Three new osmiine bee species (Megachilidae, Osmiini) inhabiting the Arabian desert are described: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) heliotropii sp. nov. from Saudi Arabia, H. (Hoplitis) trichodesmae sp. nov. from Saudi Arabia and the Arava Valley in Israel, and H. (Platosmia) trisinuata sp. nov. from Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Field observations and microscopical analyses of female pollen loads indicate that all three species exhibit a pronounced preference for Boraginaceae as pollen hosts, i.e. H. heliotropii and H. trisinuata for Heliotropium and H. trichodesmae for Trichodesma. The females of H. heliotropii and H. trisinuata possess apically curved or hooked bristles on the proboscis and the fore legs, respectively, which they use to scrape pollen out of the narrow flower tubes of Heliotropium, whereas females of H. trichodesmae apply buzzing to shake pollen out of the flowers of Trichodesma. The occurrence of specialized pollen-collecting bristles used by Palaearctic bees and pollen wasps to exploit Heliotropium flowers and the buzzing behaviour in bees of the Megachilidae are discussed.

The Afro-Arabian zoogeographic region, dominated by extensive drylands, harbours a comparatively poor fauna of wild bees, but with many taxa still undescribed or of uncertain taxonomic status. Anthidium minimum Pasteels, 1969, the priority name for the species most frequently referred to in the literature asAnthidium amabile Alfken, 1932 nec Cockerell, 1904, has been reported as widely distributed in the region. Mitochondrial DNA barcoding (COI gene) revealed that specimens assigned to A. minimum actually represent two clearly distinct species: Anthidium minimum, occurring from Oman through Egypt to Algeria, and Anthidium amandum Kasparek sp. nov., occurring from Oman through Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Sudan. The ranges of the two species overlap at the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. While certain colour traits reliably separate them, the presence of colour morphs in both species creates a complex pattern that likely explains why their distinctiveness has so far remained unrecognised.

Hemolymph, as mediator of immune responses and nutrient circulation, can be used as physiological marker of an insect’s health, environmental quality or ecological adaptations. Recent studies reported intraspecific variation in protein contents and biological activities of the hemolymph of honey bees related to their diet. Here we measured interspecific variation in three common bee species in the Mediterranean Basin with contrasting ecologies: Apis mellifera, Megachile sicula, and Xylocopa pubescens. Despite all the bees were collected in the same area, we found important quantitative and qualitative variations of hemolymph extracts across species. Samples of A. mellifera and M. sicula had much higher protein concentration, anticancer, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than samples of X. pubescens. This descriptive study suggests life history traits of bee species have strong influences on their hemolymph properties and call for future large scale comparative analyses across more species and geographical areas.

Bees of genus Chalichadoma is a diverse group with numerous species mainly present in the Mediterranean region. Most of these species are using mud for building their nests, while some species are cavity nesting using available holes in the nesting area. The present research was conducted during the years of 2020 and 2022, after the discovery of several natural nests in some villages around El Tal El Kebir and El Qassasin areas, 30.31N 31.48E (Eastern of Cairo). Several solitary bees species were found in the area but the most important species were Chalichadoma nigripes Spinola, 1838 and Chalichadoma flavipes Spinola, 1838, as well as several species of the genus Megachile. Meanwhile, the most abundant species were M. minutissima Radoszkowski, 1876 and M. patellimana Spinola, 1838. Few species of Osminii were also recorded specially Osmia submicans Morawitz, 1870. All nests were associated with several cleptoparasitic bees, parasitic wasps and predators such as beetle of the genus Trichodes sp. Several materials were examined to choose recommended material for artificial nesting. Wood material was the the most suitable material. The study has also highlighted some notes of the biology of Chalichadoma flavipes Spinola.

During the summer of 2021, the nesting biology of Anthidium florentinum (Megachilidae) was investigated in artificial nests made of wooden cylinders and tie holes in Constantine (northeastern Algeria). The findings from the observation of 26 nests indicate that nests were multicellular (two to seven cells per nest), linear in structure, and made of plant fibers surrounding the nest or old woolly material from pre-existing cavities. The majority of female-occupied nests measured 0.8 to 2.2 cm in diameter. The partitions of the analyzed nests had accumulated wool caps, which is a behavior unique to Megachilid bees. The analysis of brood cell content revealed that A. florentinum females prefer Lamiaceae pollen grains for their broods.

The dome represents a design feature of architecture worldwide, a symbolic element in civilizations, and has an environmental role in design. The dome has been a design solution through the ages to cover buildings' roofs, especially those requiring much space without internal columns. The dome took many forms and showed the importance of its environmental design and construction roles. The research problem focuses on the environmental role of historical domes. The study depends on a significant group of domes with design, construction, and symbolic value through the ages. Then, the study will explore their environmental role, which gives the building a new factor and design value from an environmental perspective. The study depends on the case study methodology, including historical and experimental methods. The historical method analyzes the historical domes from 27 B.C. to the 19th century. The experimental method analyzes historical domes from the environmental perspective and how the domes' design, and construction helped to create a distinctive internal environment. The research depends on monitoring those domes' environmental performance, analyzing historical domes, exploring their internal environment using simulation programs, and measuring the environmental elements of natural lighting and thermal comfort. The research results show that developing the construction method and designing domes bodes for a promising future in making buildings more efficient. In addition to having a historical aspect, the environmental role of domes can be used recently in non-traditional buildings such as cultural and entertainment buildings, making the building environmentally efficient and providing natural lighting and thermal comfort.

Pesticides are of immense importance in agriculture, but they might contaminate bees’ products. In this study, samples of honey, pollen, and beeswax were collected, seasonally, from apiaries in Toshka (Aswan), El-Noubariya (El-Beheira), and Ismailia (Ismailia) cities in Egypt. The pesticide residues were analyzed using the GC-MS after being extracted and cleaned using the QuEChERS method. Results showed that samples from El-Noubariya had great content of residues followed by Ismailia, and finally Toshka. Samples collected during fall and winter had the highest pesticide residue contents. Specifically, the phenylconazole fungicide group was repeatedly detected in all the examined samples along with organophosphate insecticides. Beeswax samples had the greatest amounts of pesticide residues followed by pollen and then honey samples. Chlorpyrifos (0.07–39.16 ng/g) and profenofos (1.94–17.00 ng/g) were detected in honey samples and their products. Pyriproxyfen (57.12 ng/g) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (39.16 ng/g) were detected in great amounts in beeswax samples from Ismailia and El-Noubariya, respectively. Yet, according to health hazard and quotient studies, the amounts of pesticides detected in honey do not pose any health threats to humans.

Incorporating flowering plants into cropping systems has the potential to actively enhance pollination and crops yields. This study evaluated whether the introduction of border planting affects bee visitation and yield of a broad bean (Vicia faba L.). Experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 in Ismailia, Egypt. Bee visitation and broad bean yields were compared between plots with and without border planting. Results showed that open flowers achieved higher yields than netted flowers. Apis mellifera L. was the dominant visitor, followed by four solitary bee species, Chalicodoma siculum (Rossi), Colletes lacunatus Dours, 1872, Andrena ovatula and Xylocopa pubescens (Kirby, 1802). The addition of border planting was associated with a significant increase in the abundance of all five bee visitors and the associated yields. Findings showed that flowering border plants adjacent to broad bean can actively enhance pollination services and yields of this commercially valuable crop, whilst helping to conserve vulnerable bee populations.

Non-adherence is a barrier to the control of hypertension. This study aimed to analyze the factors and interventions affecting adherence rates in the US. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched on January 21 st, 2022 for studies on the adherence to anti-hypertensives in the US. R software (4.2.1) and RevMan (5.4) were used for the analysis. Our analysis showed that non-adherence to antihypertensives was higher in Hispanics compared with Blacks (OR= 1.25, p-value= 0.0335) with further analysis showing lower non-adherence rates among Whites compared with Blacks (OR= 0.63, p-value= 0.0049). Younger individuals had higher non-adherence rates (53%) compared with individuals older than 60 (46%), however, no statistically significant difference was detected between both groups. Unemployment was associated with decreased adherence (OR= 0.40, p-value< 0.00001), while gender and marital status yielded insignificant associations. Patients who suffered from multiple comorbidities (OR= 0.43, p-value= 0.004), depression (OR= 0.65, p-value <0.00001), and poor mental health (OR= 0.38, p-value< 0.00001) had lower adherence rates. Heavy alcohol consumption was associated with a decline in adherence, conversely, obesity didn't significantly affect the adherence rates. Regarding interventions, Fixed-dose combination had lower non-adherence rates compared with the control group (OR= 0.83, p-value= 0.0029), while telepharmacy didn't prove to be as effective. Lastly, exercise was associated with higher adherence (OR= 3.08, p-value< 0.00001). Race and unemployment play a role in adherence to anti-hypertensives. Patients who suffer from depression, multiple comorbidities, and heavy alcohol intake had lower adherence rates. Accordingly, interventions such as fixed-dose combinations and exercise should be targeted at susceptible groups.

Solitary bees are diverse and very important for plant and crop pollination. They are extensively studied taxonomically, but little is known about their anatomy and physiology compared to honey bees. Dufour’s gland is important for many physiological functions in social and solitary bees. The present study addresses the morphological and histological structure of Dufour’s gland in ten bee species representing bee families Andrenidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Melittidae, Megachilidae, and Apidae. Results indicated that the shape and size of the glands tend to differ from one species to the other. However, on histological bases, the intern seems to be the same among the secretion cell types. The gland varied in length and size in the studied species, probably due to nesting behavior differences: ground and cavity nesting. Further studies are needed to clarify the different secretions produced by Dufour’s gland and their functions in each species.

Abstract Adherence to antihypertensives is crucial for control of blood pressure. This study analyzed factors and interventions that could affect adherence to antihypertensives in the US. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched on January 21, 2022 and December 25, 2023 for studies on the adherence to antihypertensives in the US. Nineteen studies and 23 545 747 patients were included in the analysis, which showed that adherence to antihypertensives was the highest among Whites (OR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.34–1.61 compared to African Americans). Employment status and sex were associated with insignificant differences in adherence rates. In contrast, marital status yielded a significant difference where unmarried patients demonstrated low adherence rates compared to married ones (OR: 0.8, 95% CI 0.67–0.95). On analysis of comorbidities, diabetic patients reported lower adherence to antihypertensives (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.97); furthermore, patients who did not have Alzheimer showed higher adherence rates. Different BMIs did not significantly affect the adherence rates. Patients without insurance reported significantly lower adherence rates than insured patients (OR: 3.93, 95% CI 3.43–4.51). Polypill users had higher adherence rates compared with the free‐dose combination (OR: 1.21, 95% CI 1.2–1.21), while telepharmacy did not prove to be as effective. Lower adherence rates were seen among African Americans, uninsured, or younger patients. Accordingly, interventions such as fixed‐dose combinations should be targeted at susceptible groups. Obesity and overweight did not affect the adherence to antihypertensives.

Egypt is one of the important countries in terms of bee diversity in Northern Africa. The Eastern part of the country has been the subject of several studies over the last decade, especially in comparison to the Western part. In this work, we explore the diversity of solitary bees in the Alexandria Governorate, specifically in the Al Hawaria region (30°57'13" N, 29°40'27" E), based on two years of research conducted in 2021 and 2022. A total of 51 species were identified in the region: 25 species of Apidae, 16 of Megachilidae, 5 of Andrenidae, 4 of Halictidae, and one species of Colletidae. Pollen grain identification from plants and some solitary bee species revealed the creation of reference slides for pollen grains from 32 flowering plant species (both crops and wildflowers) across 19 plant families. The plant family preferences were varied among different bee genera. The most commonly visited plant families were Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, and Fabaceae, which accounted for 58% of the total bee-attracting flora. The pollen spectrum from the Xylocopa aestuans (L. 1758) nest consisted of two pollen types, while the nest of Osmia sp. contained a single pollen type.

The Laelapid family of cosmopolitan mites includes both free-living predators and associated species to arthropods, mammals, or birds. A new species of laelapid mite, Dinogamasus pubescensae n. sp. Abo-Shnaf and Kamel associated with Xylocopa pubescens Spinola (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is described and illustrated. This is a third report of the genus Dinogamasus from Egypt. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: dorsal cheliceral seta present; hypertrichous idiosoma and opisthogaster; sternum without accessory setae, st2 longest, st4 present, endopodal and metapodal plates present, genital shield shorter than anal shield, anal shield rectangular. The genus diagnoses are discussed in terms of new notions. Modification of Lundqvist’s key (1999) is made to facilitate identification of D. pubescensae n. sp. Abo-Shnaf and Kamel from other species.

This study aims to investigate and assess the credits of GBRSs to achieve sustainability and find the most practical and applicable method in Egypt. The study consisted primarily of three stages: a theoretical approach, a comparative analysis, and case studies. To determine their possible certification level, the Egyptian GPRS was used to analyze and reevaluate four Egyptian LEED-certified projects, all of which were LEED BD+ C: NC-certified and classified as office buildings. Regarding the certification levels granted, the study found that the LEED rating system had a more realistic portrayal of sustainability than the GPRS. As a result, it was determined that LEED is a better choice for Egyptian office buildings. However, GPRS awards more points for water efficiency, which is significant because Egypt has concerns with both availability and demand for water. Thus, GPRS can be suitable for Egyptian projects, but not office buildings specifically, with a few adjustments applied to it. This study is significant due to the lack of studies evaluating the sustainability pillars that GPRS and LEED address.

We evaluated the genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Apis florea Fabricius 1787 (Apidae: Apini) across its native range using genetic and ecological niche data. The bee samples were from 62 colonies representing 40 localities across Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Oman, and Egypt. Ecological niche divergence was estimated based on a principal component analysis of climatic/ecological variables. We confirmed the presence of two distinct lineages (eastern and western) for the species using mtDNA. There was no significant climatic heterogeneity between the lineages and their ecological niches are likely to be somewhat conserved. They were probably separated from each other during the Pleistocene and evolved in isolation. The two lineages of A. florea can be considered separate conservation units and used to develop strategies for effectively conserving this keystone pollinator species in Asia.

Novel transmission routes can allow infectious diseases to spread, often with devastating consequences. Ectoparasitic varroa mites vector a diversity of RNA viruses, having switched hosts from the eastern to western honey bees (Apis cerana to Apis mellifera). They provide an opportunity to explore how novel transmission routes shape disease epidemiology. As the principal driver of the spread of deformed wing viruses (mainly DWV-A and DWV-B), varroa infestation has also driven global honey bee health declines. The more virulent DWV-B strain has been replacing the original DWV-A strain in many regions over the past two decades. Yet, how these viruses originated and spread remains poorly understood. Here, we use a phylogeographic analysis based on whole-genome data to reconstruct the origins and demography of DWV spread. We found that, rather than reemerging in western honey bees after varroa switched hosts, as suggested by previous work, DWV-A most likely originated in East Asia and spread in the mid-20th century. It also showed a massive population size expansion following the varroa host switch. By contrast, DWV-B was most likely acquired more recently from a source outside East Asia and appears absent from the original varroa host. These results highlight the dynamic nature of viral adaptation, whereby a vector's host switch can give rise to competing and increasingly virulent disease pandemics. The evolutionary novelty and rapid global spread of these host-virus interactions, together with observed spillover into other species, illustrate how increasing globalization poses urgent threats to biodiversity and food security.

Pollinator declines have raised major concerns for the maintenance of biodiversity and food security, calling for a better understanding of environmental factors that affect their health. Here we used hemolymph analysis to monitor the health status of Western honey bees Apis mellifera. We evaluated the intraspecific proteomic variations and key biological activities of the hemolymph of bees collected from four Egyptian localities characterized by different food diversities and abundances. Overall, the lowest protein concentrations and the weakest biological activities (cytotoxicity, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties) were recorded in the hemolymph of bees artificially fed sucrose solution and no pollen. By contrast, the highest protein concentrations and biological activities were recorded in bees that had the opportunity to feed on various natural resources. While future studies should expand comparisons to honey bee populations exposed to more different diets and localities, our results suggest hemolymph samples can be used as reliable indicators of bee nutrition.

This short note presents five newly recorded species of the tribe Osmiini from two Northern Africa countries: Egypt and Libya. The present article represents a first contribution of a series of more extensive studies on wild bees of Egypt and Libya, aimed to record further species not yet mentioned for these two countries, as well as to potentially discover even new species to Science.

BACKGROUND:Insomnia has been closely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) including myocardial infarction (MI). Our study aims to assess the eligibility of insomnia as a potential risk factor for MI. METHODS:PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using terms; such as "Insomnia" and "MI." Only observational controlled studies with data on the incidence of MI among insomniacs were included. Revman software version 5.4 was used for the analysis. RESULTS:Our pooled analysis showed a significant association between insomnia and the incidence of MI compared with noninsomniacs (relative risk [RR] = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41-2.02, p < .00001). Per sleep duration, we detected the highest association between ≤5 h of sleep, and MI incidence compared to 7-8 h of sleep (RR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.41-1.73). Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep were associated with increased MI incidence (RR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04-1.23, p = .003). However, subgroup analysis of nonrestorative sleep and daytime dysfunction showed an insignificant association with MI among both groups (RR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.91-1.23, p = .46). Analysis of age, follow-up duration, sex, and comorbidities showed a significant association in insomniacs. CONCLUSION:Insomnia and ≤5 h of sleep are highly associated with increased incidence of MI; an association comparable to that of other MI risk factors and as such, it should be considered as a risk factor for MI and to be incorporated into MI prevention guidelines.

Hemolymph, as mediator of immune responses and nutrient circulation, can be used as physiological marker of an insect’s health, environmental quality or ecological adaptations. Recent studies reported intraspecific variation in protein contents and biological activities of the hemolymph of honey bees related to their diet. Here we measured interspecific variation in three common bee species in the Mediterranean Basin with contrasting ecologies: Apis mellifera , Chalicodoma siculum, and Xylocopa pubescens . Despite all the bees were collected in the same area, we found important quantitative and qualitative variations of hemolymph extracts across species. Samples of A. mellifera and C. siculum had much higher protein concentration, anticancer, antimicrobial and antoxidant activities than samples of X. pubescens. This first descriptive study suggests life history traits of bee species have strong influences on their hemolymph properties and call for future large scale comparative analyses across more species and geographical areas.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.