Queen Bee Research Articles

Quantity and Quality of Commercially Reared Queens as Affected by Number and Distribution of Artificially Grafted Queen Cells Within Queen-Less Honey Bee Colonies in the Middle Delta Region, Egypt

Quantity and Quality of Commercially Reared Queens as Affected by Number and Distribution of Artificially Grafted Queen Cells Within Queen-Less Honey Bee Colonies in the Middle Delta Region, Egypt

Queen Bee Larva, an Edible By-Product of Royal Jelly, Alleviate D-Galactose-Induced Aging in Mouse by Regulating Gut Microbiota Structure and Amino Acid Metabolism

Queen bee larva (QBL), as a by-product of royal jelly, is a kind of protein-rich edible insect. However, the development and utilization of QBL have been very limited for an extended period, resulting in considerable economic waste. Notably, QBL has substantial potential for anti-aging treatments; however, systematic studies have been scarce. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of freeze-dried QBL powder (QBLP) treatment in a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced-aging mouse and to explore the mechanisms. A behavioral test indicated that QBLP-treated mice had improved cognitive function and memory decline caused by aging compared to untreated aged mice. Furthermore, QBLP treatment improved organ index in aged mice and prevented pathological damage to the brain tissue. Concomitantly, treatment of D-gal-induced-aging mice with QBLP significantly reduced the oxidative damage of serum and increased the skin moisture content of aging mice. Finally, integrated analyses of the gut microbiota and the serum metabolome showed that QBLP supplementation altered the composition of the gut microbiota, enriched biochemical pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, and adjusted serum concentrations of beneficial free amino acids. Overall, QBLP can improve symptoms related to D-gal-induced aging in mice by regulating gut microbiota structure and amino acid metabolism.

Cultural Barriers to Women's Progression in Academic Careers: A France-Brazil Comparison Through the Lens of the Queen Bee Phenomena.

Despite significant improvements, women are still underrepresented at high levels in academia. Most research on these inequalities is conducted within a specific national academic system, without taking into account its cultural roots. The aim of the present study was to analyze the extent to which the cultural context acts as a barrier on women's career progression. Specifically, we focused on psychological processes described under the metaphor of Queen Bee Phenomenon that may reflect the ways in which female academics conform to male-gender roles encoded in androcentric social and academic culture. Two samples of women academic, one French (N = 73), the other Brazilian (N = 88), were compared through the lens of two dimension of the Queen Bee Phenomena: self-group distancing and gender hierarchy legitimation. Brazilian women identify more with their female peer group than their French counterparts. French women are more hostile to quotas and more inclined to adhere to meritocratic discourses than their Brazilian counterparts. Both academic contexts tend to perpetuate gender inequalities, but in different ways: by maintaining gender-stereotypical expectations in Brazil and meritocratic ideology in France. The implications for policies to promote a more egalitarian university context are discussed herein.

Full-Length Transcriptome Profile of Apis cerana Revealed by Nanopore Sequencing

The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) plays a crucial role in providing abundant bee products and in maintaining ecological balance. Despite the availability of the genomic sequence of the Asian honey bee, its transcriptomic information remains largely incomplete. To address this issue, here we constructed three pooled RNA samples from the queen, drone, and worker bees of A. cerana and performed full-length RNA sequencing using Nanopore single-molecule sequencing technology. Ultimately, we obtained 160,811 full-length transcript sequences from 19,859 genes, with 141,189 being novel transcripts, of which 130,367 were functionally annotated. We detected 520, 324, and 1823 specifically expressed transcripts in the queen, worker, and drone bees, respectively. Furthermore, we identified 38,799 alternative splicing (AS) events from 5710 genes, 44,243 alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites from 1649 gene loci, 88,187 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 17,387 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Leveraging these transcripts as references, we identified 6672, 7795, and 6804 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in comparisons of queen ovaries vs drone testes, worker ovaries vs drone testes, and worker ovaries vs queen ovaries, respectively. Our research results provide a comprehensive set of reference transcript datasets for Apis cerana, offering important sequence information for further exploration of its gene functions.

EFFECTS OF APILARNIL AND QUEEN BEE LARVAE ON LARVAL MORTALITY AND LONGEVITY IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The basic mechanisms of ageing and longevity are not yet fully understood. More studies are needed to correlate this situation with functional foods and food supplements that have been used frequently recently. Bee products are in the first place in the use of natural products and food supplements. It has been reported that drone larvae (apilarnil) and queen bee larvae, which have become popular in recent years, support the protection of health due to their high nutritional value, but no studies have been conducted on their life-extending efficacy. For this purpose, the efficacy of these two bee products on life span and mortality was investigated in our study. Apilarnil and queen bee larvae lyophilisates added to Drosophila melanogaster medium at different concentrations (0.5; 1.0; 2.5 and 5.0 mg/ml medium) were studied separately in male and female populations for treatment and control groups. As a result, apilarnil at 5 mg/ml concentration showed the best effect in terms of larval mortality compared to the control group, while the most effective group in terms of mean life span was determined as queen bee larvae with 83.1±3.53 days. In general, both bee products increased the life span of flies in parallel with the increase in concentration in both female and male populations. These results were statistically significant at p

Enhancing disturbance rejection in boost converter for CPL: A controller design approach with partial pole placement and approximate model matching

In DC microgrids, the cascade operation of the DC-DC converters leads to a constant power load fed by the boost converter, resulting in unstable behavior in addition to the non-minimum phase dynamics. An enhanced load disturbance rejection control scheme based on partial pole placement and an approximate model matching technique is proposed. This approach is inspired by the well-known direct synthesis method to achieve optimal load disturbance rejection performance. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme has been validated through hardware implementation, demonstrating its capability in setpoint tracking and load disturbance rejection under variations in load power and input voltage. The robust stability of the suggested scheme has been investigated through the Kharitonov theorem and Monte-Carlo simulation, considering different performance matrices. The suitability of the presented scheme has been established by analyzing the comparative performance of recently reported works. The proposed controller reduces peak overshoot and settling time by ∼50%, handles system uncertainties up to 75%, and outperforms FOPID controllers tuned with particle swarm optimization, queen bee genetic algorithm, and chaos game optimization methods.

Assessing Queen Cell Cups Priming from Combs of Different Honey Bee Species for Mass Rearing of Apis mellifera L. Queen Bee

Experiments were carried out at the Beekeeping-cum-Honey Production Unit, Department of Entomology, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, during 2020-21. The study was aimed to evaluate queen cell cups prepared from combs of different bee species to find out a suitable technique for royal jelly production through mass queen bee rearing of Apis mellifera species. The worker bees of Apis mellifera (AM) exhibited a low preference for working with combs produced by Apis dorsata (AD) and Apis cerana (AC) for queen cell construction amongst evaluated combs. In contrast, when queen cell cups were made using AM combs, the worker bees attempted to build 100% of the cells. The time required by AM worker bees to complete queen cell construction on AM combs ranged from 7 to 15 days, however, they took 1.20 and 0.98 times longer to complete cells made with AD and AC combs, respectively. Similarly, queen bees showed reluctance to lay eggs in cells built on AD and AC combs. In queen cells constructed on AM combs, the queen bee began laying eggs on the second day after release into the nucleus hive and continued for five days, with an increasing trend in egg-laying activity. Among the different batches of eggs laid, the third batch was the most successful in respect of the larval growth and development. Additionally, larval growth showed a consistent upward trend during the first three days of observation for each laying batch. A. mellifera combs have been found to be more favourable for queen cell construction by worker bees, showing a strong preference for the queen's egg-laying performance, as well as optimal larval growth and development. Based on these findings, it is recommended that beekeepers may adopt this method to promote mass queen bee rearing and enhance royal jelly production.

External morphometric and microscopic analysis of the reproductive system in in- vitro reared stingless bee queens, Heterotrigona itama, and their mating frequency.

Stingless bees, prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, are a tribe of eusocial bees that are crucial pollinators for economic crops and native plants and, produce honey and pollen. However, colony expansion is limited by a shortage of queens for new colonies. Therefore, mass artificial rearing of virgin queens could address this in commercially managed meliponiculture. Furthermore, the in vitro rearing of queen stingless bees can improve meliponiculture management and conservation efforts. Herein, we explored the efficacy of in vitro queen rearing for Heterotrigona itama, assessing the queen's body size, reproductive organ size (ovary and spermatheca), acceptance rate into new, small colonies, and mating frequency. H. itama larvae developed into queens when fed with 120 μL-150 μL of larval food, resulting in in vitro queens having body sizes similar to those of naturally produced queens. Microscopic analysis revealed well-developed ovaries and spermathecae in in vitro-reared queens, unlike the smaller ovaries and the absence of spermathecae in the naturally produced workers. Acceptance of in vitro-reared queens was independent of worker age, and mating frequency was low but not significantly different from naturally produced queens. These findings could enhance stingless beekeeping practices and conservation efforts for the native stingless bee species.

Development of germline progenitors in larval queen honeybee ovaries.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are a keystone species for managed pollination and the production of hive products. Eusociality in honeybees leads to much of the reproduction in a hive driven by the queen. Queen bees have two large active ovaries that can produce large numbers of eggs if conditions are appropriate. These ovaries are also active throughout the long lives of these insects, up to 5 years in some cases. Recent studies have indicated that the germline precursors of the adult honeybee queen ovary are organized into 8-cell clusters, joined together by a polyfusome; a cytoplasmic bridge. To understand the origin of these clusters, and trace the development of the honeybee queen ovary, we examined the cell types and regionalization of the developing larval and pupal queen ovaries. We used established (nanos and castor), and novel (odd skipped) gene expression markers to determine regions of the developing ovary. Primordial germline cells develop in the honeybee embryo and are organized into ovary structures before the embryo hatches. The ovary is regionalized by larval stage 3 into terminal filaments and germaria. At this stage, clusters of germline cells in the germaria are joined by fusomes and are dividing synchronously. The origin of the 8-cell clusters in the adult germarium is therefore during larval stages. On emergence, the queen ovary has terminal filaments and germaria but has not yet developed any vitellaria, which are produced after the queen embarks on a nuptial flight. The lack of germaria, and the storing of germline progenitors as clusters, may be adaptions for queen bees to endure the metabolic demands of a nuptial flight, as well as rapidly lay large numbers of eggs to establish a hive.

Two decades of women’s underrepresentation in public service leadership: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

ABSTRACT During the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2001–2021), the expected representation of Afghan women in leadership and executive roles was not achieved. This study examines factors contributing to this glass ceiling effect. Our research involved 317 participants, comprising 302 civil service professionals and 15 civil society activists. Employing a mixed-methods approach, thematic analysis was conducted for the qualitative data. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were utilized to characterize the data, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to explore differences in responses across key demographic and professional categories. We found that several glass ceiling perceptions, specifically ‘Cultural Barrier Factors’ including entrenched patriarchal norms and familial challenges; ‘Individual Factors’ such as work-family conflict (WFC); ‘Work-Environment Factors’ like nepotism and the absence of merit-based systems; and ‘Interpersonal Relationships’ including weak support networks and the existence of ‘Queen Bee Syndrome’, impeded the advancement of Afghan women in leadership roles.

Metaphors Describing the Gendered Organization in the Career Advancement of Women: An Integrative Review

Worldwide, gender equality remains a barrier for women seeking career advancement in corporations. Despite the globalization of corporate social responsibility programs, women have not achieved positional parity with men within the managerial hierarchy. The purpose of this integrative review was to investigate the breadth of the gendered organization literature, summarize the evidence, and inform future research about the career advancement of women in privately owned and publicly traded corporations. Twelve databases were searched between January 1990 and December 2023 for published evidence. Of the 1914 documents screened, 55 articles were included in this review. The gendered organization literature is slowly evolving as a critical area for management research even though fully developed substantive and formal theories are lacking. However, gendered organizations can be conceptualized for theoretical development as a constellation of metaphors embedded in the corporate culture. These metaphors include firewalls, glass ceilings, glass cliffs, glass escalators, labyrinths, queen bees and beehives, and sticky floors. Notably, few intervention studies were reported in the literature. Corporate social responsibility programs had a surprisingly limited impact on eliminating deep-seated structural attributes contributing to gendered organizations. Therefore, management scholars need to engage in theoretical development and research to advance a comprehensive theory of the gendered organization, and studies should investigate why the identified metaphors continue to adversely impact the career advancement of women despite the presence of corporate social responsibility programs. Finally, existing evidence needs to be translated into intervention recommendations for policymakers and corporate leaders.

Antitumor Effects and the Potential Mechanism of 10-HDA against SU-DHL-2 Cells.

10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), which is a unique bioactive fatty acid of royal jelly synthesized by nurse bees for larvae and adult queen bees, is recognized for its dual utility in medicinal and nutritional applications. Previous research has indicated that 10-HDA exerts antitumor effects on numerous tumor cell lines, including colon cancer cells, A549 human lung cancer cells, and human hepatoma cells. The present study extends this inquiry to lymphoma, specifically evaluating the impact of 10-HDA on the SU-DHL-2 cell line. Our findings revealed dose-dependent suppression of SU-DHL-2 cell survival, with an IC50 of 496.8 μg/mL at a density of 3 × 106 cells/well after 24 h. For normal liver LO2 cells and human fibroblasts (HSFs), the IC50 values were approximately 1000 μg/mL and over 1000 μg/mL, respectively. The results of label-free proteomics revealed 147 upregulated and 347 downregulated differentially expressed proteins that were significantly enriched in the complement and coagulation cascades pathway (adjusted p-value = 0.012), including the differentially expressed proteins prothrombin, plasminogen, plasminogen, carboxypeptidase B2, fibrinogen beta chain, fibrinogen gamma chain, and coagulation factor V. The top three hub proteins, ribosomal protein L5, tumor protein p53, and ribosomal protein L24, were identified via protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. This result showed that the complement and coagulation cascade pathways might play a key role in the antitumor process of 10-HDA, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for lymphoma treatment. However, the specificity of the effect of 10-HDA on SU-DHL-2 cells warrants further investigation.

Women cannibalized! The troubling link between Queen Bees and mentoring in Pakistani academia

ABSTRACT This article problematizes informal mentoring as a feminist praxis in Pakistani academia, highlighting the potential for exploitative control by some women academic leaders. We contend that informal mentoring is susceptible to misuse at the hands of self-serving Queen Bee academics to reinforce their influence over their women colleagues which can entail suppressing them. This challenges the notion that mentoring can be used as an empowering feminist praxis. Through a self-designed questionnaire administered to academic leaders in 55 universities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, followed by focused group discussions with early, mid-career and senior academics, we expose contradictions between the benign self-perceptions of women academic leaders and the experiences of their coworkers. These contradictions reveal an absence of genuine empathy and support extended by women academic leaders and detrimental internal hierarchies among women, thus hindering the collective growth of women. This study also exposes abusive forms of exploitation of early and mid-career academics by their women line managers to stifle competition and sustain disempowering asymmetries. To combat these issues, we propose collaborative mentoring built on equal respect and freedom to dissent ensured through well-regulated mentoring programs overseen by Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission to preempt abuse within mentor–mentee relationships.

Queen Bees or Regal Leaders at the Top Management?

Queen Bees or Regal Leaders at the Top Management?

Development and Validation of a Measurement Scale for the Queen Bee Syndrome

Development and Validation of a Measurement Scale for the Queen Bee Syndrome

Effects of Vitamin Supplements in a Pollen Substitute on Some Characteristics of Bee Nucleus Colonies

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin supplementation in a pollen substitute on the performance of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera mellifera). Twenty nucleus colonies housed in Langstroth-Ruth hives were randomly selected and fed a diet consisting of corn gluten, sugar, and brewer’s yeast residuals, yielding 21.0% crude protein, 7.1% crude fat, and 1.7% crude ash. This diet was enriched with a vitamin mixture at doses of 1, 2, and 3 grams. Control group I received a sugar-water syrup (1:1, w/v), while control group II received the basic diet without vitamin supplementation. The three experimental groups were given the diet with varying amounts of the vitamin mixture. Results indicated that experimental group II demonstrated colony strength comparable to experimental group I but significantly higher than the control group by 14.6-49.4%, and 34.3% higher than experimental group III (P<0.05). Queen bee egg yield increased significantly, with control group II showing a 27.5% increase, experimental group I showing 52.1% increase, experimental group II showing 67.6% increase, and experimental group III showing 28.5% increase on July 28th. Similar trends were observed on August 28th, with respective increases of 30.2%, 32.5%, 37.4%, and 14.7% compared to control group I. Additionally, honey yields for experimental group II were significantly higher by 25.8-57.9% compared to the control groups and 46.8% higher than experimental group III (P<0.05). These findings suggest that vitamin-enriched pollen substitutes positively impact colony strength, queen bee egg laying, and honey production, underscoring the potential benefits of such supplementation in beekeeping practices.

Honey bee (Apis cerana) queen rearing methods influence queen morphological characteristics and reproductive related gene expression

The quality of the queen is crucial for the survival and growth of honey bee colonies. There have been studies related to raising queens with excellent performance since the invention of artificial queen rearing technologies. However, relatively few studies have been undertaken that evaluate the relationship between queen quality and queen morphology and the expression level of reproduction-related genes using different-aged brood in artificial queen rearing practices of Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana). Therefore, we transferred eggs, 1-day-old larvae, 2-day-old larvae, and 3-day-old larvae to queen cells to rear queens until the queen emerged. We measured 12 indicators (the acceptance rate, birth weight, length, caliber and maximum diameter of queen cells, thorax length, width and weight, head width, wing length and width, and number of ovarian tubes). Moreover, the relative expression levels of Hexamerin, Vitellogenin, and Transferrin were measured using fat bodies and ovaries dissected from the newly emerged virgin queens. The results showed that queens reared from eggs exhibited the best morphological indexes and occupied the most abundant reproductive related gene expression level. Parameter values for queen from 1-day-old larvae were significantly higher than those for queens from 2-day-old larvae and 3-day-old larvae, and there was no significant difference between values for queens from 2-day-old larvae and 3-day-old larvae in most data, except for the relative gene expression. In conclusion, as the age of the brood increased, the quality of the queen bees declined. Rearing queens from fertilized eggs are far more likely to yield a better outcome for queen performance and colony function. This study provides data support for raising high-quality queens of Apis cerana, which would be benefit for the protection and better utilization of our native honey bee species.

Effects of physical sterilization on microbial safety, nutritional composition, and antioxidant activity of queen bee larva powder, a by-product of royal jelly production

Queen bee larvae (QBL), a by-product of royal jelly production, have nutritional value and confer health benefits. The commercialization of QBL is hindered because of the lack of evidence for its nutrition and safety parameters. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the microbial dynamics, nutritional composition, and antioxidant activity of QBL, aiming to assess its potential as a food product. Lyophilized QBL powder samples were sterilized through gamma irradiation and high-pressure processing at varying doses and pressures. Gamma irradiation at 10 and 15 kGy effectively reduced the total aerobic count to 0, whereas high-pressure processing led to no significant reduction. Regarding the microbial profile of QBL, 16S rDNA gene sequencing unveiled five bacteria—Acinetobacter pittii, Bacillus thuringiensis, Enterococcus mundtii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Fructobacillus fructosus—but no major foodborne pathogens. Lactobacillus, Bombella, and Fructobacillus emerged as the predominant genera in QBL, with low abundances of Staphylococcus and Escherichia. Proximate composition analysis indicated no significant postirradiation changes in macronutrient contents; notably, protein was the predominant component (approximately 48.0%). Sugar and amino acid analyses revealed essential nutrients meeting human dietary requirements. Upon fatty acid analysis, palmitic and oleic acids emerged as predominant fatty acids. Gamma irradiation at 10 kGy exerted no significant effect on the nutritional composition or antioxidant activity of QBL. Our study provides valuable insights into the microbial safety and nutritional value of QBL, indicating its potential as a dietary protein source with favorable microbiota.

Continuous monitoring the Queen loss of honey bee colonies

The queen bee is the core member of a bee colony, and her loss will pose a great threat to the survival of the colony that may cause colony collapse. However, the process by which queen bee loss affects the internal social state of the bee colony remains unclear. In this paper, we used a multi-sensors system to continually monitor colonies with queen loss and regularly checked their biological status. Our results show that the queen loss initially caused a rapid decrease in brood rearing and changed the foraging strategy of the colony, leading to an increase in food storage. Also the population decline is difficult to reverse in a short time, even if the queen is naturally replaced. This study emphasises the impact of queen bee loss on the operation of the bee colony social system, and elucidates the interconnectedness of the bee colony social system.

Queen bee acid pretreatment attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by enhancing autophagic flux

Queen bee acid (QBA), which is exclusively found in royal jelly, has anti-inflammatory, antihypercholesterolemic, and antiangiogenic effects. A recent study demonstrated that QBA enhances autophagic flux in the heart. Considering the significant role of autophagy in the development of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, we investigated the effect of pretreatment with QBA on myocardial damage. In an in vivo model, left coronary artery blockage for 30 min and reperfusion for 2 h were used to induce myocardial I/R. In an in vitro model, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCs) were exposed to 3 h of hypoxia and 3 h of reoxygenation (H/R). Our results showed that pretreatment with QBA increased the cell viability of cardiomyocytes exposed to H/R in a dose-dependent manner, and the best protective concentration of QBA was 100 μM. Next, we noted that QBA pretreatment (24h before H/R) enhanced autophagic flux and attenuated mitochondrial damage, cardiac oxidative stress and apoptosis in NRCs exposed to H/R injury, and these effects were weakened by cotreatment with the autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1 (Baf). In addition, similar results were observed when QBA (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into I/R mice 30 min before ischemia. Compared to mice subjected to I/R alone, those treated with QBA had decreased myocardial infarct area and increased cardiac function, whereas, these effects were partly reversed by Baf. Notably, in NRCs exposed to H/R, tandem fluorescent mRFP-GFP-LC3 assays indicated increased autophagosome degradation due to the increase in autophagic flux upon QBA treatment, but coinjection of Baf blocked autophagic flux. In this investigation, no notable adverse effects of QBA were detected in either cellular or animal models. Our findings suggest that QBA pretreatment mitigates myocardial I/R injury by eliminating dysfunctional mitochondria and reducing reactive oxygen species via promoting autophagic flux.