INFLUENCE OF HONEYBEE QUEENS ORIGIN TO THE PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CARNIOLAN BEES (APIS MELLIFERA CARNICA) IN SLOVENIA

Ocenili smo 4.355 zapisov proizvodnih lastnosti čebeljih družin na 251 čebelnjakih v Sloveniji od leta 1993 do leta 2001. Matice so bile zrejene pri 29 zrejevalcih matic. Povprečna proizvodnja medu se je povečevala, lsmeans ocene so bile v povprečju vsako leto višje za 0,41 kg . Rojilno razpoloženje čebeljih družin se je krepilo, v povprečju za 0,091 točke na leto. Ravno tako se je krepilo obrambno obnašanje čebel, v povprečju za 0,038 točke na leto. Pri analizi proizvodnosti čebel v letih 2000 in 2001 smo ugotovili, da so na proizvodnjo medu značilno vplivali troti na zrejališčih matic. Rojilno razpoloženje čebel je bilo bolj izrazito pogojeno z vplivom mater-matic na zrejališčih matic. Pri proučevanju vzročnih vplivov na obrambno obnašanje čebel in na naravni odpad varoe nismo našli značilnih komponent staršev matic.Total amount of 4.355 records of honeybee colonies production characteristics was estimated on the 251 bee yards in Slovenia from 1993 to 2001. Queens were produced on 29 queen producing yards. The average lsmeans of honey yields increased by 0,41 kg a year. The swarming behaviour and the defensive behaviour of bees increased as well by - 0,091 points, and –0,038 points respectively. According to the last two years records, the honey yields of bee colonies were significantly influenced by the drone gene pool at queen production yards. The swarming behaviour was in contrary more influenced by the queen mothers on queen production yards. The defensive behaviour of bee colonies and the daily varroa mite fall were not significantly influenced by parents

Effect of alirocumab on mortality after acute coronary syndromes. An analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES randomized clinical trial

Background: Previous trials of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) inhibitors demonstrated reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events, but not death. We assessed the effects of alirocumab on death after index acute coronary syndrome. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) was a double-blind, randomized comparison of alirocumab or placebo in 18 924 patients who had an ACS 1 to 12 months previously and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite intensive statin therapy. Alirocumab dose was blindly titrated to target achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) between 25 and 50 mg/dL. We examined the effects of treatment on all-cause death and its components, cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death, with log-rank testing. Joint semiparametric models tested associations between nonfatal cardiovascular events and cardiovascular or noncardiovascular death. Results: Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Death occurred in 334 (3.5%) and 392 (4.1%) patients, respectively, in the alirocumab and placebo groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.98; P=0.03, nominal P value). This resulted from nonsignificantly fewer cardiovascular (240 [2.5%] vs 271 [2.9%]; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.05; P=0.15) and noncardiovascular (94 [1.0%] vs 121 [1.3%]; HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.01; P=0.06) deaths with alirocumab. In a prespecified analysis of 8242 patients eligible for ≥3 years follow-up, alirocumab reduced death (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.94; P=0.01). Patients with nonfatal cardiovascular events were at increased risk for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths (P<0.0001 for the associations). Alirocumab reduced total nonfatal cardiovascular events (P<0.001) and thereby may have attenuated the number of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths. A post hoc analysis found that, compared to patients with lower LDL-C, patients with baseline LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL (2.59 mmol/L) had a greater absolute risk of death and a larger mortality benefit from alirocumab (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90; Pinteraction=0.007). In the alirocumab group, all-cause death declined wit h achieved LDL-C at 4 months of treatment, to a level of approximately 30 mg/dL (adjusted P=0.017 for linear trend). Conclusions: Alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy has the potential to reduce death after acute coronary syndrome, particularly if treatment is maintained for ≥3 years, if baseline LDL-C is ≥100 mg/dL, or if achieved LDL-C is low. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01663402

Repeatability of hoarding behavior of honeybee workers (Apis mellifera carnica Polm) in laboratory test cages

The hoarding behavior of groups of 50 honeybee workers in test cages was measured under balanced circumstances in an incubator at 28°C and 60-70% relative humidity. The repeatability of the results was estimated using the maximum likelihood method and varied according to the series. This made the test less reliable. Both methods were tested on syrup hoarded from 1-12 d using 6-9-day-old bees. The methods gave results with a changeable level of repeatability. Therefore, testing hoarding behavior of worker bee groups cannot replace the monitoring of bee colonies throughout the whole season

Estimation of heritability of some characteristics of hind legs and wings of honeybee workers (Apis mellifera carnica Polm) using the half-sibs method

Morphometrical investigations were done on 732 honeybee workers from 44 colonies in the apiary of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia. Fore- and hind-wing area, cubital index, length of hairs on tergite 5, side surfaces of tibia, femur and metatarsus, and the length of tibial hairs on the prepared hind legs were measured. The total side surfaces of hind-leg and wings were calculated. Investigated characteristics of bees were divided into 2 groups: the first group included hind-leg and wing sizes while the second included hairs and index characteristics. The characteristics from the first group showed more expressed phenotypic and genetic correlation than the characteristics from the second group. All estimated heritabilities were large and significant. In an artificial selection of described properties of bees the selected traits are more or less successfully changed, the unselected characteristics are always a compromise between genetic relationships to the selected trait, and selection due to environment

The effect of Apis mellifera carnica Polm worker bee source for populating mating nuclei on degree of infection by Nosema apis Zander

The influence of worker bee source for populating mating nuclei on the degree of infection with Nosema apis Zander spores was examined. One-day-old bees were obtained by inserting brood combs into an incubator at 34-35 °C. Older worker bees were taken from the same donor colony. Bees from the incubator were free from Nosema infection. The average infection level in donor colonies was 26.5% infected bees. At the end of the experiments the Nosema infection level was significantly lower in mating nuclei which were populated with bees from the incubator. Out of 23 examined queens, 2 were Nosema-infected; both came from mating nuclei with young worker bees. No statistically significant difference in Nosema disease level was found between the 2 sizes of nuclei used, populated with 1/3 l and 3/4 l bees respectively

Asymmetrical distribution of a mitochondrial DNA polymorphism between 2 introgressing honey bee subspecies

Mitochondrial DNA from 62 samples of Apis mellifera carnica and A m ligustica collected from within areas of endemism and an area of known introgression was extracted and digested with the restriction enzymes Accl, Bc/l, Bg/II, EcoRI and Xbal. Digestion with Xbal revealed a polymorphism with an asymmetrical distribution between the subspecies. This polymorphism occurs primarily in Austrian and Slovenian A m carnica and may be useful for studying introgression between this race and A m ligustica

Lipoprotein(a) and Benefit of PCSK9 Inhibition in Patients With Nominally Controlled LDL Cholesterol

Background: Guidelines recommend nonstatin lipid-lowering agents in patients at very high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains ≥70 mg/dL on maximum tolerated statin treatment. It is uncertain if this approach benefits patients with LDL-C near 70 mg/dL. Lipoprotein(a) levels may influence residual risk. Objectives: In a post hoc analysis of the ODYSSEY Outcomes (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) trial, the authors evaluated the benefit of adding the proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab to optimized statin treatment in patients with LDL-C levels near 70 mg/dL. Effects were evaluated according to concurrent lipoprotein(a) levels. Methods: ODYSSEY Outcomes compared alirocumab with placebo in 18,924 patients with recent acute coronary syndromes receiving optimized statin treatment. In 4,351 patients (23.0%), screening or randomization LDL-C was 13.7 mg/dL or ≤13.7 mg/dL; corresponding adjusted treatment hazard ratios were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.92) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.75-1.06), with Pinteraction = 0.43. Conclusions: In patients with recent acute coronary syndromes and LDL-C near 70 mg/dL on optimized statin therapy, proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition provides incremental clinical benefit only when lipoprotein(a) concentration is at least mildly elevated. (ODYSSEY Outcomes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab; NCT01663402