1.5 Distribution of residues of neonicotinoids in the hive and in bees in relation to bee health

A field study was done to search for residues of neonicotinoids in 15 honeybee hives, in 5 apiaries to determine if any bee loss or symptoms of stress were associated with such residues. The apiaries were adjacent to corn or soybean crop fields in southern Ontario, and Quebec, Canada. Samples of healthy adult bees, larvae, impaired bees with symptoms of intoxication, black bees and dead bees were analysed for acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and the metabolite TZNG. Neither the concentrations of the individual compounds found nor the aggregate exposures to multiple compounds were associated with any evidence of stress or bee loss. Extensive diagnostic tests were done to monitor mites and diseases, and hive weights were monitored. Viruses were frequently found in all bee sample types. Over 90% of impaired bees had viruses, but 20% or less had any of the test compounds and only at low levels (<0.05 ng/bee) of neonicotinoids. 77% of black bees had viruses but none of the test compounds was detected in these bees. Method verification, distribution of residues in the colony, assessment of hive scale results, calculation of the combined effects, implications for diagnosis, and risk assessment will be discussed.A field study was done to search for residues of neonicotinoids in 15 honeybee hives, in 5 apiaries to determine if any bee loss or symptoms of stress were associated with such residues. The apiaries were adjacent to corn or soybean crop fields in southern Ontario, and Quebec, Canada. Samples of healthy adult bees, larvae, impaired bees with symptoms of intoxication, black bees and dead bees were analysed for acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and the metabolite TZNG. Neither the concentrations of the individual compounds found nor the aggregate exposures to multiple compounds were associated with any evidence of stress or bee loss. Extensive diagnostic tests were done to monitor mites and diseases, and hive weights were monitored. Viruses were frequently found in all bee sample types. Over 90% of impaired bees had viruses, but 20% or less had any of the test compounds and only at low levels (<0.05 ng/bee) of neonicotinoids. 77% of black bees had viruses but none of the test compounds was detected in these bees. Method verification, distribution of residues in the colony, assessment of hive scale results, calculation of the combined effects, implications for diagnosis, and risk assessment will be discussed

[Review of] Leslie Marmon Silko, Storyteller

Storyteller is a collection of traditional stories, imaginative prose, verse, and autobiographical sketches purposefully interwoven with photographs taken over four generations by Silko\u27s family and friends. The recurrent center of the work is Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico where she was raised. However, the book encompasses peoples other than Pueblo-Navaho, Zuni, the Yupik of Alaska-and in the opening pages we find her invocation to all Native peoples of North America

People, Place and Politics: D’Arcy McNickle’s (Re)Valuing of Native American Principles

Today, societies have intensified their discourse about the concept of “sustainability,” a term that has expanded to consider the viability of political and economic systems once believed to be inevitable and inviolable. Of course this is not the first time we have searched for a deeper understanding of the interaction between humanity and its surroundings. By looking at the literary production of one Native American author, D’Arcy McNickle, who reached maturity in the 1930s—during the Great Depression and the rise of totalitarian governments—this article considers some implications of the author’s vision of the intersections between political power, human rights, and environmental change: the values that drive our decision-making and subsequent actions. By turning to literature, it asks us to listen to the voices of those who may offer alternative ways of understanding what has happened to our world and where we must go to promote its survival

Potential routes of exposure as a foundation for a risk assessment scheme: a Conceptual Model

Background: The global interest in improving the regulatory risk assessment of pesticides in honeybees and other pollinator insects has led to new test requirements and a conceptual model has been published in the US. It is of interest for modellers and risk assessors to have a more detailed conceptual model that describes the movement of deleterious substances from the point of initial exposure to the point of impact on the protection goals, such as colony health, or honey production. Results: The flow of pesticide residues from application to distribution in the hive is described in an integrated conceptual model. The significance of this model for assessing the relative contribution of various potential routes of exposure, guiding test requirements and describing the quantitative distribution of residues among the castes and task groups of honeybees in the colony was described using data from studies with chlorpyrifos and several neonicotinoids. Conclusion: The quantitative pollinator conceptual model (QPCM) describes the flow pathways and potential exposure routes for honeybees and other bee pollinators in sufficient detail to support quantitative exposure modelling and risk assessment and shows the importance of measuring the distribution of pesticide residues in the areas that lead to exposure and in the hive

Monitoring in-hive residues of neonicotinoids in relation to bee health status

A field study was done to search for residues of neonicotinoids in twelve honeybee hives in four apiaries in the corn and soybean growing area of southern Ontario, in Canada, and to determine if any bee loss or symptoms of stress were associated with such residues. Dead bees in front of the hive, and live forager bees at the hive entrance and inside the hive were collected. Pollen, honey and nectar were also sampled. Acetamiprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam and the metabolite TZNG were included in the analysis, and extensive diagnostic tests were done to monitor mites and diseases. Clothianidin, thiamethoxam and TZNG were found in dead bees collected in front of the hives and forager bees from the hive entrance but not in bees from inside the hive. The concentrations found in bees and hive products were below the NOELs for bees, and were not associated with any evidence of stress or bee loss. Mite levels were low, but viruses were frequently found. The pattern of distribution of residues was parallel to what has been reported for other chemicals including chlorpyrifos. Implications of this pattern for the role of the eusocial behaviour of bees in allowing a bee colony to forage on plants bearing natural or xenobiotic toxins are discussed.Keywords: honeybee, colony loss, virus, neonicotinoid, resistanc

Linking Lincolnshire sport: the role of University women’s cricket in promoting women’s participation

Patriarchal influences have been shown to create barriers to equity and inclusion in sports participation and governance (Rowe, D. (2004). Critical Reading: Sport, Culture and Media. Berkshire. McGraw Hill). Cricket is a sport in which patriarchal values still largely prevail. Despite the recent success of the women’s international cricket team, the Active People Survey (Sport England, 2012) shows that national participation rates have decreased in women’s cricket on a monthly basis (between period 2007/2008 and period 2010/2011). Nonetheless, evidence suggests that where tailored opportunities are created, there is a latent demand for cricket among women (Hibberd et al 2011; ‘Not Just a Boys Game’: Programme evaluation of a multi-agency cricket intervention designed to reduce gender inequity in a city in the East of England.’ Paper presented at the student BASES 2011 conference). However, access still remains limited in the Higher Education institution studied. The present study will build upon previous work completed in 2011 that widened participation in women’s cricket in the community. The principal aim of this study is to assess whether women’s perceptions of barriers to participation in cricket can be addressed by the creation of additional opportunities at a University in the East of England. The project will entail a needs assessment to inform future actions. Additional opportunities in women’s cricket will be delivered. The efficacy and sustainability of services provided will be assessed, particularly in relation to partnership work in the local context. Partners include the County Cricket Board, Students Union, and University Cricket Society, and a locally established cricket club. Project actions will involve sourcing facilities, equipment, and female coaches, producing promotion materials, and facilitating relationships with relevant partners. The study will use a theory-driven model of evaluation using the framework set out by Rossi et al (2004, Evaluation: A systematic approach. Sage, London.). Data will be obtained from a cross sectional sample of female University students. Methods will employ a mixture of qualitative (interview) and quantitative (questionnaire) measures to assess perceived barriers to participation, latent demand for women’s cricket, and the efficacy of project delivery. The project will therefore contribute to the LOCOG (2008) strategy of offering women the ‘chance to participate in the sport of choice without fear of abuse or ridicule’ (LOCOG Diversity and inclusion strategy 2008 p. 5)

1.4 Honey bee nectar foragers feeding themselves and the colony: a review in support of dietary exposure assessment

Quantitative knowledge regarding the foods collected and ingested by nectar foraging honey bees (Apis mellifera) is essential for accurately assessing risk associated with pesticide residues in their diet. Although a very large and diverse body of research is available covering many years of research in the literature, much of this research was designed for purposes other than risk assessment and the accumulated knowledge has not been comprehensively reviewed and consolidated from the viewpoint of pesticide risk assessment. Accordingly, in the interest of advancing all tiers of pollinator risk assessment, and identifying data gaps, we strove to gather, assess, and summarize quantitative data relating to nectar forager collection, consumption and sharing of nectar within the colony. Data pertaining to nectar forager provisioning before foraging flights, quantities of nectar brought back to the hive, frequency and duration of foraging trips and energetics was reviewed. Recommendations for future research in support of refined honey bee risk assessment will be discussed.Quantitative knowledge regarding the foods collected and ingested by nectar foraging honey bees (Apis mellifera) is essential for accurately assessing risk associated with pesticide residues in their diet. Although a very large and diverse body of research is available covering many years of research in the literature, much of this research was designed for purposes other than risk assessment and the accumulated knowledge has not been comprehensively reviewed and consolidated from the viewpoint of pesticide risk assessment. Accordingly, in the interest of advancing all tiers of pollinator risk assessment, and identifying data gaps, we strove to gather, assess, and summarize quantitative data relating to nectar forager collection, consumption and sharing of nectar within the colony. Data pertaining to nectar forager provisioning before foraging flights, quantities of nectar brought back to the hive, frequency and duration of foraging trips and energetics was reviewed. Recommendations for future research in support of refined honey bee risk assessment will be discussed

Intelligent Based Terrain Preview Controller for a 3-axle Vehicle

Presented at 13th International Symposium on Advanced Vehicle Control, AVEC'16; Munich 13-16/09/2016The paper presents a six-wheel half longitudinal model and the design of a dual level control architecture. The first (top) level is designed using a Sugeno fuzzy inference feedforward architecture with and without preview. The second level of controllers are locally managing each wheel for each axle. As the vehicle is moving forward the front wheels and suspension units will have less time to respond when compared to the middle and rear units, hence a preview sensor is used to compensate. The paper shows that the local active suspensions together with the Sugeno Fuzzy, (locally optimised using subtractive clustering), Feedforward control strategy is more effective and this architecture has resulted in reducing the sprung mass vertical acceleration and pitch accelerations

Microearthquake activity on the Orozco Fracture Zone : preliminary results from Project ROSE

Also published as: Journal of Geophysical Research 86 (1981): 3783- 3790We present preliminary hypocenter determinations for 52 earthquakes recorded by a large multiinstitutional network of ocean bottom seismometers and ocean bottom hydrophones in the Orozco Fracture Zone in the eastern Pacific during late February to mid-March 1979. The network was deployed as pan of the Rivera Ocean Seismic Experiment, also known as Project ROSE. The Orozco Fracture Zone is physiographically complex, and the pattern of microeanhquake hypocenters at least partly reflects this complexity. All of the well-located epicenters lie within the active transform fault segment of the fracture zone. About lialf of the recorded earthquakes were aligned along a narrow trough that extends eastward from the northern rise crest intersection in the approximate direction of the Cocos-Pacific relative plate motion; these events appear to be characterized by strike-slip faulting. The second major group of activity occurred in the central portion of the transform fault; the microearthquakes in this group do not display a preferred alignment parallel to the direction of spreading, and several are not obviously associated with distinct topographic features. Hypocentral depth was well resolved for many of the earthquakes reported here. Nominal depths range from 0 to 17 km below the seafloor.Prepared for the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-79-C-0071; NR 083-004