Larvae act as a transient transmission hub for the prevalent bumblebee parasite Crithidia bombi

Disease transmission networks are key for understanding parasite epidemiology. Within the social insects, structured contact networks have been suggested to limit the spread of diseases to vulnerable members of their society, such as the queen or brood. However, even these complex social structures do not provide complete protection, as some diseases, which are transmitted by workers during brood care, can still infect the brood. Given the high rate of feeding interactions that occur in a social insect colony, larvae may act as disease transmission hubs. Here we use the bumblebee Bombus terrestris and its parasite Crithidia bombi to determine the role of brood in bumblebee disease transmission networks. Larvae that were artificially inoculated with C. bombi showed no signs of infection seven days after inoculation. However, larvae that received either an artificial inoculation or a contaminated feed from brood-caring workers were able to transmit the parasite to naive workers. These results suggest that the developing brood is a potential route of intracolonial disease transmission and should be included when considering social insect disease transmission networks

Division of labor among a cohort of young individuals in a primitively eusocial wasp

Age polyethism has recently been demonstrated in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata, and it has been shown that workers allocate tasks based more on their relative age rather than on their absolute age, thus providing flexibility to division of labor. The flexibility of division of labor and the respective roles of absolute and relative ages is further evaluated here by creating colonies of only young individuals (young-cohort colonies). The results show that workers in young-cohort colonies can forage at an earlier age, in larger numbers and with a higher probability and frequency. This confirms that division of labor in the colony can indeed be independent of absolute age. The results also show that relative age governs the probability of task performance while absolute age governs the frequency of task performance. The constraints posed by absolute age in the organization of work in an insect colony and the flexibility lent to it by relative age are discussed

‘Face-to Face vs. Flipped’: A Comparative Study on Academic Outcomes and Learning Preferences in First Year Allied Health Students Undertaking Anatomy and Physiology

[EN] A mixed-mode or ‘‘flipped’’ model of learning focusses on supporting a high level of student engagement, student motivation, and the transferability of specific course content. A blend of online resources and face-to-face (F2F) learning facilitates meaningful interaction between peers, while building a capacity for self-directed and lifelong learning. Within the School of Medical Science, Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) content was ‘flipped’ for delivery at a new campus to align with the traditional F2F offering. Lectures were delivered online, while tutorials and practicums were F2F.. Collaborative learning opportunities utilizing active learning pedagogies was appealing and was integrated during the re-alignment of A&P which was delivered to a cohort of allied health students undertaking their first year of their program. This study assessed how this type of learning was received by students (from the same program) undertaking the same course in an on-campus F2F delivery. Students completed surveys relating to their experiences in learning activities applied in: lectures, tutorials and practicums. In addition, academic outcomes (theoretical and practical) across the two modalities were also evaluated. Overall, students undertaking the mixed-mode delivery performed significantly better in theoretical assessments, while performance in practical assessments was comparable between both deliveries. Student preferences to learning and teaching activities was mixed, however all students highly valued the use of “mini-quizzes” in lectures, tutorials and practicums.Wendt, L.; Du Toit, E.; Naug, H. (2021). ‘Face-to Face vs. Flipped’: A Comparative Study on Academic Outcomes and Learning Preferences in First Year Allied Health Students Undertaking Anatomy and Physiology. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1043-1052. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13017OCS1043105

The microsporidian parasites Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis are widespread in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies across Scotland

Nosema ceranae is spreading into areas where Nosema apis already exists. N. ceranae has been reported to cause an asymptomatic infection that may lead, ultimately, to colony collapse. It is thought that there may be a temperature barrier to its infiltration into countries in colder climates. In this study, 71 colonies from Scottish Beekeeper’s Association members have been screened for the presence of N. apis and N. ceranae across Scotland. We find that only 11 of the 71 colonies tested positive for spores by microscopy. However, 70.4 % of colonies screened by PCR revealed the presence of both N. ceranae and N. apis, with only 4.2 or 7 % having either strain alone and 18.3 % being Nosema free. A range of geographically separated colonies testing positive for N. ceranae were sequenced to confirm their identity. All nine sequences confirmed the presence of N. ceranae and indicated the presence of a single new variant. Furthermore, two of the spore-containing colonies had only N. ceranae present, and these exhibited the presence of smaller spores that could be distinguished from N. apis by the analysis of average spore size. Differential quantification of the PCR product revealed N. ceranae to be the dominant species in all seven samples tested. In conclusion, N. ceranae is widespread in Scotland where it exists in combination with the endemic N. apis. A single variant, identical to that found in France (DQ374655) except for the addition of a single nucleotide polymorphism, is present in Scotland