WTR010

The Proteins API: accessing key integrated protein and genome information.

Science.gov (United States)

Nightingale, Andrew; Antunes, Ricardo; Alpi, Emanuele; Bursteinas, Borisas; Gonzales, Leonardo; Liu, Wudong; Luo, Jie; Qi, Guoying; Turner, Edd; Martin, Maria

2017-07-03

The Proteins API provides searching and programmatic access to protein and associated genomics data such as curated protein sequence positional annotations from UniProtKB, as well as mapped variation and proteomics data from large scale data sources (LSS). Using the coordinates service, researchers are able to retrieve the genomic sequence coordinates for proteins in UniProtKB. This, the LSS genomics and proteomics data for UniProt proteins is programmatically only available through this service. A Swagger UI has been implemented to provide documentation, an interface for users, with little or no programming experience, to 'talk' to the services to quickly and easily formulate queries with the services and obtain dynamically generated source code for popular programming languages, such as Java, Perl, Python and Ruby. Search results are returned as standard JSON, XML or GFF data objects. The Proteins API is a scalable, reliable, fast, easy to use RESTful services that provides a broad protein information resource for users to ask questions based upon their field of expertise and allowing them to gain an integrated overview of protein annotations available to aid their knowledge gain on proteins in biological processes. The Proteins API is available at (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/proteins/api/doc). © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

The MPO API: A tool for recording scientific workflows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, John C., E-mail: jcwright@mit.edu [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA (United States); Greenwald, Martin; Stillerman, Joshua [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA (United States); Abla, Gheni; Chanthavong, Bobby; Flanagan, Sean; Schissel, David; Lee, Xia [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Romosan, Alex; Shoshani, Arie [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-05-15

Highlights: • A description of a new framework and tool for recording scientific workflows, especially those resulting from simulation and analysis. • An explanation of the underlying technologies used to implement this web based tool. • Several examples of using the tool. - Abstract: Data from large-scale experiments and extreme-scale computing is expensive to produce and may be used for high-consequence applications. The Metadata, Provenance and Ontology (MPO) project builds on previous work [M. Greenwald, Fusion Eng. Des. 87 (2012) 2205–2208] and is focused on providing documentation of workflows, data provenance and the ability to data-mine large sets of results. While there are important design and development aspects to the data structures and user interfaces, we concern ourselves in this paper with the application programming interface (API) – the set of functions that interface with the data server. Our approach for the data server is to follow the Representational State Transfer (RESTful) software architecture style for client–server communication. At its core, the API uses the POST and GET methods of the HTTP protocol to transfer workflow information in message bodies to targets specified in the URL to and from the database via a web server. Higher level API calls are built upon this core API. This design facilitates implementation on different platforms and in different languages and is robust to changes in the underlying technologies used. The command line client implementation can communicate with the data server from any machine with HTTP access.

The MPO API: A tool for recording scientific workflows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, John C.; Greenwald, Martin; Stillerman, Joshua; Abla, Gheni; Chanthavong, Bobby; Flanagan, Sean; Schissel, David; Lee, Xia; Romosan, Alex; Shoshani, Arie

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A description of a new framework and tool for recording scientific workflows, especially those resulting from simulation and analysis. • An explanation of the underlying technologies used to implement this web based tool. • Several examples of using the tool. - Abstract: Data from large-scale experiments and extreme-scale computing is expensive to produce and may be used for high-consequence applications. The Metadata, Provenance and Ontology (MPO) project builds on previous work [M. Greenwald, Fusion Eng. Des. 87 (2012) 2205–2208] and is focused on providing documentation of workflows, data provenance and the ability to data-mine large sets of results. While there are important design and development aspects to the data structures and user interfaces, we concern ourselves in this paper with the application programming interface (API) – the set of functions that interface with the data server. Our approach for the data server is to follow the Representational State Transfer (RESTful) software architecture style for client–server communication. At its core, the API uses the POST and GET methods of the HTTP protocol to transfer workflow information in message bodies to targets specified in the URL to and from the database via a web server. Higher level API calls are built upon this core API. This design facilitates implementation on different platforms and in different languages and is robust to changes in the underlying technologies used. The command line client implementation can communicate with the data server from any machine with HTTP access

Reactome Pengine: A web-logic API to the homo sapiens reactome.

Science.gov (United States)

Neaves, Samuel R; Tsoka, Sophia; Millard, Louise A C

2018-03-30

Existing ways of accessing data from the Reactome database are limited. Either a researcher is restricted to particular queries defined by a web application programming interface (API), or they have to download the whole database. Reactome Pengine is a web service providing a logic programming based API to the human reactome. This gives researchers greater flexibility in data access than existing APIs, as users can send their own small programs (alongside queries) to Reactome Pengine. The server and an example notebook can be found at https://apps.nms.kcl.ac.uk/reactome-pengine. Source code is available at https://github.com/samwalrus/reactome-pengine and a Docker image is available at https://hub.docker.com/r/samneaves/rp4/ . samuel.neaves@kcl.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Pathogens as Predictors of Honey Bee Colony Strength in England and Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Budge, Giles E; Pietravalle, Stéphane; Brown, Mike; Laurenson, Lynn; Jones, Ben; Tomkies, Victoria; Delaplane, Keith S

2015-01-01

Inspectors with the UK National Bee Unit were asked for 2007-2008 to target problem apiaries in England and Wales for pathogen screening and colony strength measures. Healthy colonies were included in the sampling to provide a continuum of health conditions. A total of 406 adult bee samples was screened and yielded 7 viral, 1 bacterial, and 2 microsporidial pathogens and 1 ectoparasite (Acarapis woodi). In addition, 108 samples of brood were screened and yielded 4 honey bee viruses. Virus prevalence varied from common (deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus) to complete absence (Israeli acute paralysis virus). When colonies were forced into one of two classes, strong or weak, the weak colonies contained more pathogens in adult bees. Among observed pathogens, only deformed wing virus was able to predict colony strength. The effect was negative such that colonies testing positive for deformed wing virus were likely to have fewer combs of bees or brood. This study constitutes the first record for Nosema ceranae in Great Britain. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence linking pathogens to poor honey bee health.

Assessment of nutritional resources quality from honeybees (Apis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Several environments were selected, namely a rainforest in. Kisangani ... Keywords: Apis mellifera adansonii, honey, bee bread, quality, nutrition, bee ecology, DRC. INTRODUCTION. Various ...... BKN, Co-Proponent of this work, contributed.

Polymorphic DNA sequences of the fungal honey bee pathogen Ascosphaera apis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Annette B; Welker, Dennis L; Kryger, Per

2012-01-01

The pathogenic fungus Ascosphaera apis is ubiquitous in honey bee populations. We used the draft genome assembly of this pathogen to search for polymorphic intergenic loci that could be used to differentiate haplotypes. Primers were developed for five such loci, and the species specificities were...... verified using DNA from nine closely related species. The sequence variation was compared among 12 A. apis isolates at each of these loci, and two additional loci, the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal RNA (ITS) and a variable part of the elongation factor 1α (Ef1α). The degree of variation...... was then compared among the different loci, and three were found to have the greatest detection power for identifying A. apis haplotypes. The described loci can help to resolve strain differences and population genetic structures, to elucidate host–pathogen interaction and to test evolutionary hypotheses...

Antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and antidiabetic activity of Apis mellifera bee tea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janielle da Silva Melo da Cunha

Full Text Available Diabetes has emerged as one of the largest global epidemics; it is estimated that by 2035, there will be 592 million diabetic people in the world. Brazilian biodiversity and the knowledge of traditional peoples have contributed to the treatment of several diseases, including diabetes. Apis mellifera bee tea is used by indigenous Brazilians to treat diabetes, and this traditional knowledge needs to be recorded and studied.The objective of this study was to record the use and to evaluate the antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and antidiabetic activity of Apis mellifera bee tea, which is used by the Guarani and Kaiowá indigenous people for the treatment of diabetes. Semi-structured interviews were performed with Guarani and Kaiowá ethnic indigenous people from the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, seeking to identify the animal species used for medicinal purposes. For the experimental procedures, tea prepared with macerated Apis mellifera bees was used. In vitro assays were performed to evaluate antioxidant activity; direct free radical scavenging, protection against oxidative hemolysis, lipid peroxidation were evaluated in human erythrocytes and potential in inhibiting the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs. In vivo, normoglycemic Swiss male mice treated with Apis mellifera tea (AmT were subjected to the oral glucose tolerance test and compared with control and metformin-treated groups. Diet-induced diabetic mice were treated for 21 days with AmT and evaluated for glycemia and malondialdehyde levels in the blood, liver, nervous system, and eyes. During interviews, the indigenous people described the use of Apis mellifera bee tea for the treatment of diabetes. In in vitro assays, AmT showed direct antioxidant activity and reduced oxidative hemolysis and malondialdehyde generation in human erythrocytes. The AmT inhibited the formation of AGEs by albumin-fructose pathways and methylglyoxal products. In vivo, after oral glucose

Antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and antidiabetic activity of Apis mellifera bee tea.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo da Cunha, Janielle da Silva; Alfredo, Tamaeh Monteiro; Dos Santos, Jéssica Maurino; Alves Junior, Valter Vieira; Rabelo, Luiza Antas; Lima, Emerson Silva; Boleti, Ana Paula de Araújo; Carollo, Carlos Alexandre; Dos Santos, Edson Lucas; de Picoli Souza, Kely

2018-01-01

Diabetes has emerged as one of the largest global epidemics; it is estimated that by 2035, there will be 592 million diabetic people in the world. Brazilian biodiversity and the knowledge of traditional peoples have contributed to the treatment of several diseases, including diabetes. Apis mellifera bee tea is used by indigenous Brazilians to treat diabetes, and this traditional knowledge needs to be recorded and studied.The objective of this study was to record the use and to evaluate the antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and antidiabetic activity of Apis mellifera bee tea, which is used by the Guarani and Kaiowá indigenous people for the treatment of diabetes. Semi-structured interviews were performed with Guarani and Kaiowá ethnic indigenous people from the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, seeking to identify the animal species used for medicinal purposes. For the experimental procedures, tea prepared with macerated Apis mellifera bees was used. In vitro assays were performed to evaluate antioxidant activity; direct free radical scavenging, protection against oxidative hemolysis, lipid peroxidation were evaluated in human erythrocytes and potential in inhibiting the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In vivo, normoglycemic Swiss male mice treated with Apis mellifera tea (AmT) were subjected to the oral glucose tolerance test and compared with control and metformin-treated groups. Diet-induced diabetic mice were treated for 21 days with AmT and evaluated for glycemia and malondialdehyde levels in the blood, liver, nervous system, and eyes. During interviews, the indigenous people described the use of Apis mellifera bee tea for the treatment of diabetes. In in vitro assays, AmT showed direct antioxidant activity and reduced oxidative hemolysis and malondialdehyde generation in human erythrocytes. The AmT inhibited the formation of AGEs by albumin-fructose pathways and methylglyoxal products. In vivo, after oral glucose overload, normoglycemic

Antioxidant activity and irritation property of venoms from Apis species.

Science.gov (United States)

Somwongin, Suvimol; Chantawannakul, Panuwan; Chaiyana, Wantida

2018-04-01

Pharmacological effects of bee venom has been reported, however, it has been restricted to the bee venom collected from European honey bee (Apis mellifera). The aim of the present study was to compare the antioxidant activities and irritation properties of venoms collected from four different Apis species in Thailand, which includes Apis cerena (Asian cavity nesting honeybee), Apis florea (dwarf honeybee), Apis dorsata (giant honeybee), and A. mellifera. Melittin content of each bee venom extracts was investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2, 2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay were used to determine the antioxidant activity, whereas, hen's egg test chorioallantoic membrane assay was used to determine the irritation property of each bee venom extracts. Melittin was the major constituent in all bee venom extracts. The melittin content in A. dorsata, A. mellifera, A. florea, and A. cerena were 95.8 ± 3.2%, 76.5 ± 1.9%, 66.3 ± 8.6%, and 56.8 ± 1.8%, respectively. Bee venom extract from A. dorsata possessed the highest antioxidant activity with the inhibition of 41.1 ± 2.2% against DPPH, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of 10.21 ± 0.74 mM Trolox/mg and equivalent concentration (EC 1 ) of 0.35 ± 0.02 mM FeSO 4 /mg. Bee venom extract from A. mellifera exhibited the highest irritation, followed by A. cerena, A. dorsata, and A. florea, respectively. Melittin was the compound responsible for the irritation property of bee venom extracts since it could induce severe irritation (irritation score was 13.7 ± 0.5, at the concentration of 2 mg/ml). The extract from A. dorsata which possessed the highest antioxidant activity showed no irritation up to the concentration of 0.1 mg/ml. Therefore, bee venom extract from A. dorsata at the concentration not more than 0.1 mg/ml would be suggested for using

Manufacturing Amorphous Solid Dispersions with a Tailored Amount of Crystallized API for Biopharmaceutical Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Theil, Frank; Milsmann, Johanna; Anantharaman, Sankaran; van Lishaut, Holger

2018-05-07

The preparation of an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) by dissolving a poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in a polymer matrix can improve the bioavailability by orders of magnitude. Crystallization of the API in the ASD, though, is an inherent threat for bioavailability. Commonly, the impact of crystalline API on the drug release of the dosage form is studied with samples containing spiked crystallinity. These spiked samples possess implicit differences compared to native crystalline samples, regarding size and spatial distribution of the crystals as well as their molecular environment. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to grow defined amounts of crystalline API in solid dosage forms, which enables us to study the biopharmaceutical impact of actual crystallization. For this purpose, we studied the crystal growth in fenofibrate tablets over time under an elevated moisture using transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS). As a nondestructive method to assess API crystallinity in ASD formulations, TRS enables the monitoring of crystal growth in individual dosage forms. Once the kinetic trace of the crystal growth for a certain environmental condition is determined, this method can be used to produce samples with defined amounts of crystallized API. To investigate the biopharmaceutical impact of crystallized API, non-QC dissolution methods were used, designed to identify differences between the various amounts of crystalline materials present. The drug release in the samples manufactured in this fashion was compared to that of samples with spiked crystallinity. In this study, we present for the first time a method for targeted crystallization of amorphous tablets to simulate crystallized ASDs. This methodology is a valuable tool to generate model systems for biopharmaceutical studies on the impact of crystallinity on the bioavailability.

Improvements and extensions to API 618 related to pulsation and mechanical response studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijk, A.; Smeulers, J.P.M.; Blodgett, L.E.; Smalley, A.J.

1999-01-01

Purchasers of reciprocating compressors need a standard to help ensure reliable installations. The PNEUROP standard evolved in Europe, and the API 618 Standard in the U.S.A. Frequent application and generally good experience, worldwide, have led to four releases of API 618, the last dated June 1995.

Continuous API-crystal coating via coacervation in a tubular reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Besenhard, M O; Thurnberger, A; Hohl, R; Faulhammer, E; Rattenberger, J; Khinast, J G

2014-11-20

We present a proof-of-concept study of a continuous coating process of single API crystals in a tubular reactor using coacervation as a microencapsulation technique. Continuous API crystal coating can have several advantages, as in a single step (following crystallization) individual crystals can be prepared with a functional coating, either to change the release behavior, to protect the API from gastric juice or to modify the surface energetics of the API (i.e., to tailor the hydrophobic/hydrophilic characteristics, flowability or agglomeration tendency, etc.). The coating process was developed for the microencapsulation of a lipophilic core material (ibuprofen crystals of 20 μm- to 100 μm-size), with either hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP) or Eudragit L100-55. The core material was suspended in an aqueous solution containing one of these enteric polymers, fed into the tubing and mixed continuously with a sodium sulfate solution as an antisolvent to induce coacervation. A subsequent temperature treatment was applied to optimize the microencapsulation of crystals via the polymer-rich coacervate phase. Cross-linking of the coating shell was achieved by mixing the processed material with an acidic solution (pH<3). Flow rates, temperature profiles and polymer-to-antisolvent ratios had to be tightly controlled to avoid excessive aggregation, leading to pipe plugging. This work demonstrates the potential of a tubular reactor design for continuous coating applications and is the basis for future work, combining continuous crystallization and coating. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical characterisation and investigation of the bonding mechanisms of API-titanate nanotube composites as new drug carrier systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sipos, Barbara; Pintye-Hódi, Klára; Kónya, Zoltán; Kelemen, András; Regdon, Géza; Sovány, Tamás

2017-02-25

Titanate nanotube (TNT) has recently been explored as a new carrier material for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The aim of the present work was to reveal the physicochemical properties of API-TNT composites, focusing on the interactions between the TNTs and the incorporated APIs. Drugs belonging to different Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) classes were loaded into TNTs: diltiazem hydrochloride (BCS I.), diclofenac sodium (BCS II.), atenolol (BCS III.) and hydrochlorothiazide (BCS IV.). Experimental results demonstrated that it is feasible for spiral cross-sectioned titanate nanotubes to carry drugs and maintain their bioactivity. The structural properties of the composites were characterized by a range of analytical techniques, including FT-IR, DSC, TG-MS, etc. The interactions between APIs and TNTs were identified as electrostatic attractions, mainly dominated by hydrogen bonds. Based on the results, it can be stated that the strength of the association depends on the hydrogen donor strength of the API. The drug release of incorporated APIs was evaluated from compressed tablets and compared to that of pure APIs. Differences noticed in the dissolution profiles due to incorporation showed a correlation with the strength of interactions between the APIs and the TNTs observed in the above analytical studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterosis en la longevidad de obreras Apis mielífera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Tello

2001-07-01

Full Text Available Se estimó la media y la heterosis de la longevidad en obreras de abejas Apis mellifera. El expe-rimento fue desarrollado en el Apiario del Departamento de Genética de la Facultad de Medi-cina de la USP-Ribeirão Preto-Brasil y en Jaboticabal-SP, de 03/1997 a 05/1999. Seleccionamos 8 matrices inseminadas del apiário-USP (2africanizadas, 2italianas, 2cárnicasy 2italianas*cárnicos y 2 matrices (grupo-testigo de abejas Africanizadas-Silvestres.

Chimeras of Bet v 1 and Api g 1 reveal heterogeneous IgE responses in patients with birch pollen allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gepp, Barbara; Lengger, Nina; Bublin, Merima; Hemmer, Wolfgang; Breiteneder, Heimo; Radauer, Christian

2014-07-01

Characterization of IgE-binding epitopes of allergens and determination of their patient-specific relevance is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy. We sought to assess the contribution of specific surface areas of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1.0101 to binding IgE of individual patients. Four distinct areas of Bet v 1 representing in total 81% of its surface were grafted onto the scaffold of its homolog, Api g 1.0101, to yield the chimeras Api-Bet-1 to Api-Bet-4. The chimeras were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. IgE binding of 64 sera from Bet v 1-sensitized subjects with birch pollen allergy was determined by using direct ELISA. Specificity was assessed by means of inhibition ELISA. rApi g 1.0101, Api-Bet-1, Api-Bet-2, Api-Bet-3, and Api-Bet-4 bound IgE from 44%, 89%, 80%, 78%, and 48% of the patients, respectively. By comparing the amount of IgE binding to the chimeras and to rApi g 1.0101, 81%, 70%, 75%, and 45% of the patients showed significantly enhanced IgE binding to Api-Bet-1, Api-Bet-2, Api-Bet-3, and Api-Bet-4, respectively. The minority (8%) of the sera revealed enhanced IgE binding exclusively to a single chimera, whereas 31% showed increased IgE binding to all 4 chimeras compared with rApi g 1.0101. The chimeras inhibited up to 70% of IgE binding to rBet v 1.0101, confirming the specific IgE recognition of the grafted regions. The Bet v 1-specific IgE response is polyclonal, and epitopes are spread across the entire Bet v 1 surface. Furthermore, the IgE recognition profile of Bet v 1 is highly patient specific. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Map Service API for Driving Cycle Detection for Wearable GPS Data: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Lei [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gonder, Jeffrey D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-12-06

Following advancements in smartphone and portable global positioning system (GPS) data collection, wearable GPS data have realized extensive use in transportation surveys and studies. The task of detecting driving cycles (driving or car-mode trajectory segments) from wearable GPS data has been the subject of much research. Specifically, distinguishing driving cycles from other motorized trips (such as taking a bus) is the main research problem in this paper. Many mode detection methods only focus on raw GPS speed data while some studies apply additional information, such as geographic information system (GIS) data, to obtain better detection performance. Procuring and maintaining dedicated road GIS data are costly and not trivial, whereas the technical maturity and broad use of map service application program interface (API) queries offers opportunities for mode detection tasks. The proposed driving cycle detection method takes advantage of map service APIs to obtain high-quality car-mode API route information and uses a trajectory segmentation algorithm to find the best-matched API route. The car-mode API route data combined with the actual route information, including the actual mode information, are used to train a logistic regression machine learning model, which estimates car modes and non-car modes with probability rates. The experimental results show promise for the proposed method's ability to detect vehicle mode accurately.

Learning Bing maps API

CERN Document Server

Sinani, Artan

2013-01-01

This is a practical, hands-on guide with illustrative examples, which will help you explore the vast universe of Bing maps.If you are a developer who wants to learn how to exploit the numerous features of Bing Maps then this book is ideal for you. It can also be useful for more experienced developers who wish to explore other areas of the APIs. It is assumed that you have some knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. For some chapters a working knowledge of .Net and Visual Studio is also needed.

Open Astronomy Catalogs API

Science.gov (United States)

Guillochon, James; Cowperthwaite, Philip S.

2018-05-01

We announce the public release of the application program interface (API) for the Open Astronomy Catalogs (OACs), the OACAPI. The OACs serve near-complete collections of supernova, tidal disruption, kilonova, and fast stars data (including photometry, spectra, radio, and X-ray observations) via a user-friendly web interface that displays the data interactively and offers full data downloads. The OACAPI, by contrast, enables users to specifically download particular pieces of the OAC dataset via a flexible programmatic syntax, either via URL GET requests, or via a module within the astroquery Python package.

OSCAR API for Real-Time Low-Power Multicores and Its Performance on Multicores and SMP Servers

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Keiji; Mase, Masayoshi; Mikami, Hiroki; Miyamoto, Takamichi; Shirako, Jun; Kasahara, Hironori

OSCAR (Optimally Scheduled Advanced Multiprocessor) API has been designed for real-time embedded low-power multicores to generate parallel programs for various multicores from different vendors by using the OSCAR parallelizing compiler. The OSCAR API has been developed by Waseda University in collaboration with Fujitsu Laboratory, Hitachi, NEC, Panasonic, Renesas Technology, and Toshiba in an METI/NEDO project entitled "Multicore Technology for Realtime Consumer Electronics." By using the OSCAR API as an interface between the OSCAR compiler and backend compilers, the OSCAR compiler enables hierarchical multigrain parallel processing with memory optimization under capacity restriction for cache memory, local memory, distributed shared memory, and on-chip/off-chip shared memory; data transfer using a DMA controller; and power reduction control using DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling), clock gating, and power gating for various embedded multicores. In addition, a parallelized program automatically generated by the OSCAR compiler with OSCAR API can be compiled by the ordinary OpenMP compilers since the OSCAR API is designed on a subset of the OpenMP. This paper describes the OSCAR API and its compatibility with the OSCAR compiler by showing code examples. Performance evaluations of the OSCAR compiler and the OSCAR API are carried out using an IBM Power5+ workstation, an IBM Power6 high-end SMP server, and a newly developed consumer electronics multicore chip RP2 by Renesas, Hitachi and Waseda. From the results of scalability evaluation, it is found that on an average, the OSCAR compiler with the OSCAR API can exploit 5.8 times speedup over the sequential execution on the Power5+ workstation with eight cores and 2.9 times speedup on RP2 with four cores, respectively. In addition, the OSCAR compiler can accelerate an IBM XL Fortran compiler up to 3.3 times on the Power6 SMP server. Due to low-power optimization on RP2, the OSCAR compiler with the OSCAR API

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF APIS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF APIS. MELLIFERA BEE POLLEN FROM NORTHWEST ALGERIA. A. Rebiai* and T.Lanez. University of El Oued, VTRS Laboratory, P.O. Box 789, 39000, El Oued, Algeria. Received: 08 November 2012 / Accepted: 23 December 2012 / Published online: 31 ...

Variation morphogeometrics of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena A. Nunes

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The morphometrics of the honey bee Apis mellifera L., 1758 has been widely studied mainly because this species has great ecological importance, high adaptation capacity, wide distribution and capacity to effectively adapt to different regions. The current study aimed to investigate the morphometric variations of wings and pollen baskets of honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier, 1836 from the five regions in Brazil. We used geometric morphometrics to identify the existence of patterns of variations of shape and size in Africanized honey bees in Brazil 16 years after the classic study with this species, allowing a temporal and spatial comparative analysis using new technological resources to assess morphometrical data. Samples were collected in 14 locations in Brazil, covering the five geographical regions of the country. The shape analysis and multivariate analyses of the wing allowed to observe that there is a geographical pattern among the population of Apis mellifera in Brazil. The geographical variations may be attributed to the large territorial extension of the country in addition to the differences between the bioregions.

Carbonic anhydrase from Apis mellifera: purification and inhibition by pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Soydan, Ercan; Güler, Ahmet; Bıyık, Selim; Şentürk, Murat; Supuran, Claudiu T; Ekinci, Deniz

2017-12-01

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 mellifera spermatheca for the first time in the literature. The enzyme was purified with an overall purification of ∼35-fold with a molecular weight of ∼32 kDa. The enzyme was then exposed to pesticides, including tebuconazole, propoxur, carbaryl, carbofuran, simazine and atrazine. The six pesticides dose-dependently inhibited in vitro AmCA activity at low micromolar concentrations. IC 50 values for the pesticides were 0.0030, 0.0321, 0.0031, 0.0087, 0.0273 and 0.0165 μM, respectively. The AmCA inhibition mechanism of these compounds is unknown at this moment.

PyPDB: a Python API for the Protein Data Bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilpin, William

2016-01-01

We have created a Python programming interface for the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) that allows search and data retrieval for a wide range of result types, including BLAST and sequence motif queries. The API relies on the existing XML-based API and operates by creating custom XML requests from native Python types, allowing extensibility and straightforward modification. The package has the ability to perform many types of advanced search of the PDB that are otherwise only available through the PDB website. PyPDB is implemented exclusively in Python 3 using standard libraries for maximal compatibility. The most up-to-date version, including iPython notebooks containing usage tutorials, is available free-of-charge under an open-source MIT license via GitHub at https://github.com/williamgilpin/pypdb, and the full API reference is at http://williamgilpin.github.io/pypdb_docs/html/. The latest stable release is also available on PyPI. wgilpin@stanford.edu. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Construction and assembly of pipelines using API 5L grade X80 tubes - considerations to be observed with high-strength steels; Construcao e montagem de dutos terrestres utilizando tubos API 5L Gr. X80

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Ailton C. de; Rabello, Jose Mauricio B. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The use of line pipes API 5L Grade X80, at the point of view of designer allows: reduction of wall thickness and pipe weight or increase of design pressure. In the pipeline construction point of view, the use of line pipes API 5L Grade X80 provide some advantages, however some difficulties must be expected in several stages of the construction and assembly. The implications in cost, productivity, inspection and integrity, with the application of these high resistance steels, complying with PETROBRAS Standard N - 464 Construcao, Montagem e Condicionamento de Dutos Terrestres (Rev. H - 2004 Dec) and the experience consolidated in pipelines construction abroad were presented. At the design stage, a comparison between pipelines designed using API 5L-X70 and API 5L-X80 was carried out approaching the aspects of variation of thickness, pressure design and design factor. An evaluation of the expected gains when choosing API 5L Grade X80 steels were done, regarding reduction of costs and pipe weight. Regarding API 5L-X80 pipe fabrication, the obtained results were reported, proving that this aspect was already overcome, showing the viability of its production in Brazil. Difficulties were detected regarding construction and assembly stage and showing the need of revision of PETROBRAS standard N-464. (author)

Towards Standardized Patient Data Exchange: Integrating a FHIR Based API for the Open Medical Record System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasthurirathne, Suranga N; Mamlin, Burke; Grieve, Grahame; Biondich, Paul

2015-01-01

Interoperability is essential to address limitations caused by the ad hoc implementation of clinical information systems and the distributed nature of modern medical care. The HL7 V2 and V3 standards have played a significant role in ensuring interoperability for healthcare. FHIR is a next generation standard created to address fundamental limitations in HL7 V2 and V3. FHIR is particularly relevant to OpenMRS, an Open Source Medical Record System widely used across emerging economies. FHIR has the potential to allow OpenMRS to move away from a bespoke, application specific API to a standards based API. We describe efforts to design and implement a FHIR based API for the OpenMRS platform. Lessons learned from this effort were used to define long term plans to transition from the legacy OpenMRS API to a FHIR based API that greatly reduces the learning curve for developers and helps enhance adhernce to standards.

The SEMAINE API: Towards a Standards-Based Framework for Building Emotion-Oriented Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Schröder

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the SEMAINE API, an open source framework for building emotion-oriented systems. By encouraging and simplifying the use of standard representation formats, the framework aims to contribute to interoperability and reuse of system components in the research community. By providing a Java and C++ wrapper around a message-oriented middleware, the API makes it easy to integrate components running on different operating systems and written in different programming languages. The SEMAINE system 1.0 is presented as an example of a full-scale system built on top of the SEMAINE API. Three small example systems are described in detail to illustrate how integration between existing and new components is realised with minimal effort.

Hymenoptera venom review focusing on Apis mellifera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. R. de Lima

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Hymenoptera venoms are complex mixtures containing simple organic molecules, proteins, peptides, and other bioactive elements. Several of these components have been isolated and characterized, and their primary structures determined by biochemical techniques. These compounds are responsible for many toxic or allergic reactions in different organisms, such as local pain, inflammation, itching, irritation, and moderate or severe allergic reactions. The most extensively characterized Hymenoptera venoms are bee venoms, mainly from the Apis genus and also from social wasps and ant species. However, there is little information about other Hymenoptera groups. The Apis venom presents high molecular weight molecules - enzymes with a molecular weight higher than 10.0 kDa - and peptides. The best studied enzymes are phospholipase A2, responsible for cleaving the membrane phospholipids, hyaluronidase, which degrades the matrix component hyaluronic acid into non-viscous segments and acid phosphatase acting on organic phosphates. The main peptide compounds of bee venom are lytic peptide melittin, apamin (neurotoxic, and mastocyte degranulating peptide (MCD.

Investigating an API for resilient exascale computing.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stearley, Jon R.; Tomkins, James; VanDyke, John P.; Ferreira, Kurt Brian; Laros, James H.,; Bridges, Patrick

2013-05-01

Increased HPC capability comes with increased complexity, part counts, and fault occurrences. In- creasing the resilience of systems and applications to faults is a critical requirement facing the viability of exascale systems, as the overhead of traditional checkpoint/restart is projected to outweigh its bene ts due to fault rates outpacing I/O bandwidths. As faults occur and propagate throughout hardware and software layers, pervasive noti cation and handling mechanisms are necessary. This report describes an initial investigation of fault types and programming interfaces to mitigate them. Proof-of-concept APIs are presented for the frequent and important cases of memory errors and node failures, and a strategy proposed for lesystem failures. These involve changes to the operating system, runtime, I/O library, and application layers. While a single API for fault handling among hardware and OS and application system-wide remains elusive, the e ort increased our understanding of both the mountainous challenges and the promising trailheads. 3

The Matchmaker Exchange API: automating patient matching through the exchange of structured phenotypic and genotypic profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Buske, Orion J; Schiettecatte, François; Hutton, Benjamin; Dumitriu, Sergiu; Misyura, Andriy; Huang, Lijia; Hartley, Taila; Girdea, Marta; Sobreira, Nara; Mungall, Chris; Brudno, Michael

2015-10-01

Despite the increasing prevalence of clinical sequencing, the difficulty of identifying additional affected families is a key obstacle to solving many rare diseases. There may only be a handful of similar patients worldwide, and their data may be stored in diverse clinical and research databases. Computational methods are necessary to enable finding similar patients across the growing number of patient repositories and registries. We present the Matchmaker Exchange Application Programming Interface (MME API), a protocol and data format for exchanging phenotype and genotype profiles to enable matchmaking among patient databases, facilitate the identification of additional cohorts, and increase the rate with which rare diseases can be researched and diagnosed. We designed the API to be straightforward and flexible in order to simplify its adoption on a large number of data types and workflows. We also provide a public test data set, curated from the literature, to facilitate implementation of the API and development of new matching algorithms. The initial version of the API has been successfully implemented by three members of the Matchmaker Exchange and was immediately able to reproduce previously identified matches and generate several new leads currently being validated. The API is available at https://github.com/ga4gh/mme-apis. © 2015 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

The novel Akt inhibitor API-1 induces c-FLIP degradation and synergizes with TRAIL to augment apoptosis independent of Akt inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Ren, Hui; Yue, Ping; Chen, Mingwei; Khuri, Fadlo R; Sun, Shi-Yong

2012-04-01

API-1 (pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines) is a novel small-molecule inhibitor of Akt, which acts by binding to Akt and preventing its membrane translocation and has promising preclinical antitumor activity. In this study, we reveal a novel function of API-1 in regulation of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) levels and TRAIL-induced apoptosis, independent of Akt inhibition. API-1 effectively induced apoptosis in tested cancer cell lines including activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9. It reduced the levels of c-FLIP without increasing the expression of death receptor 4 (DR4) or DR5. Accordingly, it synergized with TRAIL to induce apoptosis. Enforced expression of ectopic c-FLIP did not attenuate API-1-induced apoptosis but inhibited its ability to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis. These data indicate that downregulation of c-FLIP mediates enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by API-1 but is not sufficient for API-1-induced apoptosis. API-1-induced reduction of c-FLIP could be blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Moreover, API-1 increased c-FLIP ubiquitination and decreased c-FLIP stability. These data together suggest that API-1 downregulates c-FLIP by facilitating its ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation. Because other Akt inhibitors including API-2 and MK2206 had minimal effects on reducing c-FLIP and enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis, it is likely that API-1 reduces c-FLIP and enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis independent of its Akt-inhibitory activity. 2012 AACR

pH and Heat Resistance of the Major Celery Allergen Api g 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Rib-Schmidt, Carina; Riedl, Philipp; Meisinger, Veronika; Schwaben, Luisa; Schulenborg, Thomas; Reuter, Andreas; Schiller, Dirk; Seutter von Loetzen, Christian; Rösch, Paul

2018-05-25

The major celery allergen Api g 1 is a member of the pathogenesis-related 10 class protein family. Here we aimed to investigate the impact of heat and pH on the native protein conformation required for Immunoglobulin E (IgE) recognition. Spectroscopic methods, MS and IgE binding analyses were used to study the effects of pH and thermal treatment on Api g 1.0101. Heat processing results in a loss of the native protein fold via denaturation, oligomerisation and precipitation along with a subsequent reduction of IgE recognition. The induced effects and timescales are strongly pH depended. While Api g 1 refolds partially into an IgE-binding conformation at physiological pH, acidic pH treatment leads to the formation of structurally heat resistant, IgE-reactive oligomers. Thermal processing in the presence of a celery matrix or at pH conditions close to the isoelectric point (pI = 4.63) of Api g 1.0101 results in almost instant precipitation. Our data demonstrate that Api g 1.0101 is not intrinsically susceptible to heat treatment in vitro. However, the pH and the celery matrix strongly influence the stability of Api g 1.0101 and might be the main reasons for the observed temperature lability of this important food allergen. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Polinização de morangueiro por Apis mellifera em ambiente protegido Strawberry polinization through Apis mellifera in protected environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunice Oliveira Calvete

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho objetivou comparar a produtividade e a qualidade dos frutos comerciáveis no morangueiro, em ambiente protegido, utilizando a espécie de abelha Apis mellifera em relação à ausência de um agente polinizador. Foram instalados dois experimentos, utilizando-se das cultivares Camarosa, Oso Grande, Diamante e Aromas (tratamentos, no período de 05 de maio a 19 de dezembro de 2006. No primeiro experimento, não havia polinizadores (testemunha. O segundo foi polinizado pela espécie de abelha Apis mellifera. Os tratamentos (cultivares foram dispostos, em cada experimento, em um delineamento completamente casualizado, com seis repetições. Foram avaliadas características de rendimento, bem como análise físico-química dos frutos de cada cultivar. Quanto ao rendimento, a maior produção obtida foi com a cultivar Camarosa tanto na ausência quanto na presença de polinizadores (907,46 g. planta-1 e 1.054,93 g. planta-1, respectivamente, ao passo que a cultivar Oso Grande apresentou menor número de frutos deformados.This work objectified to compare the productivity and the quality of the strawberry marketable fruits in protected environment, using the species of bee Apis mellifera in relation of the absence of a polinizator agent. It was installed two experiments using the cultivates Camarosa, Oso Grande, Diamante and Aromas (treatments, in the period of May 5 th until December 19th of 2006. The first experiment did not have polinizatores agents (control. The second was polinizated by the species of bee Apis mellifera. The treatments (cultivars had been arranged, in each experiment in a randomized blocks with 6 repetitions. They were evaluated income characteristics, as well as analysis physicist-chemistry of the fruits of each cultivar. For the income, the biggest production was gotten in cultivar Camarosa, for the first and the second experiment (907,46 g. plant-1 and 1054,93 g. plant-1, respectively, in the way that the cultivate

Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against the honeybee pathogens, Paenibacillus larvae and Ascosphaera apis and their topical toxicity to Apis mellifera adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaimanee, V; Thongtue, U; Sornmai, N; Songsri, S; Pettis, J S

2017-11-01

To explore alternative nonchemical control measures against two honeybee pathogens, Paenibacillus larvae and Ascosphaera apis, 37 plant species were screened for antimicrobial activity. The activity of selected plant extracts was screened using an in vitro disc diffusion assay and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the broth microdilution method. The results showed that 36 plant extracts had some antibacterial activity on P. larvae by disc diffusion assay. Chromolaena odorata showed the greatest antibacterial activity against P. larvae (MIC 16-64 μg ml -1 ). Of the 37 tested plants, only seven species, Amomum krervanh, Allium sativum, Cinnamomum sp., Piper betle, Piper ribesioides, Piper sarmentosum and Syzygium aromaticum had inhibitory effects on A. apis (MICs of 32-64 μg ml -1 ). The results demonstrated that promising plant extracts were not toxic to adult bees at the concentrations used in this study. The results demonstrate the potential antimicrobial activity of natural products against honeybee diseases caused by P. larvae and A. apis. Chromolaena odorata in particular showed high bioactivity against P. larvae. Further study is recommended to develop these nonchemical treatments against American foulbrood and chalkbrood in honeybees. This work proposes new natural products for the control of American foulbrood and chalkbrood in honeybees. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

An example of how to handle amorphous fractions in API during early pharmaceutical development: SAR114137--a successful approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Petzoldt, Christine; Bley, Oliver; Byard, Stephen J; Andert, Doris; Baumgartner, Bruno; Nagel, Norbert; Tappertzhofen, Christoph; Feth, Martin Philipp

2014-04-01

The so-called pharmaceutical solid chain, which encompasses drug substance micronisation to the final tablet production, at pilot plant scale is presented as a case study for a novel, highly potent, pharmaceutical compound: SAR114137. Various solid-state analytical methods, such as solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Water Vapour Sorption Gravimetry (DWVSG), hot-stage Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) were applied and evaluated to characterise and quantify amorphous content during the course of the physical treatment of crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). DSC was successfully used to monitor the changes in amorphous content during micronisation of the API, as well as during stability studies. (19)F solid-state NMR was found to be the method of choice for the detection and quantification of low levels of amorphous API, even in the final drug product (DP), since compaction during tablet manufacture was identified as a further source for the formation of amorphous API. The application of different jet milling techniques was a critical factor with respect to amorphous content formation. In the present case, the change from spiral jet milling to loop jet milling led to a decrease in amorphous API content from 20-30 w/w% to nearly 0 w/w% respectively. The use of loop jet milling also improved the processability of the API. Stability investigations on both the milled API and the DP showed a marked tendency for recrystallisation of the amorphous API content on exposure to elevated levels of relative humidity. No significant impact of amorphous API on either the chemical stability or the dissolution rate of the API in drug formulation was observed. Therefore, the presence of amorphous content in the oral formulation was of no consequence for the clinical trial phases I and II. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the performance and security of free and open source smart card offcard APIs

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chifura, A

2008-09-01

Full Text Available . Off card APIs provide a framework for this by providing interfaces that can be implemented to enhance the communication. This study looks at the performance and security comparisons of several free and open source smart card offcard APIs...

Building RESTful web services with Go learn how to build powerful RESTful APIs with Golang that scale gracefully

CERN Document Server

Yellavula, Naren

2017-01-01

REST is an architectural style that tackles the challenges of building scalable web services and in today's connected world, APIs have taken a central role on the web. APIs provide the fabric through which systems interact, and REST has become synonymous with APIs. The depth, breadth, and ease of use of Go, makes it a breeze for developers to ...

Api m 10, a genuine A. mellifera venom allergen, is clinically relevant but underrepresented in therapeutic extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Blank, S; Seismann, H; Michel, Y; McIntyre, M; Cifuentes, L; Braren, I; Grunwald, T; Darsow, U; Ring, J; Bredehorst, R; Ollert, M; Spillner, E

2011-10-01

Generalized systemic reactions to stinging hymenoptera venom constitute a potentially fatal condition in venom-allergic individuals. Hence, the identification and characterization of all allergens is imperative for improvement of diagnosis and design of effective immunotherapeutic approaches. Our aim was the immunochemical characterization of the carbohydrate-rich protein Api m 10, an Apis mellifera venom component and putative allergen, with focus on the relevance of glycosylation. Furthermore, the presence of Api m 10 in honeybee venom (HBV) and licensed venom immunotherapy preparations was addressed. Api m 10 was produced as soluble, aglycosylated protein in Escherichia coli and as differentially glycosylated protein providing a varying degree of fucosylation in insect cells. IgE reactivity and basophil activation of allergic patients were analyzed. For detection of Api m 10 in different venom preparations, a monoclonal human IgE antibody was generated. Both, the aglycosylated and the glycosylated variant of Api m 10 devoid of cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD), exhibited IgE reactivity with approximately 50% of HBV-sensitized patients. A corresponding reactivity could be documented for the activation of basophils. Although the detection of the native protein in crude HBV suggested content comparable to other relevant allergens, three therapeutical HBV extracts lacked detectable amounts of this component. Api m 10 is a genuine allergen of A. mellifera venom with IgE sensitizing potential in a significant fraction of allergic patients independent of CCD reactivity. Thus, Api m 10 could become a key element for component-resolved diagnostic tests and improved immunotherapeutic approaches in hymenoptera venom allergy. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Standard methods for Apis mellifera propolis research

Science.gov (United States)

Propolis is one of the most fascinating honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) products. It is a plant derived product that bees produce from resins that they collect from different plant organs and with which they mix beeswax. Propolis is a building material and a protective agent in the beehive. It also pl...

Gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (GC-API-MS): Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Du-Xin; Gan, Lin; Bronja, Amela; Schmitz, Oliver J.

2015-01-01

Although the coupling of GC/MS with atmospheric pressure ionization (API) has been reported in 1970s, the interest in coupling GC with atmospheric pressure ion source was expanded in the last decade. The demand of a “soft” ion source for preserving highly diagnostic molecular ion is desirable, as compared to the “hard” ionization technique such as electron ionization (EI) in traditional GC/MS, which fragments the molecule in an extensive way. These API sources include atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI), electrospray ionization (ESI) and low temperature plasma (LTP). This review discusses the advantages and drawbacks of this analytical platform. After an introduction in atmospheric pressure ionization the review gives an overview about the history and explains the mechanisms of various atmospheric pressure ionization techniques used in combination with GC such as APCI, APPI, APLI, ESI and LTP. Also new developments made in ion source geometry, ion source miniaturization and multipurpose ion source constructions are discussed and a comparison between GC-FID, GC-EI-MS and GC-API-MS shows the advantages and drawbacks of these techniques. The review ends with an overview of applications realized with GC-API-MS. - Highlights: • Atmospheric pressure ion sources (APCI, ESI, APPI, APLC etc) enable the coupling of LC-based high-end MS to GC. • APIs show advantages in selectivity and sensitivity compared with EI in GC-MS. • Accurate mass database in GC-APCI/MS is emerging as an alternative to GC-EI/MS database.

Gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (GC-API-MS): Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Du-Xin; Gan, Lin; Bronja, Amela [University of Duisburg-Essen, Applied Analytical Chemistry, Universitaetsstr. 5-7, 45141 Essen (Germany); Schmitz, Oliver J., E-mail: oliver.schmitz@uni-due.de [University of Duisburg-Essen, Applied Analytical Chemistry, Universitaetsstr. 5-7, 45141 Essen (Germany)

2015-09-03

Although the coupling of GC/MS with atmospheric pressure ionization (API) has been reported in 1970s, the interest in coupling GC with atmospheric pressure ion source was expanded in the last decade. The demand of a “soft” ion source for preserving highly diagnostic molecular ion is desirable, as compared to the “hard” ionization technique such as electron ionization (EI) in traditional GC/MS, which fragments the molecule in an extensive way. These API sources include atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI), electrospray ionization (ESI) and low temperature plasma (LTP). This review discusses the advantages and drawbacks of this analytical platform. After an introduction in atmospheric pressure ionization the review gives an overview about the history and explains the mechanisms of various atmospheric pressure ionization techniques used in combination with GC such as APCI, APPI, APLI, ESI and LTP. Also new developments made in ion source geometry, ion source miniaturization and multipurpose ion source constructions are discussed and a comparison between GC-FID, GC-EI-MS and GC-API-MS shows the advantages and drawbacks of these techniques. The review ends with an overview of applications realized with GC-API-MS. - Highlights: • Atmospheric pressure ion sources (APCI, ESI, APPI, APLC etc) enable the coupling of LC-based high-end MS to GC. • APIs show advantages in selectivity and sensitivity compared with EI in GC-MS. • Accurate mass database in GC-APCI/MS is emerging as an alternative to GC-EI/MS database.

BEHAVIOUR CORROSION OF API 5L X70 AND API 5L X80 STEELS IN A CO2 MEDIUM BY SURFACE ANALYSIS AND ELECTROCHEMICAL TECHNIQUES

OpenAIRE

MILAGROS MABEL GUILLEN NUNEZ

2006-01-01

A seleção de materiais para o transporte de óleo e gás não é feita pela sua resistência à corrosão, mas sim pelas suas boas propriedades mecânicas, facilidade de fabricação e baixos custos. Devido às taxas de perda de material, causado pela corrosão interna, existe necessidade em se conhecer o comportamento dos aços de mais alta resistência, utilizados especialmente em gasodutos e oleodutos tais como API 5L X70 e API 5L X80. Um dos elementos responsáveis ...

Determinants of quality, latency, and amount of Stack Overflow answers about recent Android APIs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavaler, David; Filkov, Vladimir

2018-01-01

Stack Overflow is a popular crowdsourced question and answer website for programming-related issues. It is an invaluable resource for software developers; on average, questions posted there get answered in minutes to an hour. Questions about well established topics, e.g., the coercion operator in C++, or the difference between canonical and class names in Java, get asked often in one form or another, and answered very quickly. On the other hand, questions on previously unseen or niche topics take a while to get a good answer. This is particularly the case with questions about current updates to or the introduction of new application programming interfaces (APIs). In a hyper-competitive online market, getting good answers to current programming questions sooner could increase the chances of an app getting released and used. So, can developers anyhow, e.g., hasten the speed to good answers to questions about new APIs? Here, we empirically study Stack Overflow questions pertaining to new Android APIs and their associated answers. We contrast the interest in these questions, their answer quality, and timeliness of their answers to questions about old APIs. We find that Stack Overflow answerers in general prioritize with respect to currentness: questions about new APIs do get more answers, but good quality answers take longer. We also find that incentives in terms of question bounties, if used appropriately, can significantly shorten the time and increase answer quality. Interestingly, no operationalization of bounty amount shows significance in our models. In practice, our findings confirm the value of bounties in enhancing expert participation. In addition, they show that the Stack Overflow style of crowdsourcing, for all its glory in providing answers about established programming knowledge, is less effective with new API questions.

Transcriptome analysis of the honey bee fungal pathogen, Ascosphaera apis: implications for host pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornman R

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We present a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of the fungus Ascosphaera apis, an economically important pathogen of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera that causes chalkbrood disease. Our goals were to further annotate the A. apis reference genome and to identify genes that are candidates for being differentially expressed during host infection versus axenic culture. Results We compared A. apis transcriptome sequence from mycelia grown on liquid or solid media with that dissected from host-infected tissue. 454 pyrosequencing provided 252 Mb of filtered sequence reads from both culture types that were assembled into 10,087 contigs. Transcript contigs, protein sequences from multiple fungal species, and ab initio gene predictions were included as evidence sources in the Maker gene prediction pipeline, resulting in 6,992 consensus gene models. A phylogeny based on 12 of these protein-coding loci further supported the taxonomic placement of Ascosphaera as sister to the core Onygenales. Several common protein domains were less abundant in A. apis compared with related ascomycete genomes, particularly cytochrome p450 and protein kinase domains. A novel gene family was identified that has expanded in some ascomycete lineages, but not others. We manually annotated genes with homologs in other fungal genomes that have known relevance to fungal virulence and life history. Functional categories of interest included genes involved in mating-type specification, intracellular signal transduction, and stress response. Computational and manual annotations have been made publicly available on the Bee Pests and Pathogens website. Conclusions This comprehensive transcriptome analysis substantially enhances our understanding of the A. apis genome and its expression during infection of honey bee larvae. It also provides resources for future molecular studies of chalkbrood disease and ultimately improved disease management.

Transcriptome analysis of the honey bee fungal pathogen, Ascosphaera apis: implications for host pathogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background We present a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of the fungus Ascosphaera apis, an economically important pathogen of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) that causes chalkbrood disease. Our goals were to further annotate the A. apis reference genome and to identify genes that are candidates for being differentially expressed during host infection versus axenic culture. Results We compared A. apis transcriptome sequence from mycelia grown on liquid or solid media with that dissected from host-infected tissue. 454 pyrosequencing provided 252 Mb of filtered sequence reads from both culture types that were assembled into 10,087 contigs. Transcript contigs, protein sequences from multiple fungal species, and ab initio gene predictions were included as evidence sources in the Maker gene prediction pipeline, resulting in 6,992 consensus gene models. A phylogeny based on 12 of these protein-coding loci further supported the taxonomic placement of Ascosphaera as sister to the core Onygenales. Several common protein domains were less abundant in A. apis compared with related ascomycete genomes, particularly cytochrome p450 and protein kinase domains. A novel gene family was identified that has expanded in some ascomycete lineages, but not others. We manually annotated genes with homologs in other fungal genomes that have known relevance to fungal virulence and life history. Functional categories of interest included genes involved in mating-type specification, intracellular signal transduction, and stress response. Computational and manual annotations have been made publicly available on the Bee Pests and Pathogens website. Conclusions This comprehensive transcriptome analysis substantially enhances our understanding of the A. apis genome and its expression during infection of honey bee larvae. It also provides resources for future molecular studies of chalkbrood disease and ultimately improved disease management. PMID:22747707

Determinants of quality, latency, and amount of Stack Overflow answers about recent Android APIs

Science.gov (United States)

Filkov, Vladimir

2018-01-01

Stack Overflow is a popular crowdsourced question and answer website for programming-related issues. It is an invaluable resource for software developers; on average, questions posted there get answered in minutes to an hour. Questions about well established topics, e.g., the coercion operator in C++, or the difference between canonical and class names in Java, get asked often in one form or another, and answered very quickly. On the other hand, questions on previously unseen or niche topics take a while to get a good answer. This is particularly the case with questions about current updates to or the introduction of new application programming interfaces (APIs). In a hyper-competitive online market, getting good answers to current programming questions sooner could increase the chances of an app getting released and used. So, can developers anyhow, e.g., hasten the speed to good answers to questions about new APIs? Here, we empirically study Stack Overflow questions pertaining to new Android APIs and their associated answers. We contrast the interest in these questions, their answer quality, and timeliness of their answers to questions about old APIs. We find that Stack Overflow answerers in general prioritize with respect to currentness: questions about new APIs do get more answers, but good quality answers take longer. We also find that incentives in terms of question bounties, if used appropriately, can significantly shorten the time and increase answer quality. Interestingly, no operationalization of bounty amount shows significance in our models. In practice, our findings confirm the value of bounties in enhancing expert participation. In addition, they show that the Stack Overflow style of crowdsourcing, for all its glory in providing answers about established programming knowledge, is less effective with new API questions. PMID:29547620

An adaptive software defined radio design based on a standard space telecommunication radio system API

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Wenhao; Tian, Xin; Chen, Genshe; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

2017-05-01

Software defined radio (SDR) has become a popular tool for the implementation and testing for communications performance. The advantage of the SDR approach includes: a re-configurable design, adaptive response to changing conditions, efficient development, and highly versatile implementation. In order to understand the benefits of SDR, the space telecommunication radio system (STRS) was proposed by NASA Glenn research center (GRC) along with the standard application program interface (API) structure. Each component of the system uses a well-defined API to communicate with other components. The benefit of standard API is to relax the platform limitation of each component for addition options. For example, the waveform generating process can support a field programmable gate array (FPGA), personal computer (PC), or an embedded system. As long as the API defines the requirements, the generated waveform selection will work with the complete system. In this paper, we demonstrate the design and development of adaptive SDR following the STRS and standard API protocol. We introduce step by step the SDR testbed system including the controlling graphic user interface (GUI), database, GNU radio hardware control, and universal software radio peripheral (USRP) tranceiving front end. In addition, a performance evaluation in shown on the effectiveness of the SDR approach for space telecommunication.

Dry coating of micronized API powders for improved dissolution of directly compacted tablets with high drug loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xi; Ghoroi, Chinmay; Davé, Rajesh

2013-02-14

Motivated by our recent study showing improved flow and dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) powders (20 μm) produced via simultaneous micronization and surface modification through continuous fluid energy milling (FEM) process, the performance of blends and direct compacted tablets with high drug loading is examined. Performance of 50 μm API powders dry coated without micronization is also considered for comparison. Blends of micronized, non-micronized, dry coated or uncoated API powders at 30, 60 and 70% drug loading, are examined. The results show that the blends containing dry coated API powders, even micronized ones, have excellent flowability and high bulk density compared to the blends containing uncoated API, which are required for direct compaction. As the drug loading increases, the difference between dry coated and uncoated blends is more pronounced, as seen in the proposed bulk density-FFC phase map. Dry coating led to improved tablet compactibility profiles, corresponding with the improvements in blend compressibility. The most significant advantage is in tablet dissolution where for all drug loadings, the t(80) for the tablets with dry coated APIs was well under 5 min, indicating that this approach can produce nearly instant release direct compacted tablets at high drug loadings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estudo do efeito da tensão sobre a permeação por Hidrogênio em Aços API 5L X60 e API 5L X65

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Araújo Araújo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Under operating conditions, the oil and gas transmission pipelines can be subjected to high pressures and, at the same time, suffer the effect of acidic substances in the transported hydrocarbons such as H2S, whose action alone or combined with stresses acting in the structure can cause degradation processes of the mechanical properties of the material. Given the importance of the phenomenon, this work has as main objective the realization of hydrogen electrochemical permeation tests in API 5L X60 and API 5L X65 steels under mechanical loading conditions. A device for performing electrochemical permeation tests of hydrogen in the specimens subjected to stress was used for the tests. Thus, it was possible to observe experimentally the influence of stress on the diffusion properties during the experiment. By applying stress on the order of 20% of the yield strength, it was possible to verify the increase of diffusivity of API 5L X60 steel. Furthermore, there was a strong influence of the stress level of permeability, because a large increase of permeability of API 5L X65 steel. The results indicate that the lattice deformation due to imposed mechanical stress has a great influence on the diffusion properties of materials

Early process development of API applied to poorly water-soluble TBID.

Science.gov (United States)

Meise, Marius; Niggemann, Matthias; Dunens, Alexandra; Schoenitz, Martin; Kuschnerow, Jan C; Kunick, Conrad; Scholl, Stephan

2018-05-01

Finding and optimising of synthesis processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is time consuming. In the finding phase, established methods for synthesis, purification and formulation are used to achieve a high purity API for biological studies. For promising API candidates, this is followed by pre-clinical and clinical studies requiring sufficient quantities of the active component. Ideally, these should be produced with a process representative for a later production process and suitable for scaling to production capacity. This work presents an overview of different approaches for process synthesis based on an existing lab protocol. This is demonstrated for the production of the model drug 4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-2-(1H-imidazol-2-yl) isoindolin-1,3-dione (TBID). Early batch synthesis and purification procedures typically suffer from low and fluctuating yields and purities due to poor process control. In a first step the literature synthesis and purification procedure was modified and optimized using solubility measurements, targeting easier and safer processing for consecutive studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges associated with the honey bee ( Apis Mellifera Adansonii )

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Challenges associated with the honey bee ( Apis Mellifera Adansonii ) colonies ... Diseases like American and European foulbrood were absent while ... African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Volume 13 No. 2 April ...

Influence of preheating on API 5L-X80 pipeline joint welding with self shielded flux-cored wire; Influencia del precalentamiento en las propiedades de uniones soldadas de acero API 5L-X80 soldadas con alambre tubular autoprotegido

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, R.; Silva, J. H. F.; Trevisan, R. E.

2004-07-01

The present work refers to the characterization of API 5L-X80 pipeline joints welded with self-shielded flux cored wire. This process was evaluated under preheating conditions, with an uniform and steady heat input. All joints were welded in flat position (1G), with the pipe turning and the torch still. Tube dimensions were 762 mm in external diameter and 16 mm in thickness. Welds were applied on single V-groove, with six weld beads, along with three levels of preheating temperatures (room temperature, 100 degree centigree, 160 degree centigree). These temperatures were maintained as inter pass temperature. The filler metal E71T8-K6 with mechanical properties different from parent metal was used in under matched conditions. The weld characterization is presented according to the mechanical test results of tensile strength, hardness and impact test. The mechanical tests were conducted according to API 1104, AWS and ASTM standards. API 1104 and API 51 were used as screening criteria. According to the results obtained, it was possible to remark that it is appropriate to weld API 5L-X80 steel ducts with Self-shielded Flux Cored wires, in conformance to the API standards and no preheat temperature is necessary. (Author) 22 refs.

The biochemical properties of the Arabidopsis ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase AtAPY1 contradict a direct role in purinergic signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolin Massalski

Full Text Available The Arabidopsis E-NTPDase (ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase AtAPY1 was previously shown to be involved in growth and development, pollen germination and stress responses. It was proposed to perform these functions through regulation of extracellular ATP signals. However, a GFP-tagged version was localized exclusively in the Golgi and did not hydrolyze ATP. In this study, AtAPY1 without the bulky GFP-tag was biochemically characterized with regard to its suggested role in purinergic signaling. Both the full-length protein and a soluble form without the transmembrane domain near the N-terminus were produced in HEK293 cells. Of the twelve nucleotide substrates tested, only three--GDP, IDP and UDP--were hydrolyzed, confirming that ATP was not a substrate of AtAPY1. In addition, the effects of pH, divalent metal ions, known E-NTPDase inhibitors and calmodulin on AtAPY1 activity were analyzed. AtAPY1-GFP extracted from transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings was included in the analyses. All three AtAPY1 versions exhibited very similar biochemical properties. Activity was detectable in a broad pH range, and Ca(2+, Mg(2+ and Mn(2+ were the three most efficient cofactors. Of the inhibitors tested, vanadate was the most potent one. Surprisingly, sulfonamide-based inhibitors shown to inhibit other E-NTPDases and presumed to inhibit AtAPY1 as well were not effective. Calmodulin stimulated the activity of the GFP-tagless membranous and soluble AtAPY1 forms about five-fold, but did not alter their substrate specificities. The apparent Km values obtained with AtAPY1-GFP indicate that AtAPY1 is primarily a GDPase. A putative three-dimensional structural model of the ecto-domain is presented, explaining the potent inhibitory potential of vanadate and predicting the binding mode of GDP. The found substrate specificity classifies AtAPY1 as a nucleoside diphosphatase typical of N-terminally anchored Golgi E-NTPDases and negates a direct function in

Ductile failure analysis of defective API X65 pipes based on stress-modified fracture strain criterion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Chang Kyun; Kim, Yun Jae; Baek, Jong Hyun; Kim, Young Pyo; Kim, Woo Sik

2006-01-01

A local failure criterion for the API X65 steel is applied to predict ductile failure of full-scale API X65 pipes with simulated corrosion and gouge defects under internal pressure. The local failure criterion is the stress-modified fracture strain for the API X65 steel as a function of the stress triaxiality (defined by the ratio of the hydrostatic stress to the effective stress). Based on detailed FE analyses with the proposed local failure criteria, burst pressures of defective pipes are estimated and compared with experimental data. The predicted burst pressures are in good agreement with experimental data. Noting that an assessment equation against the gouge defect is not yet available, parametric study is performed, from which a simple equation is proposed to predict burst pressure for API X65 pipes with gouge defects

Gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (GC-API-MS): review.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Du-Xin; Gan, Lin; Bronja, Amela; Schmitz, Oliver J

2015-09-03

Although the coupling of GC/MS with atmospheric pressure ionization (API) has been reported in 1970s, the interest in coupling GC with atmospheric pressure ion source was expanded in the last decade. The demand of a "soft" ion source for preserving highly diagnostic molecular ion is desirable, as compared to the "hard" ionization technique such as electron ionization (EI) in traditional GC/MS, which fragments the molecule in an extensive way. These API sources include atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI), electrospray ionization (ESI) and low temperature plasma (LTP). This review discusses the advantages and drawbacks of this analytical platform. After an introduction in atmospheric pressure ionization the review gives an overview about the history and explains the mechanisms of various atmospheric pressure ionization techniques used in combination with GC such as APCI, APPI, APLI, ESI and LTP. Also new developments made in ion source geometry, ion source miniaturization and multipurpose ion source constructions are discussed and a comparison between GC-FID, GC-EI-MS and GC-API-MS shows the advantages and drawbacks of these techniques. The review ends with an overview of applications realized with GC-API-MS. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pim-2 activates API-5 to inhibit the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through NF-kappaB pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Ke; Zhang, Wei; Shi, Yujun; Gong, Jianping

2010-06-01

Pim-2 is proved to be relevant to the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the mechanism is unclear. We studied the relationship among Pim-2, NF-kappaB and API-5. In our experiment, expression level of the three factors and phosphorylation level of API-5, as well as NF-kappaB activity, were detected in HCC tissues and the nontumorous controls. Then Pim-2 gene was transfected into nontumorous liver cells L02, and Pim-2 SiRNA was transfected into hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2. Parthenolide was added as NF-kappaB inhibitor. The same detections as above were repeated in the cells, along with the apoptosis analysis. We found the levels of Pim-2, NF-kappaB and API-5, as well as NF-kappaB activity, were significantly higher in HCC tissues. Pim-2 level was increased in L02 cells after the transfection of Pim-2 gene, but decreased in HepG2 cells after the transfection of Pim-2 SiRNA. The levels of NF-kappaB and API-5, as well as NF-kappaB activity and API-5 phosphorylation level, were in accordance with Pim-2 level, but could be reversed by Parthenolide. Cell apoptosis rates were negatively correlated with API-5 phosphorylation level. Therefore, we infer that Pim-2 could activate API-5 to inhibit the apoptosis of liver cells, and NF-kappaB is the key regulator.

Pertukaran Data Antar Database Dengan Menggunakan Teknologi API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Hanafi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Electronically data interchange between institutions or companies must be supported with appropriate data storage media capacity. MySQL is a database engine that is used to perform data storage in the form of information, where the data can be utilized as needed. MYSQL has the advantage of which is to provide convenience in terms of usage, and able to work on different platforms. System requirements that must be reliable and multitasking capable of making the database not only as a data storage medium, but can also be utilized as a means of data exchange. Dropbox API is the best solution that can be utilized as a technology that supports the database to be able to Exchange data. The combination of the Dropbox API and database can be used as a very cheap solution for small companies to implement data exchange, because it only requires a relatively small Internet connection.

Sensitivity Analysis of Fatigue Crack Growth Model for API Steels in Gaseous Hydrogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaro, Robert L; Rustagi, Neha; Drexler, Elizabeth S; Slifka, Andrew J

2014-01-01

A model to predict fatigue crack growth of API pipeline steels in high pressure gaseous hydrogen has been developed and is presented elsewhere. The model currently has several parameters that must be calibrated for each pipeline steel of interest. This work provides a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters in order to provide (a) insight to the underlying mathematical and mechanistic aspects of the model, and (b) guidance for model calibration of other API steels.

Mechanical properties of API X80 steel pipe joints welded by Flux Core Arc Weld Process; Propriedades mecanicas de juntas de tubos de aco API X80 soldadas com arame tubulares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ordonez, Robert E. Cooper; Silva, Jose Hilton F.; Trevisan, Roseana E. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica. Dept. de Engenharia de Fabricacao

2003-07-01

Flux Core Arc Welding processes (FCAW) are beginning to be applied in pipeline welds, however, very limited experimental data regarding mechanical properties of pipeline weld joints with these processes are available in the literature. In this paper, the effects of preheat temperature and type of FCAW on mechanical properties (microhardness and tensile strength) of API X80 weld joint steel are presented. FCAW processes with gas protection and self-shielded were used. Multipasses welding were applied in 30'' diameter and 0,625'' thickness tubes. Influence factors were: FCAW type and preheat temperature. Acceptance criteria of welded joints were evaluated by API 1104 standard for tensile strength test and ASTM E384-99 for microhardness test. The results obtained showed that FCAW type and preheat temperature have no influence on mechanical properties of API X80 joint steel. (author)

Identification of clinical yeasts by Vitek MS system compared with API ID 32 C.

Science.gov (United States)

Durán-Valle, M Teresa; Sanz-Rodríguez, Nuria; Muñoz-Paraíso, Carmen; Almagro-Moltó, María; Gómez-Garcés, José Luis

2014-05-01

We performed a clinical evaluation of the Vitek MS matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system with the commercial database version 2.0 for rapid identification of medically important yeasts as compared with the conventional phenotypic method API ID 32 C. We tested 161 clinical isolates, nine isolates from culture collections and five reference strains. In case of discrepant results or no identification with one or both methods, molecular identification techniques were employed. Concordance between both methods was observed with 160/175 isolates (91.42%) and misidentifications by both systems occurred only when taxa were not included in the respective databases, i.e., one isolate of Candida etchellsii was identified as C. globosa by Vitek MS and two isolates of C. orthopsilosis were identified as C. parapsilosis by API ID 32 C. Vitek MS could not identify nine strains (5.14%) and API ID 32 C did not identify 13 (7.42%). Vitek MS was more reliable than API ID 32 C and reduced the time required for the identification of clinical isolates to only a few minutes.

Sperm use economy of honeybee (Apis mellifera) queens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baer, Boris; Collins, Jason; Maalaps, Kristiina

2016-01-01

the fecundity and longevity of queens and therefore colony fitness. We quantified the number of sperm that honeybee (Apis mellifera) queens use to fertilize eggs. We examined sperm use in naturally mated queens of different ages and in queens artificially inseminated with different volumes of semen. We found...

Influence of preheating on API 5L-X80 pipeline joint welding with self shielded flux-cored wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, R.; Silva, J. H. F.; Trevisan, R. E.

2004-01-01

The present work refers to the characterization of API 5L-X80 pipeline joints welded with self-shielded flux cored wire. This process was evaluated under preheating conditions, with an uniform and steady heat input. All joints were welded in flat position (1G), with the pipe turning and the torch still. Tube dimensions were 762 mm in external diameter and 16 mm in thickness. Welds were applied on single V-groove, with six weld beads, along with three levels of preheating temperatures (room temperature, 100 degree centigree, 160 degree centigree). These temperatures were maintained as inter pass temperature. The filler metal E71T8-K6 with mechanical properties different from parent metal was used in under matched conditions. The weld characterization is presented according to the mechanical test results of tensile strength, hardness and impact test. The mechanical tests were conducted according to API 1104, AWS and ASTM standards. API 1104 and API 51 were used as screening criteria. According to the results obtained, it was possible to remark that it is appropriate to weld API 5L-X80 steel ducts with Self-shielded Flux Cored wires, in conformance to the API standards and no preheat temperature is necessary. (Author) 22 refs

“Wrapping” X3DOM around Web Audio API

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Stamoulias

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Spatial sound has a conceptual role in the Web3D environments, due to highly realism scenes that can provide. Lately the efforts are concentrated on the extension of the X3D/ X3DOM through spatial sound attributes. This paper presents a novel method for the introduction of spatial sound components in the X3DOM framework, based on X3D specification and Web Audio API. The proposed method incorporates the introduction of enhanced sound nodes for X3DOM which are derived by the implementation of the X3D standard components, enriched with accessional features of Web Audio API. Moreover, several examples-scenarios developed for the evaluation of our approach. The implemented examples established the achievability of new registered nodes in X3DOM, for spatial sound characteristics in Web3D virtual worlds.

Testing of the structure of macromolecular polymer films containing solid active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boelcskei, E.; Suevegh, K.; Marek, T.; Regdon, G.; Pintye-Hodi, K.

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the structure of free films of Eudragit L 30D-55 containing different concentrations (0%, 1% or 5%) of diclofenac sodium by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The data revealed that the size of the free-volume holes and the lifetimes of ortho-positronium atoms decreased with increase of the API concentration. Films containing 5% of the API exhibited a different behavior during storage (17 o C, 65% relative humidity (RH)) in consequence of the uptake of water from the air. -- Highlights: → The aim of the present study was to investigate the structure of free films of Eudragit L 30D-55 containing different concentrations (0%, 1% or 5%) of diclofenac sodium by positron annihilation spectroscopy. → The data revealed that the size of the free-volume holes and the lifetimes of ortho-positronium atoms decreased with increase of the API concentration (). → The API distorts the original polymer structure, but as time goes by, the metastable structure relaxes and it is almost totally restored after 3 weeks of storage (17 o C, 65% RH).

Understanding API-polymer proximities in amorphous stabilized composite drug products using fluorine-carbon 2D HETCOR solid-state NMR.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Anuji; Crull, George

2014-10-06

A simple and robust method for obtaining fluorine-carbon proximities was established using a (19)F-(13)C heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) two-dimensional (2D) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) experiment under magic-angle spinning (MAS). The method was applied to study a crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), avagacestat, containing two types of fluorine atoms and its API-polymer composite drug product. These results provide insight into the molecular structure, aid with assigning the carbon resonances, and probe API-polymer proximities in amorphous spray dried dispersions (SDD). This method has an advantage over the commonly used (1)H-(13)C HETCOR because of the large chemical shift dispersion in the fluorine dimension. In the present study, fluorine-carbon distances up to 8 Å were probed, giving insight into the API structure, crystal packing, and assignments. Most importantly, the study demonstrates a method for probing an intimate molecular level contact between an amorphous API and a polymer in an SDD, giving insights into molecular association and understanding of the role of the polymer in API stability (such as recrystallization, degradation, etc.) in such novel composite drug products.

Draft genome sequence of the Algerian bee Apis mellifera intermissa

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Nizar Jamal Haddad

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Apis mellifera intermissa is the native honeybee subspecies of Algeria. A. m. intermissa occurs in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, between the Atlas and the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. This bee is very important due to its high ability to adapt to great variations in climatic conditions and due to its preferable cleaning behavior. Here we report the draft genome sequence of this honey bee, its Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession JSUV00000000. The 240-Mb genome is being annotated and analyzed. Comparison with the genome of other Apis mellifera sub-species promises to yield insights into the evolution of adaptations to high temperature and resistance to Varroa parasite infestation.

Effects of Apis mellifera adansonii, L. 1758 (Apidae: Hymenoptera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of Apis mellifera adansonii, L. 1758 (Apidae: Hymenoptera) pollination on yields of Cucumeropsis mannii (Naudin) in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. Boniface Posho Ndola, Yves Brostaux, Guillaume Le Goff, Marie-Lucie Susini, Eric Haubruge, Frederic Francis, Bach Kim Nguyen ...

Dispersibility of lactose fines as compared to API in dry powders for inhalation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thalberg, Kyrre; Åslund, Simon; Skogevall, Marcus; Andersson, Patrik

2016-05-17

This work investigates the dispersion performance of fine lactose particles as function of processing time, and compares it to the API, using Beclomethasone Dipropionate (BDP) as model API. The total load of fine particles is kept constant in the formulations while the proportions of API and lactose fines are varied. Fine particle assessment demonstrates that the lactose fines have higher dispersibility than the API. For standard formulations, processing time has a limited effect on the Fine Particle Fraction (FPF). For formulations containing magnesium stearate (MgSt), FPF of BDP is heavily influenced by processing time, with an initial increase, followed by a decrease at longer mixing times. An equation modeling the observed behavior is presented. Surprisingly, the dispersibility of the lactose fines present in the same formulation remains unaffected by mixing time. Magnesium analysis demonstrates that MgSt is transferred to the fine particles during the mixing process, thus lubrication both BDP and lactose fines, which leads to an increased FPF. Dry particle sizing of the formulations reveals a loss of fine particles at longer mixing times. Incorporation of fine particles into the carrier surfaces is believed to be behind this, and is hence a mechanism of importance as regards the dispersion performance of dry powders for inhalation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apis - a Digital Inventory of Archaeological Heritage Based on Remote Sensing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Doneus, M.; Forwagner, U.; Liem, J.; Sevara, C.

2017-08-01

Heritage managers are in need of dynamic spatial inventories of archaeological and cultural heritage that provide them with multipurpose tools to interactively understand information about archaeological heritage within its landscape context. Specifically, linking site information with the respective non-invasive prospection data is of increasing importance as it allows for the assessment of inherent uncertainties related to the use and interpretation of remote sensing data by the educated and knowledgeable heritage manager. APIS, the archaeological prospection information system of the Aerial Archive of the University of Vienna, is specifically designed to meet these needs. It provides storage and easy access to all data concerning aerial photographs and archaeological sites through a single GIS-based application. Furthermore, APIS has been developed in an open source environment, which allows it to be freely distributed and modified. This combination in one single open source system facilitates an easy workflow for data management, interpretation, storage, and retrieval. APIS and a sample dataset will be released free of charge under creative commons license in near future.

Chronic neonicotinoid pesticide exposure and parasite stress differentially affects learning in honeybees and bumblebees.

Science.gov (United States)

Piiroinen, Saija; Goulson, Dave

2016-04-13

Learning and memory are crucial functions which enable insect pollinators to efficiently locate and extract floral rewards. Exposure to pesticides or infection by parasites may cause subtle but ecologically important changes in cognitive functions of pollinators. The potential interactive effects of these stressors on learning and memory have not yet been explored. Furthermore, sensitivity to stressors may differ between species, but few studies have compared responses in different species. Here, we show that chronic exposure to field-realistic levels of the neonicotinoid clothianidin impaired olfactory learning acquisition in honeybees, leading to potential impacts on colony fitness, but not in bumblebees. Infection by the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae slightly impaired learning in honeybees, but no interactive effects were observed. Nosema did not infect bumblebees (3% infection success). Nevertheless, Nosema-treated bumblebees had a slightly lower rate of learning than controls, but faster learning in combination with neonicotinoid exposure. This highlights the potential for complex interactive effects of stressors on learning. Our results underline that one cannot readily extrapolate findings from one bee species to others. This has important implications for regulatory risk assessments which generally use honeybees as a model for all bees. © 2016 The Author(s).

Chronic neonicotinoid pesticide exposure and parasite stress differentially affects learning in honeybees and bumblebees

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Learning and memory are crucial functions which enable insect pollinators to efficiently locate and extract floral rewards. Exposure to pesticides or infection by parasites may cause subtle but ecologically important changes in cognitive functions of pollinators. The potential interactive effects of these stressors on learning and memory have not yet been explored. Furthermore, sensitivity to stressors may differ between species, but few studies have compared responses in different species. Here, we show that chronic exposure to field-realistic levels of the neonicotinoid clothianidin impaired olfactory learning acquisition in honeybees, leading to potential impacts on colony fitness, but not in bumblebees. Infection by the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae slightly impaired learning in honeybees, but no interactive effects were observed. Nosema did not infect bumblebees (3% infection success). Nevertheless, Nosema-treated bumblebees had a slightly lower rate of learning than controls, but faster learning in combination with neonicotinoid exposure. This highlights the potential for complex interactive effects of stressors on learning. Our results underline that one cannot readily extrapolate findings from one bee species to others. This has important implications for regulatory risk assessments which generally use honeybees as a model for all bees. PMID:27053744

Pathogens as Predictors of Honey Bee Colony Strength in England and Wales.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giles E Budge

Full Text Available Inspectors with the UK National Bee Unit were asked for 2007-2008 to target problem apiaries in England and Wales for pathogen screening and colony strength measures. Healthy colonies were included in the sampling to provide a continuum of health conditions. A total of 406 adult bee samples was screened and yielded 7 viral, 1 bacterial, and 2 microsporidial pathogens and 1 ectoparasite (Acarapis woodi. In addition, 108 samples of brood were screened and yielded 4 honey bee viruses. Virus prevalence varied from common (deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus to complete absence (Israeli acute paralysis virus. When colonies were forced into one of two classes, strong or weak, the weak colonies contained more pathogens in adult bees. Among observed pathogens, only deformed wing virus was able to predict colony strength. The effect was negative such that colonies testing positive for deformed wing virus were likely to have fewer combs of bees or brood. This study constitutes the first record for Nosema ceranae in Great Britain. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence linking pathogens to poor honey bee health.

Solar Eclipse Computer API: Planning Ahead for August 2017

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, Jennifer L.; Chizek Frouard, Malynda; Lesniak, Michael V.; Bell, Steve

2016-01-01

With the total solar eclipse of 2017 August 21 over the continental United States approaching, the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) on-line Solar Eclipse Computer can now be accessed via an application programming interface (API). This flexible interface returns local circumstances for any solar eclipse in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) that can be incorporated into third-party Web sites or applications. For a given year, it can also return a list of solar eclipses that can be used to build a more specific request for local circumstances. Over the course of a particular eclipse as viewed from a specific site, several events may be visible: the beginning and ending of the eclipse (first and fourth contacts), the beginning and ending of totality (second and third contacts), the moment of maximum eclipse, sunrise, or sunset. For each of these events, the USNO Solar Eclipse Computer reports the time, Sun's altitude and azimuth, and the event's position and vertex angles. The computer also reports the duration of the total phase, the duration of the eclipse, the magnitude of the eclipse, and the percent of the Sun obscured for a particular eclipse site. On-line documentation for using the API-enabled Solar Eclipse Computer, including sample calls, is available (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/api.php). The same Web page also describes how to reach the Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day, Phases of the Moon, Day and Night Across the Earth, and Apparent Disk of a Solar System Object services using API calls.For those who prefer using a traditional data input form, local circumstances can still be requested that way at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/SolarEclipses.php. In addition, the 2017 August 21 Solar Eclipse Resource page (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Eclipse2017.php) consolidates all of the USNO resources for this event, including a Google Map view of the eclipse track designed by Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO). Looking further ahead, a

JUPITER: Joint Universal Parameter IdenTification and Evaluation of Reliability - An Application Programming Interface (API) for Model Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Banta, Edward R.; Poeter, Eileen P.; Doherty, John E.; Hill, Mary C.

2006-01-01

he Joint Universal Parameter IdenTification and Evaluation of Reliability Application Programming Interface (JUPITER API) improves the computer programming resources available to those developing applications (computer programs) for model analysis.The JUPITER API consists of eleven Fortran-90 modules that provide for encapsulation of data and operations on that data. Each module contains one or more entities: data, data types, subroutines, functions, and generic interfaces. The modules do not constitute computer programs themselves; instead, they are used to construct computer programs. Such computer programs are called applications of the API. The API provides common modeling operations for use by a variety of computer applications.The models being analyzed are referred to here as process models, and may, for example, represent the physics, chemistry, and(or) biology of a field or laboratory system. Process models commonly are constructed using published models such as MODFLOW (Harbaugh et al., 2000; Harbaugh, 2005), MT3DMS (Zheng and Wang, 1996), HSPF (Bicknell et al., 1997), PRMS (Leavesley and Stannard, 1995), and many others. The process model may be accessed by a JUPITER API application as an external program, or it may be implemented as a subroutine within a JUPITER API application . In either case, execution of the model takes place in a framework designed by the application programmer. This framework can be designed to take advantage of any parallel processing capabilities possessed by the process model, as well as the parallel-processing capabilities of the JUPITER API.Model analyses for which the JUPITER API could be useful include, for example: Compare model results to observed values to determine how well the model reproduces system processes and characteristics.Use sensitivity analysis to determine the information provided by observations to parameters and predictions of interest.Determine the additional data needed to improve selected model

Automation of ReactomeFIViz via CyREST API [version 2; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fred Loney

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Pathway- and network-based approaches project seemingly unrelated genes onto the context of pathways and networks, enhancing the analysis power that cannot be achieved via gene-based approaches. Pathway and network approaches are routinely applied in large-scale data analysis for cancer and other complicated diseases. ReactomeFIViz is a Cytoscape app, providing features for researchers to perform pathway- and network-based data analysis and visualization by leveraging manually curated Reactome pathways and highly reliable Reactome functional interaction network. To facilitate adoption of this app in bioinformatics software pipeline and workflow development, we develop a CyREST API for ReactomeFIViz by exposing some major features in the app. We describe a use case to demonstrate the use of this API in a Python-based notebook, and believe the new API will provide the community a convenient and powerful tool to perform pathway- and network-based data analysis and visualization using our app in an automatic way.

libChEBI: an API for accessing the ChEBI database.

Science.gov (United States)

Swainston, Neil; Hastings, Janna; Dekker, Adriano; Muthukrishnan, Venkatesh; May, John; Steinbeck, Christoph; Mendes, Pedro

2016-01-01

ChEBI is a database and ontology of chemical entities of biological interest. It is widely used as a source of identifiers to facilitate unambiguous reference to chemical entities within biological models, databases, ontologies and literature. ChEBI contains a wealth of chemical data, covering over 46,500 distinct chemical entities, and related data such as chemical formula, charge, molecular mass, structure, synonyms and links to external databases. Furthermore, ChEBI is an ontology, and thus provides meaningful links between chemical entities. Unlike many other resources, ChEBI is fully human-curated, providing a reliable, non-redundant collection of chemical entities and related data. While ChEBI is supported by a web service for programmatic access and a number of download files, it does not have an API library to facilitate the use of ChEBI and its data in cheminformatics software. To provide this missing functionality, libChEBI, a comprehensive API library for accessing ChEBI data, is introduced. libChEBI is available in Java, Python and MATLAB versions from http://github.com/libChEBI, and provides full programmatic access to all data held within the ChEBI database through a simple and documented API. libChEBI is reliant upon the (automated) download and regular update of flat files that are held locally. As such, libChEBI can be embedded in both on- and off-line software applications. libChEBI allows better support of ChEBI and its data in the development of new cheminformatics software. Covering three key programming languages, it allows for the entirety of the ChEBI database to be accessed easily and quickly through a simple API. All code is open access and freely available.

The Auroral Planetary Imaging and Spectroscopy (APIS) service

Science.gov (United States)

Lamy, L.; Prangé, R.; Henry, F.; Le Sidaner, P.

2015-06-01

The Auroral Planetary Imaging and Spectroscopy (APIS) service, accessible online, provides an open and interactive access to processed auroral observations of the outer planets and their satellites. Such observations are of interest for a wide community at the interface between planetology, magnetospheric and heliospheric physics. APIS consists of (i) a high level database, built from planetary auroral observations acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) since 1997 with its mostly used Far-Ultraviolet spectro-imagers, (ii) a dedicated search interface aimed at browsing efficiently this database through relevant conditional search criteria and (iii) the ability to interactively work with the data online through plotting tools developed by the Virtual Observatory (VO) community, such as Aladin and Specview. This service is VO compliant and can therefore also been queried by external search tools of the VO community. The diversity of available data and the capability to sort them out by relevant physical criteria shall in particular facilitate statistical studies, on long-term scales and/or multi-instrumental multi-spectral combined analysis.

Long Term Storage of Ascosphaera aggregata and A. apis Pathogens of the Leafcutting Bee (Megachile rotundata) and the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Science.gov (United States)

Survival of Ascosphaera aggregata and A. apis over the course of a year were tested using different storage treatments. For spores, the methods tested were freeze drying and ultra-low temperature storage, and for hyphae, freeze drying, agar slants covered with water, and two methods of ultra-low tem...

Testing of the structure of macromolecular polymer films containing solid active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boelcskei, E. [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Eoetvoes u. 6 (Hungary); Suevegh, K. [Laboratory of Nuclear Chemistry, Eoetvoes Lorand University, H-1518 Budapest 112, P.O. Box 32 (Hungary); Marek, T. [Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Group for Nuclear Techniques in Structural Chemistry, Eoetvoes Lorand University, H-1518 Budapest 112, P.O. Box 32 (Hungary); Regdon, G. [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Eoetvoes u. 6 (Hungary); Pintye-Hodi, K., E-mail: klara.hodi@pharm.u-szeged.h [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Eoetvoes u. 6 (Hungary)

2011-07-15

The aim of the present study was to investigate the structure of free films of Eudragit{sup L} 30D-55 containing different concentrations (0%, 1% or 5%) of diclofenac sodium by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The data revealed that the size of the free-volume holes and the lifetimes of ortho-positronium atoms decreased with increase of the API concentration. Films containing 5% of the API exhibited a different behavior during storage (17 {sup o}C, 65% relative humidity (RH)) in consequence of the uptake of water from the air. -- Highlights: {yields} The aim of the present study was to investigate the structure of free films of Eudragit{sup L} 30D-55 containing different concentrations (0%, 1% or 5%) of diclofenac sodium by positron annihilation spectroscopy. {yields} The data revealed that the size of the free-volume holes and the lifetimes of ortho-positronium atoms decreased with increase of the API concentration (). {yields} The API distorts the original polymer structure, but as time goes by, the metastable structure relaxes and it is almost totally restored after 3 weeks of storage (17 {sup o}C, 65% RH).

Hybrid origins of Australian honeybees (Apis mellifera)

OpenAIRE

Chapman , Nadine C.; Harpur , Brock A.; Lim , Julianne; Rinderer , Thomas E.; Allsopp , Michael H.; Zayed , Amro; Oldroyd , Benjamin P.

2016-01-01

International audience; Abstract With increased globalisation and homogenisation, the maintenance of genetic integrity in local populations of agriculturally important species is of increasing concern. The western honeybee (Apis mellifera) provides an interesting perspective as it is both managed and wild, with a large native range and much larger introduced range. We employed a newly created 95 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) test to characterise the genetic ancestry of the Australian c...

Seminal fluid of honeybees contains multiple mechanisms to combat infections of the sexually transmitted pathogen Nosema apis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yan; Grassl, Julia; Millar, A Harvey; Baer, Boris

2016-01-27

The societies of ants, bees and wasps are genetically closed systems where queens only mate during a brief mating episode prior to their eusocial life and males therefore provide queens with a lifetime supply of high-quality sperm. These ejaculates also contain a number of defence proteins that have been detected in the seminal fluid but their function and efficiency have never been investigated in great detail. Here, we used the honeybee Apis mellifera and quantified whether seminal fluid is able to combat infections of the fungal pathogen Nosema apis, a widespread honeybee parasite that is also sexually transmitted. We provide the first empirical evidence that seminal fluid has a remarkable antimicrobial activity against N. apis spores and that antimicrobial seminal fluid components kill spores in multiple ways. The protein fraction of seminal fluid induces extracellular spore germination, which disrupts the life cycle of N. apis, whereas the non-protein fraction of seminal fluid induces a direct viability loss of intact spores. We conclude that males provide their ejaculates with efficient antimicrobial molecules that are able to kill N. apis spores and thereby reduce the risk of disease transmission during mating. Our findings could be of broader significance to master honeybee diseases in managed honeybee stock in the future. © 2016 The Author(s).

Analisis Fitur M-Ticketing PT. Kereta Api Indonesia sebagai Bagian dari Customer Relation Management (CRM)

OpenAIRE

Hijrih, Fatchul; Prasetyo, Taufan Harry

2015-01-01

Sebagai Perusahaan jasa tranportasi darat yaitu kereta api, PT. Kereta Api Indonesia perlu memperhatikan aspek pelayanan terhadap pelanggan dengan memperhatikan fitur-fitur Customer Relation Management dalam membuat dalam membuat aplikasi-aplikasi yang berhubungan langsung dengan pelanggan, salah satunya m-ticketing. Kemunculan m-ticketing KAI saat ini digunakan sebagai alat penjualan tiket saja. Hal ini dapat terlihat dari menu atau fitur-fitur yang disematkan kedalam aplikasi tersebut. Adan...

An Update to the EARTHTIME Argon Intercalibration Pipette System (APIS): Smoking from the Same Pipe

Science.gov (United States)

Turrin, B. D.; Swisher, C. C., III; Hemming, S. R.; Renne, P. R.; Deino, A. L.; Hodges, K. V.; Van Soest, M. C.; Heizler, M. T.

2015-12-01

Background: An initial 40Ar/39Ar inter-calibration experiment, using two of the most commonly used 40Ar/39Ar mineral standards, Fish Canyon (FC, ~28.2 Ma) and Alder Creek (AC, ~1.2 Ma) sanidines, revealed significant inter-laboratory inconsistencies. The reported ages for the AC sanidines range from 1.173 to 1.200 Ma (FC 28.02) (±~2%), ~4 times greater than the reported precisions. These experiments have motivated the 40Ar/39Ar community to reevaluate procedures and subsequent informal lab intercalibrations experiments are in better agreement, but discrepancies remain that need to be addressed. Experiment: In an effort to isolate the causes of these inconsistencies, an Argon Intercalibration Pipette System (APIS) was designed and constructed. The APIS system consists of three gas canisters; one containing atmospheric Ar and the other two canisters contain 40Ar/39Ar ratios that represent FC and AC. The volumes of the pipettes, bulbs and manifold are determined to within 0.4% and both systems were initially filled to the same pressure with Ar standard gases. Each canister has 4x10-10 moles of 40Ar, is equipped with a 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 cc pipettes and can deliver increments from 0.1-0.7 cc. APIS-1 was designated as the traveling unit that is brought to participating labs, APIS-2 is the reserve/master standard. Early Results and Impressions: APIS-1 has been to four labs (Rutgers, LDEO, New Mexico Tech, and BGC) and is heading to ASU. Early APIS experimental data indicate that the inter-laboratory 40Ar/39Ar age results can meet or exceed the EARTHTIME goal of ±1‰ precision. The inter-laboratory comparisons are ongoing, and will include additional laboratories of opportunity. Lastly, the development of additional mineral standards that "fill in" the age gaps between the existing mineral standards would significantly improve attempting to achieve interlaboratory agreement at the ±1‰ level

The simulation of CAMAC system based on Windows API

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Lei; Song Yushou; Xi Yinyin; Yan Qiang; Liu Huilan; Li Taosheng

2012-01-01

Based on Windows API, a kind of design method to simulate the CAMAC System, which is commonly used in nuclear physics experiments, is developed. Using C++ object-oriented programming, the simulation is carried out in the environment of Visual Studio 2010 and the interfaces, the data-way, the control commands and the modules are simulated with the functions either user-defined or from Windows API. Applying this method, the amplifier plug AMP575A produced by ORTEC is simulated and performance experiments are studied for this simulation module. The results indicate that the simulation module can fulfill the function of pole-zero adjustment, which means this method is competent for the simulation of CAMAC System. Compared with the simulation based on LabVIEW, this way is more flexible and closer to the bottom of the system. All the works above have found a path to making the virtual instrument platform based on CAMAC system. (authors)

360-MAM-Affect: Sentiment Analysis with the Google Prediction API and EmoSenticNet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleanor Mulholland

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Online recommender systems are useful for media asset management where they select the best content from a set of media assets. We have developed an architecture for 360-MAM- Select, a recommender system for educational video content. 360-MAM-Select will utilise sentiment analysis and gamification techniques for the recommendation of media assets. 360-MAM-Select will increase user participation with digital content through improved video recommendations. Here, we discuss the architecture of 360-MAM-Select and the use of the Google Prediction API and EmoSenticNet for 360-MAM-Affect, 360-MAM-Select's sentiment analysis module. Results from testing two models for sentiment analysis, Sentiment Classifier (Google Prediction API and EmoSenticNetClassifer (Google Prediction API + EmoSenticNet are promising. Future work includes the implementation and testing of 360-MAM-Select on video data from YouTube EDU and Head Squeeze.

Studi Eksperimen Distribusi Temperatur Nyala Api Kompor Bioetanol Tipe Side Burner dengan Variasi Diameter Firewall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.R. Vienna Sona Saputri Soetadi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Untuk mendapatkan kompor bioetanol efisiensi thermal maksimal diperlukan penelitian komprehensif. Salah satunya adalah penelitian terhadap posisi peletakkan beban pada kompor bioetanol kompak. Pengujian dilakukan pada kompor uji bioetanol dengan kadar 99%, yaitu kompor bioetanol tipe side burner dengan firewall 2.5 inci dan firewall 3 inci. Pengukuran temperatur api dengan 13 thermocouple K dengan pengukuran searah api keatas setiap 5 mm-an. Kemudian, water boiling test dilakukan untuk mendapatkan daya dan beban dan dilanjutkan mengukur waktu pendidihan air. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan gambaran total distribusi temperatur nyala api difusi. Hasil menunjukkan untuk kompor 2.5 inci dengan daya 1.6 kW mempunyai temperatur 542 ºC dengan jarak ketinggian 5 mm dari rim kompor sedangkan kompor 3 inci menghasilkan daya 2.38 kW dengan temperatur 516 ºC.

The effects of honey (Apis dorsata) supplements on increased bone strength in ovariectomized rat as animal model of osteoporosis

Science.gov (United States)

Yudaniayanti, Ira Sari; Primarizky, Hardany; Nangoi, Lianny

2018-04-01

Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration with a consequent increase in bone fragility and fracture risk. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of honey (Apis dorsata) supplements on increased bone strength in ovariectomized rat as animal models of osteoporosis. Twenty female rats at 3 months of age, weighing 150-200 g were used in the study. The rats were divided into five groups (n=4) : Sham operation group (SH); ovariectomy group no treatment(OVX); ovariectomy with treatment Apis dorsata 1g/Kg BW (AD-1); ovariectomy with treatment Apis dorsata 2g/Kg BW (AD-2); ovariectomy with treatment Apis dorsata 4g/Kg BW (AD-3). The treatment started to be given the next day after ovariectomy operation for 12 weeks. The Rats were sacrified within 12 weeks, and then the right femur were taken bone strength test. Based on the statistical analysis of the bone strength test, the greatest score belongs to the Sham operation group (SH) that have significant difference (p0,05). In conclusion, honey (Apis dorsata) supplements has the effect of increasing bone strength in ovariectomized rat as animal models of osteoporosis, so that honey (Apis dorsata) supplements has the potential to be used as an alternative treatment for osteoporosis.

The E3 ubiquitin ligases β-TrCP and FBXW7 cooperatively mediates GSK3-dependent Mcl-1 degradation induced by the Akt inhibitor API-1, resulting in apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Hui; Koo, Junghui; Guan, Baoxiang; Yue, Ping; Deng, Xingming; Chen, Mingwei; Khuri, Fadlo R; Sun, Shi-Yong

2013-11-22

The novel Akt inhibitor, API-1, induces apoptosis through undefined mechanisms. The current study focuses on revealing the mechanisms by which API-1 induces apoptosis. API-1 rapidly and potently reduced the levels of Mcl-1 primarily in API-1-senstive lung cancer cell lines. Ectopic expression of Mcl-1 protected cells from induction of apoptosis by API-1. API-1 treatment decreased the half-life of Mcl-1, whereas inhibition of the proteasome with MG132 rescued Mcl-1 reduction induced by API-1. API-1 decreased Mcl-1 levels accompanied with a rapid increase in Mcl-1 phosphorylation (S159/T163). Moreover, inhibition of GSK3 inhibited Mcl-1 phosphorylation and reduction induced by API-1 and antagonized the effect of API-1 on induction of apoptosis. Knockdown of either FBXW7 or β-TrCP alone, both of which are E3 ubiquitin ligases involved in Mcl-1 degradation, only partially rescued Mcl-1 reduction induced by API-1. However, double knockdown of both E3 ubiquitin ligases enhanced the rescue of API-1-induced Mcl-1 reduction. API-1 induces GSK3-dependent, β-TrCP- and FBXW7-mediated Mcl-1 degradation, resulting in induction of apoptosis.

Effects of Apis mellifera adansonii, L. 1758 (Apidae: Hymenoptera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pollination on yields of Cucumeropsis mannii (Naudin) in Kisangani, ... 1Unit of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liège, ... number of fruits per plant, average weight of seeds extracted per fruit, ... enhance symbiotic interactions Apis mellifera with C. mannii in DRC. ..... Trends in Ecology and Evolution,.

Flight behaviour of honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers is altered by initial infections of the fungal parasite Nosema apis

Science.gov (United States)

Dosselli, Ryan; Grassl, Julia; Carson, Andrew; Simmons, Leigh W.; Baer, Boris

2016-01-01

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) host a wide range of parasites, some being known contributors towards dramatic colony losses as reported over recent years. To counter parasitic threats, honey bees possess effective immune systems. Because immune responses are predicted to cause substantial physiological costs for infected individuals, they are expected to trade off with other life history traits that ultimately affect the performance and fitness of the entire colony. Here, we tested whether the initial onset of an infection negatively impacts the flight behaviour of honey bee workers, which is an energetically demanding behaviour and a key component of foraging activities. To do this, we infected workers with the widespread fungal pathogen Nosema apis, which is recognised and killed by the honey bee immune system. We compared their survival and flight behaviour with non-infected individuals from the same cohort and colony using radio frequency identification tags (RFID). We found that over a time frame of four days post infection, Nosema did not increase mortality but workers quickly altered their flight behaviour and performed more flights of shorter duration. We conclude that parasitic infections influence foraging activities, which could reduce foraging ranges of colonies and impact their ability to provide pollination services. PMID:27827404

Silk formation mechanisms in the larval salivary glands of Apis ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

The mechanism of silk formation in Apis mellifera salivary glands, during the 5th instar, was studied. Larval salivary glands .... be used in the silk-manufacture industry. This paper analyses .... (figure 3C); and are highly birefringent (figure 3D).

Improving honey production in worker bees (Apis mellifera adansoni ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Modification of feeding activity, nursing care and undertaker behaviour were carried out among some colonies of honey bees Apis mellifera adansoni L to know the effect on honey production. Apiaries Numbers 1, 2 and 3 contain three replicates of experimental hives while apiary Number 4 contains control hives. All the ...

Standard methods for research on apis mellifera gut symbionts

Science.gov (United States)

Gut microbes can play an important role in digestion, disease resistance, and the general health of animals, but little is known about the biology of gut symbionts in Apis mellifera. This paper is part of a series on honey bee research methods, providing protocols for studying gut symbionts. We desc...

Modelling the subgenual organ of the honeybee, Apis mellifera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Storm, Jesper; Kilpinen, Ole

1998-01-01

In a recent study on the honeybee (Apis mellifera), the subgenual organ was observed moving inside the leg during sinusoidal vibrations of the leg (Kilpinen and Storm 1997). The subgenual organ of the honeybee is suspended in a haemolymph channel in the tibia of each leg. When the leg accelerates...

Development of stress-modified fracture strain criterion for ductile fracture of API X65 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Chang Kyun; Kim, Yun Jae; Park, Jin Moo; Kim, Woo Sik; Baek, Jong Hyun

2005-01-01

This paper presents a stress-modified fracture strain for API X65 steel used for gas pipeline, as a function of stress triaxiality. To determine the stress-modified fracture strain, tension test of bars with four different notch radii, made of API X65 steel, is firstly performed, from which true fracture strains are determined as a function of notch radius. Then detailed elastic-plastic, large strain Finite Element (FE) analyses are performed to estimate variations of stress triaxiality in the notched bars with load. Combining experimental with FE results provides the true fracture strain as a function of stress triaxiality, which is regarded as a criterion of ductile fracture. Application of the developed stress-modified fracture strain to failure prediction of gas pipes made of API X65 steel with various types of defects is discussed

The APIS service : a tool for accessing value-added HST planetary auroral observations over 1997-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Lamy, L.; Henry, F.; Prangé, R.; Le Sidaner, P.

2015-10-01

The Auroral Planetary Imaging and Spectroscopy (APIS) service http://obspm.fr/apis/ provides an open and interactive access to processed auroral observations of the outer planets and their satellites. Such observations are of interest for a wide community at the interface between planetology, magnetospheric and heliospheric physics. APIS consists of (i) a high level database, built from planetary auroral observations acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) since 1997 with its mostly used Far-Ultraviolet spectro- imagers, (ii) a dedicated search interface aimed at browsing efficiently this database through relevant conditional search criteria (Figure 1) and (iii) the ability to interactively work with the data online through plotting tools developed by the Virtual Observatory (VO) community, such as Aladin and Specview. This service is VO compliant and can therefore also been queried by external search tools of the VO community. The diversity of available data and the capability to sort them out by relevant physical criteria shall in particular facilitate statistical studies, on long-term scales and/or multi-instrumental multispectral combined analysis [1,2]. We will present the updated capabilities of APIS with several examples. Several tutorials are available online.

A Knockout Screen of ApiAP2 Genes Reveals Networks of Interacting Transcriptional Regulators Controlling the Plasmodium Life Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Modrzynska, Katarzyna; Pfander, Claudia; Chappell, Lia; Yu, Lu; Suarez, Catherine; Dundas, Kirsten; Gomes, Ana Rita; Goulding, David; Rayner, Julian C; Choudhary, Jyoti; Billker, Oliver

2017-01-11

A family of apicomplexa-specific proteins containing AP2 DNA-binding domains (ApiAP2s) was identified in malaria parasites. This family includes sequence-specific transcription factors that are key regulators of development. However, functions for the majority of ApiAP2 genes remain unknown. Here, a systematic knockout screen in Plasmodium berghei identified ten ApiAP2 genes that were essential for mosquito transmission: four were critical for the formation of infectious ookinetes, and three were required for sporogony. We describe non-essential functions for AP2-O and AP2-SP proteins in blood stages, and identify AP2-G2 as a repressor active in both asexual and sexual stages. Comparative transcriptomics across mutants and developmental stages revealed clusters of co-regulated genes with shared cis promoter elements, whose expression can be controlled positively or negatively by different ApiAP2 factors. We propose that stage-specific interactions between ApiAP2 proteins on partly overlapping sets of target genes generate the complex transcriptional network that controls the Plasmodium life cycle. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data synchronisation and cost reduction using API in customer relationship management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomić Željko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Research has shown that 51% of all ERP implementations involve some kind of problems in business operations during the 'go live' phase. Despite all the efforts to increase efficiency and improve business processes, many organizations come to a conclusion that once they move to the new ERP system they are not able to perform some of the basic business processes (both in the data migration phase and operational procedures, such as issuing goods from the warehouse. The ERP implementations are too often accompanied by technical and organizational issues that may cause problems in the functioning of a business system. As organizational issues are more frequently the cause of the problem, it is crucial to accurately perform the business processes analysis phase, as well as the final testing. Based on the analysis of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning, CRM (Customer Relationship Management and SCM (Supply Chain Management e-business models of the largest producers of software applications, the bottlenecks and shortcomings typical of the implementation of these models were identified in a select sample of clients and it has been established that there are certain inconsistencies and programme problems between the company information system (IS and the implemented ERP/CRM or SCM models. The identified problems served as the basis for designing and programming an application programming interface (API aimed at addressing certain application needs of the companies, i.e. the inadequate synchronization of databases and other IT resources. The API has been designed and programmed with a view to resolving the problems with inconsistencies and synchronization and reducing business operations costs. It has been tested as a pilot application on ISs of selected companies that apply the ERP/CRM business support systems. This work describes the ERP/CRM database synchronization process and tests the quality of the API solution based on a programmed web survey, i

Physicochemical analysis of apis dorsata honey from terai forests, Nepal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qamer, S.; Ahmad, F.; Latif, F.; Ali, S.S

2008-01-01

The multi floral honey produced by Apis dorsata from Shahabgunj, Dhakeri, Narayanpur and Perari forest, Nepal, were provided by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal. These ninety nine Apis dorsata honey samples were characterized physicochemical and were found to have values of various quality determining parameters well with in the permissible International standards. The honey samples had pH in the range of 3.8-4.68, free acidity 41-48 meq/kg, lactones 13-16 meq/kg, total acidity 55-65 meq/kg, moisture content 20.5-26%, electrical conductivity 0.22-0.63 mS/cm, proline content 76-160 mg/kg, HMF content 30-56 mg/kg, diastase number 5.1-29 DN, invertase number 390-499, apparent reducing sugars 73.78-77.78%, fructose 36.93-44.61%, glucose 19.61-27.51% and sucrose 12.07-20.38%. (author)

Recenzija. Monografija apie filosofijos ir literatūros giminystę

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomas Kačerauskas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Prieš keletą metų neoficialiame pokalbyje J. Baranova prasitarė, kad nėra didesnio malonumo už rašymą. Tiesą sakant, buvau sužavėtas ir priblokštas ne tik dėl šios ištaros asimetrijos R. Barthes’o minčiai apie skaitymo malonumą (net erotinį. Visai kitaip apie rašymą atsiliepia A. Šliogeris (kurio filosofi jos apmąstymui J. Baranova pelnytai skiria daug dėmesio: jis mieliau nerašytų nei rašytų. Tokiais atvejais prisimenu M. Bulgakovą, kuris „tempiąs save už plaukų prie rašomojo stalo“. Rašymas daug kam siejasi su disciplina, prievarta savęs atžvilgiu, geriausiu atveju – kasdieniu įpročiu.

QSPIN: A High Level Java API for Quantum Computing Experimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Tim

2017-01-01

QSPIN is a high level Java language API for experimentation in QC models used in the calculation of Ising spin glass ground states and related quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problems. The Java API is intended to facilitate research in advanced QC algorithms such as hybrid quantum-classical solvers, automatic selection of constraint and optimization parameters, and techniques for the correction and mitigation of model and solution errors. QSPIN includes high level solver objects tailored to the D-Wave quantum annealing architecture that implement hybrid quantum-classical algorithms [Booth et al.] for solving large problems on small quantum devices, elimination of variables via roof duality, and classical computing optimization methods such as GPU accelerated simulated annealing and tabu search for comparison. A test suite of documented NP-complete applications ranging from graph coloring, covering, and partitioning to integer programming and scheduling are provided to demonstrate current capabilities.

Molecular characterization of Api g 2, a novel allergenic member of the lipid-transfer protein 1 family from celery stalks.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadermaier, Gabriele; Egger, Matthias; Girbl, Tamara; Erler, Anja; Harrer, Andrea; Vejvar, Eva; Liso, Marina; Richter, Klaus; Zuidmeer, Laurian; Mari, Adriano; Ferreira, Fatima

2011-04-01

Celery represents a relevant cross-reactive food allergen source in the adult population. As the currently known allergens are not typical elicitors of severe symptoms, we aimed to identify and characterize a non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP). MS and cDNA cloning were applied to obtain the full-length sequence of a novel allergenic nsLTP from celery stalks. The purified natural molecule consisted of a single isoallergen designated as Api g 2.0101, which was recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami. The natural and recombinant molecules displayed equivalent physicochemical and immunological properties. Circular dichroism revealed a typical α-helical fold and high thermal stability. Moreover, Api g 2 was highly resistant to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. As assessed by ELISA, thermal denaturation did not affect the IgE binding of Api g 2. Natural and recombinant Api g 2 showed similar allergenic activity in mediator release assays. Api g 2-specific IgE antibodies cross-reacted with peach and mugwort pollen nsLTPs. Based on our results, it can be anticipated that inclusion of recombinant Api g 2 in the current panel of allergens for molecule-based diagnosis will facilitate the evaluation of the clinical relevance of nsLTP sensitization in celery allergy and help clinicians in the management of food allergic patients. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

APIS : an interactive database of HST-UV observations of the outer planets

Science.gov (United States)

Lamy, Laurent; Henry, Florence; Prangé, Renée; Le Sidaner, Pierre

2014-05-01

Remote UV measurement of the outer planets offer a wealth of informations on rings, moons, planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres. Auroral emissions in particular provide highly valuable constraints on the auroral processes at work and the underlying coupling between the solar wind, the magnetosphere, the ionosphere and the moons. Key observables provided by high resolution spectro-imaging include the spatial topology and the dynamics of active magnetic field lines, the radiated and the precipitated powers or the energy of precipitating particles. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) acquired thousands of Far-UV spectra and images of the aurorae of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus since 1993, feeding in numerous magnetospheric studies. But their use remains generally limited, owing to the difficulty to access and use raw and value-added data. APIS, the egyptian god of fertilization, is also the acronym of a new database (Auroral Planetary Imaging and Spectroscopy), aimed at facilitating the use of HST planetary auroral observations. APIS is based at the Virtual Observatory (VO) of Paris and provides a free and interactive access to a variety of high level data through a simple research interface and standard VO tools (as Aladin, Specview). We will present the capabilities of APIS and illustrate them with several examples.

MicroRNA-1 promotes apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells by targeting apoptosis inhibitor-5 (API-5).

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dong; Liu, Yu; Li, Hua; Peng, Jing-Jing; Tan, Yan; Zou, Qiang; Song, Xiao-Feng; Du, Min; Yang, Zheng-Hui; Tan, Yong; Zhou, Jin-Jun; Xu, Tao; Fu, Zeng-Qiang; Feng, Jian-Qiong; Cheng, Peng; chen, Tao; Wei, Dong; Su, Xiao-Mei; Liu, Huan-Yi; Qi, Zhong-Chun; Tang, Li-Jun; Wang, Tao; Guo, Xin; Hu, Yong-He; Zhang, Tao

2015-01-02

Although microRNA-1 (miR-1) is a known liver cancer suppressor, the role of miR-1 in apoptosis of hepatoma cells has remained largely unknown. Our study shows that ectopic miR-1 overexpression induced apoptosis of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Apoptosis inhibitor 5 (API-5) was found to be a potential regulator of miR-1 induced apoptosis, using a bioinformatics approach. Furthermore, an inverse relationship between miR-1 and API-5 expression was observed in human liver cancer tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues. Negative regulation of API-5 expression by miR-1 was demonstrated to promote apoptosis of HepG2 cells. Our study provides a novel regulatory mechanism of miR-1 in the apoptosis of hepatoma cells. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The API methodology for risk-based inspection (RBI) analysis for the petroleum and petrochemical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, J.T.

1998-01-01

Twenty-one petroleum and petrochemical companies are currently sponsoring a project within the American Petroleum Institute (API) to develop risk-based inspection (RBI) methodology for application in the refining and petrochemical industry. This paper describes that particular RBI methodology and provides a summary of the three levels of RBI analysis developed by the project. Also included is a review of the first pilot project to validate the methodology by applying RBI to several existing refining units. The failure for pressure equipment in a process unit can have several undesirable effects. For the purpose of RBI analysis, the API RBI program categorizes these effects into four basic risk outcomes: flammable events, toxic releases, major environmental damage, and business interruption losses. API RBI is a strategic process, both qualitative and quantitative, for understanding and reducing these risks associated with operating pressure equipment. This paper will show how API RBI assesses the potential consequences of a failure of the pressure boundary, as well as assessing the likelihood (probability) of failure. Risk-based inspection also prioritizes risk levels in a systematic manner so that the owner-user can then plan an inspection program that focuses more resources on the higher risk equipment; while possibly saving inspection resources that are not doing an effective job of reducing risk. At the same time, if consequence of failure is a significant driving force for high risk equipment items, plant management also has the option of applying consequence mitigation steps to minimize the impact of a hazardous release, should one occur. The target audience for this paper is engineers, inspectors, and managers who want to understand what API Risk-Based Inspection is all about, what are the benefits and limitations of RBI, and how inspection practices can be changed to reduce risks and/or save costs without impacting safety risk. (Author)

Genetic variation in natural honeybee populations, Apis mellifera capensis

Science.gov (United States)

Hepburn, Randall; Neumann, Peter; Radloff, Sarah E.

2004-09-01

Genetic variation in honeybee, Apis mellifera, populations can be considerably influenced by breeding and commercial introductions, especially in areas with abundant beekeeping. However, in southern Africa apiculture is based on the capture of wild swarms, and queen rearing is virtually absent. Moreover, the introduction of European subspecies constantly failed in the Cape region. We therefore hypothesize a low human impact on genetic variation in populations of Cape honeybees, Apis mellifera capensis. A novel solution to studying genetic variation in honeybee populations based on thelytokous worker reproduction is applied to test this hypothesis. Environmental effects on metrical morphological characters of the phenotype are separated to obtain a genetic residual component. The genetic residuals are then re-calculated as coefficients of genetic variation. Characters measured included hair length on the abdomen, width and length of wax plate, and three wing angles. The data show for the first time that genetic variation in Cape honeybee populations is independent of beekeeping density and probably reflects naturally occurring processes such as gene flow due to topographic and climatic variation on a microscale.

Apie filosofijos ir meno sąsajas

OpenAIRE

Martinkus, Vytautas

2008-01-01

The article provides a review of Leonarda Jekentaitė’s book “De Profundis: Psichoanalitinės Filosofijos Žvilgsniu apie Mąstytojus ir Menininkus” (2007), written by V. Martinkus, according to whom, there are still few original art philosophy studies, published by Lithuanian authors in Lithuania. The review provides an analysis of the structure of the book, the style and main subjects are distinguished. The book provides the author’s articles, written during the period of thirty years. Most of ...

Vitellogenins Are New High Molecular Weight Components and Allergens (Api m 12 and Ves v 6) of Apis mellifera and Vespula vulgaris Venom

Science.gov (United States)

Blank, Simon; Seismann, Henning; McIntyre, Mareike; Ollert, Markus; Wolf, Sara; Bantleon, Frank I.; Spillner, Edzard

2013-01-01

Background/Objectives Anaphylaxis due to hymenoptera stings is one of the most severe clinical outcomes of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. Although allergic reactions to hymenoptera stings are often considered as a general model for the underlying principles of allergic disease, venom immunotherapy is still hampered by severe systemic side effects and incomplete protection. The identification and detailed characterization of all allergens of hymenoptera venoms might result in an improvement in this field and promote the detailed understanding of the allergological mechanism. Our aim was the identification and detailed immunochemical and allergological characterization of the low abundant IgE-reactive 200 kDa proteins of Apis mellifera and Vespula vulgaris venom. Methods/Principal Findings Tandem mass spectrometry-based sequencing of a 200 kDa venom protein yielded peptides that could be assigned to honeybee vitellogenin. The coding regions of the honeybee protein as well as of the homologue from yellow jacket venom were cloned from venom gland cDNA. The newly identified 200 kDa proteins share a sequence identity on protein level of 40% and belong to the family of vitellogenins, present in all oviparous animals, and are the first vitellogenins identified as components of venom. Both vitellogenins could be recombinantly produced as soluble proteins in insect cells and assessed for their specific IgE reactivity. The particular vitellogenins were recognized by approximately 40% of sera of venom-allergic patients even in the absence of cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants. Conclusion With the vitellogenins of Apis mellifera and Vespula vulgaris venom a new homologous pair of venom allergens was identified and becomes available for future applications. Due to their allergenic properties the honeybee and the yellow jacket venom vitellogenin were designated as allergens Api m 12 and Ves v 6, respectively. PMID:23626765

Comparison of ground based indices (API and AQI) with satellite based aerosol products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Sheng; Cao, Chun-Xiang; Singh, Ramesh P

2014-08-01

Air quality in mega cities is one of the major concerns due to serious health issues and its indirect impact to the climate. Among mega cities, Beijing city is considered as one of the densely populated cities with extremely poor air quality. The meteorological parameters (wind, surface temperature, air temperature and relative humidity) control the dynamics and dispersion of air pollution. China National Environmental Monitoring Centre (CNEMC) started air pollution index (API) as of 2000 to evaluate air quality, but over the years, it was felt that the air quality is not well represented by API. Recently, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) started using a new index "air quality index (AQI)" from January 2013. We have compared API and AQI with three different MODIS (MODIS - Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer, onboard the Terra/Aqua satellites) AOD (aerosol optical depth) products for ten months, January-October, 2013. The correlation between AQI and Aqua Deep Blue AOD was found to be reasonably good as compared with API, mainly due to inclusion of PM2.5 in the calculation of AQI. In addition, for every month, the correlation coefficient between AQI and Aqua Deep Blue AOD was found to be relatively higher in the month of February to May. According to the monthly average distribution of precipitation, temperature, and PM10, the air quality in the months of June-September was better as compared to those in the months of February-May. AQI and Aqua Deep Blue AOD show highly polluted days associated with dust event, representing true air quality of Beijing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adaptive runtime for a multiprocessing API

Science.gov (United States)

Antao, Samuel F.; Bertolli, Carlo; Eichenberger, Alexandre E.; O'Brien, John K.

2016-11-15

A computer-implemented method includes selecting a runtime for executing a program. The runtime includes a first combination of feature implementations, where each feature implementation implements a feature of an application programming interface (API). Execution of the program is monitored, and the execution uses the runtime. Monitor data is generated based on the monitoring. A second combination of feature implementations are selected, by a computer processor, where the selection is based at least in part on the monitor data. The runtime is modified by activating the second combination of feature implementations to replace the first combination of feature implementations.

Studi Perencanaan Koordinasi Proteksi Mempertimbangkan Busur Api Pada Sistem Kelistrikan PT. Semen Indonesia Aceh Menggunakan Standar IEEE 1584-2002

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhimas Oktavian Andryana

2017-03-01

Full Text Available PT. Semen Indonesia pabrik Aceh merupakan perusahaan patungan (joint venture company antara PT. Semen Indonesia (Persero bersama PT. Samana Citra Agung. Total daya listrik yang dibutuhkan sebesar 85.8 MW dengan sistem kelistrikan pada sistem tegangan rendah dan menengah. Guna menjaga kontinuitas daya listrik, diperlukan koordinasi proteksi untuk meminimalisir dampak yang ditimbulkan ketika terjadi gangguan. Salah satu dampak yang ditimbulkan adalah adanya busur api (arc flash. Namun demikian, energi yang dihasilkan oleh busur api setelah dilakukan koordinasi proteksi perlu dipertimbangkan agar tidak melampaui standard yang diizinkan. Analisa busur api dilakukan dengan menggunakan perhitungan standar IEEE 1584-2002. Setelah dilakukan beberapa analisa didapatkan bahwa beberapa daerah di PT. Semen Indonesia pabrik Aceh memiliki nilai insiden energi diatas kategori 4, sehingga diperlukan tambahan peralatan berupa rele differensial sebagai pengaman utama agar nilai insiden energi busur api bisa dikategorikan sesuai standard NFPA 70E.

Improved soil characterization for pipe piles in sand in API RP-2A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, M.K.; Briaud, J.L.

1993-01-01

In the offshore, most foundations are steel pipe piles and most of them are designed using the API RP 2A guidelines. For axial capacity of piles in sand the current guidelines in many cases show definite discrepancies when compared against actual load capacities of piles. An updated data base analysis shows that there are three major weaknesses in the current guidelines with respect to soil characterization: (a) the consideration of the lateral earth pressure coefficient, K, as a constant (1.0 or 0.8); (b) the consideration of the unit point bearing resistance, q, as a linear function of depth; and (c) the absence of an unambiguous soil parameter determination process based on reliable in-situ test results. In this paper, specific modifications to the current API RP 2A guidelines are proposed on the basis of a data base analysis to account for the discrepancies arising from (a), (b), and (c) above. These modifications will reduce the discrepancies in the current API RP 2A method and increase the accuracy of the prediction of axial capacity of pipe piles in sand. Furthermore this will make the method fundamentally more consistent with soil behavior in deep foundations

Characterisation of weldment hardness, impact energy and microstructure in API X65 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemi, S.H.; Mohammadyani, D.

2012-01-01

The variation of microstructure and mechanical properties in various sub-zones of double submerged arc welded line pipe steel of grade API X65 was investigated. Instrumented Charpy V-notch tests and Vickers hardness experiments were conducted on the fusion zone, base metal and heat affected zone of the weld joint in 14.3 mm thick, 1219 mm outside diameter spiral pipeline. The lowest impact energy and the highest hardness level (160J and 218 HV, respectively) were recorded in the fusion zone. The low energy and high hardness characteristics of the seam weld can be attributed to its cast microstructure and the presence of grain boundary phases (such as proeutectoid ferrite), confirmed by standard metallographic observation. Despite this, service requirements set by the API 5L industry code (minimum impact energy of 73J, maximum hard spots of 350 HV) were fulfilled by the tested steel. Highlights: ► Experimental study of API X65 steel microstructure. ► Analysis of the relationship between X65 steel microstructure and hardness. ► Analysis of the relationship between X65 steel microstructure and impact energy. ► Presentation of detailed technical information on DSA welding in spiral pipes.

Clinical reactivity of celery cultivars in allergic patients: Role of Api g 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Dölle, S; Welter, S; Ruppel, E; Lehmann, K; Schwarz, D; Jensen-Jarolim, E; Zieglmayer, P; Franken, P; Worm, M

2018-04-01

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is a vegetable consumed world-wide. Celery stalks and celeriac roots are often ingredients in convenient food products like spice blends and soups. In this study, we examined the allergenicity of distinct celeriac cultivars. Sixteen celery-allergic patients were identified using a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. Ten different celeriac cultivars were used for skin prick testing in the patients. Two cultivars were further applied for oral food challenges; their protein composition was analysed by immunoblotting, and contents of major allergen Api g 1 were quantified. From the 10 investigated celeriac cultivars, two cultivars elicited significantly different skin reactivity ("Anita": 5.0 [2.0-12.0] mm vs "Prinz": 7.0 [3.0-9.5] mm; P = .047). Moreover, "Anita" induced fewer symptoms after a controlled oral-celeriac challenge in 14 patient (P Api g 1 in "Prinz" than in "Anita." Taken together, the data from this study suggest that cultivar Anita is better tolerated in celery-allergic patients than "Prinz." Differences in the protein expression profile between the cultivars, particularly the different content of Api g 1, could cause the different allergenicity. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.