Abstract: The enigma climate change is no longer an illusion but a reality. In the recent years, the Nigeria climate has changed and the changes are shown by the changing patterns of rainfall, the sunshine, increasing level carbon and nitrous emission as well as deforestation. This study analyzed the behavioural response of bee keepers to variations in the climate and the adaptation techniques developed in response to the climate variation. Beekeeping is a viable economic activity for the alleviation of poverty as the products include honey, wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom, queens, bees and their larvae and are all marketable. The study adopted the multistage sampling technique to select 120 beekeepers from the five states of Southeast Nigeria. Well-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions were adopted to collect the required data. Statistical tools like the Principal component analysis, data envelopment models, graphs, and charts were used for the data analysis. Changing patterns of rainfall and sunshine with the increasing rate of deforestation had a negative effect on the habitat of the bees. The bee keepers have adopted the Kenya Top bar and Langstroth hives and they establish the bee hives on fallow farmland close to the cultivated communal farms with more flowering crops.
Abstract: Honey bees are the most important insects because of their ecologic and economic impacts. They pollinate more than 200 flowering crop plants resulting in an increased yield. Also, honey bees provide multiple products such as honey, royal jelly, wax, venom, pollen and propolis. Beekeeping has been practiced by Africans in all parts of the continent for many thousands of years. However, there is a little scientific information published worldwide about beekeeping in Libya. This review article aims to shed light on the history and current status of honey bee keeping in Libya.
Abstract: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) has
been reported to develop after a hymenoptera sting, but its
pathogenesis is not known in detail. Myelin basic protein (MBP)-
specific T cells have been detected in the blood of patients with
ADEM, and a proportion of these patients develop multiple sclerosis
(MS). In an attempt to understand the mechanisms underlying
ADEM, molecular mimicry between hymenoptera venom peptides
and the human immunodominant MBP peptide was scrutinized,
based on the sequence and structural similarities, whether it was the
root of the disease. The results suggest that the three wasp venom
peptides have low sequence homology with the human
immunodominant MBP residues 85-99. Structural similarity analysis
among the three venom peptides and the MS-related HLA-DR2b
(DRA, DRB1*1501)-associated immunodominant MHC
binding/TCR contact residues 88-93, VVHFFK showed that
hyaluronidase residues 7-12, phospholipase A1 residues 98-103, and
antigen 5 residues 109-114 showed a high degree of similarity
83.3%, 100%, and 83.3% respectively. In conclusion, some wasp
venom peptides, particularly phospholipase A1, may potentially act
as the molecular motifs of the human 3HLA-DR2b-associated
immunodominant MBP88-93, and possibly present a mechanism for
induction of wasp sting-associated ADEM.
Abstract: Snake bite cases in Malaysia most often involve the
species Naja-naja and Calloselasma rhodostoma. In keeping with the
need for a rapid snake venom detection kit in a clinical setting, plate
and dot-ELISA test for the venoms of Naja-naja sumatrana,
Calloselasma rhodostoma and the cobra venom fraction V antigen
was developed. Polyclonal antibodies were raised and further used to
prepare the reagents for the dot-ELISA test kit which was tested in
mice, rabbit and virtual human models. The newly developed dot-
ELISA kit was able to detect a minimum venom concentration of
244ng/ml with cross reactivity of one antibody type. The dot-ELISA
system was sensitive and specific for all three snake venom types in
all tested animal models. The lowest minimum venom concentration
detectable was in the rabbit model, 244ng/ml of the cobra venom
fraction V antigen. The highest minimum venom concentration was
in mice, 1953ng/ml against a multitude of venoms. The developed
dot-ELISA system for the detection of three snake venom types was
successful with a sensitivity of 95.8% and specificity of 97.9%.