Introduction: Subtle neurocognitive deficits have been recently observed in Acute Lym-phoblastic Leukemia (ALL) survivors.Aim: We aim to assess the neurocognitive functions of ALL survivors who had been treated with chemotherapy only using two different protocols, and to identify treatment-related risk factors.Patients and Methods: We carried a multicenter study involving 3 pediatric oncology centers on 100 children who were treated for ALL. Fifty patients were treated by the modified Children’s Cancer Group (CCG) 1991 protocol with low dose methotrexate and 50 children were treated by Total XV protocol with high dose methotrexate. Fifty healthy children were included as a control group. Psy-chometric assessment using Arabic version of Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC III) was performed for all patients and controls.Results: Patients had significantly lower mean full scale IQ, performance IQ and verbal IQ than con-trols. Patients ≤ 5 years at diagnosis had significantly lower mean full scale IQ and performance IQ than patients>5 years at diagnosis, while the verbal IQ showed no significant difference between both age groups. Female patients had significantly lower mean full scale IQ, performance IQ and verbal IQthan males. Patients who received Total XV protocol with high dose methotrexate had significantly lower mean full scale IQ, performance IQ and verbal IQ than patients who received modified CCG 1991 protocol with low dose methotrexate.Conclusions: CNS directed chemotherapy might appear to affect neurocognitive functions in chil-dren with ALL, which is more significant in young children at diagnosis, in girls and in those receiv-ing high dose methotrexate.

This work was carried out to study the efficacy of thermal insulation methods during fall on brood rearing activity of F1 Carniolan and F1 Italian hybrid colonies. The experiments were conducted at a private apiary in Hehia district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.Results showed that the highest measured total sealed brood area was recorded for the thermo-insulated colonies with foam for F1 Carniolan and F1 Italian both hybrids colonies, recording 1334.8 and 1441.4 inch 2 /colony, respectively. On the contrary, control colonies received no insulation measure reared the least total sealed brood area, recording 998.8 and 1074.2 inch 2 /colony brood rearing activity of the two hybrids was the highest starting on November 1 st regardless of the insulation material. Thereafter this activity suffered gradual decrease till mid winter before it started to increase again.Italian hybrid colonies showed higher brood rearing activity during fall more than Carniolan hybrid colonies.Conclusively, from previous results, thermal insulation by foam is the best type of thermal insulation for bee sects under study.

This study was conducted to evaluate the role of level infestation of the Varroa destructor mite on virgin queen's acceptance, mating success and pre-oviposition period when their introduced into Carniolan honeybee, Apis mellifera colonies. According to level infestation of mite, the colonies were divided into three groups, each contained 15 colonies, low (5% ± 0.3); moderate (12% ± 0.7) and high (20% ± 0.9). The results showed that the varroa level significant influence virgin queen's acceptance, mating success and somewhat influence their onset of oviposition. The results mentioned that, low infestation level was more accepted and reached mating success 100% than both moderate and high levels (mating success were 91.67% and 80.0%, respectively). Pre-oviposition periods were (8.9 ± 1.05; 11.1 ± 0.89 and 11.6 ± 1.45 days), recorded at low, moderate and high mite infestation levels, respectively. Beekeepers can get an economic benefit from introducing queen bees and improving introduction acceptance and mating success by control varroa mite before queen introduction.

The present work was carried out to study the effect of four introduction cycles (February, March, April, May) of F1 Carniolan and F1 Italian virgin queens introduced on 3-and 5comb mating nuclei of the same and inverse subspecies (genotype) on virgin acceptance and mating success. The experiments were made in a private apiary located at Zagazig District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during 2016 and 2017 seasons. Results revealed that virgin acceptance rates for both F1 Carniolan and F1 Italian virgins were relatively higher in February and March introduction cycles, recording between 90.0-100.0% acceptances in the two seasons. The least acceptance rates were exhibited in April introduction cycle for both hybrids, meanwhile the least mating success was recorded for May cycle in the two seasons. The rate of acceptance was relatively similar in both 3-and 5-comb mating nuclei. Meanwhile, mating success of virgins of both subspecies was relatively higher in the stronger mating nuclei (5-comb nuclei). Introducing virgin queens in mating nuclei of the inverse genotype, showed varied acceptance and mating success values between the two virgin genotypes, where F1 Carniolan virgin queens introduced on 5-comb F1 Italian mating nuclei showed means of 77.5 and 80.0% acceptances, meanwhile F1 Italian virgins introduced on 5-comb F1 Carniolan mating nuclei recorded means of 82.5 and 85.0% acceptances when introduced on F1 Carniolan mating nuclei in the two seasons, respectively. In addition, mean mating success rate was relatively higher for F1 Italian queens introduced on 5-comb F1 Carniolan mating nuclei that recorded 96.88 and 94.10% compared to 85.07 and 84.28% for F1 Carniolan queens mated in F1 Italian nuclei in both seasons, respectively.

No abstract