Sensitivity to imidacloprid insecticide varies among some social and solitary bee species of agricultural value.

Pollinator health risks from long-lasting neonicotinoid insecticides like imidacloprid has primarily focused on commercially managed, cavity-nesting bees in the genera Apis, Bombus, and Osmia. We expand these assessments to include 12 species of native and non-native crop pollinators of differing levels of body size, sociality, and floral specialization. Bees were collected throughout 2016 and 2017 from flowering blueberry, squash, pumpkin, sunflower and okra in south Mississippi, USA. Within 30-60 minutes of capture, bees were installed in bioassay cages made from transparent plastic cups and dark amber jars. Bees were fed via dental wicks saturated with 27% (1.25 M) sugar syrup containing a realistic range of sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid (0, 5, 20, or 100 ppb) that are often found in nectar. Bees displayed no visible tremors or convulsions except for a small sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, and only at 100ppb syrup. Imidacloprid shortened the captive longevities of the solitary bees. Tolerant bee species lived ~10 to 12 days in the bioassays and included two social and one solitary species: Halictus ligatus, Apis mellifera and Ptilothrix bombiformis (rose mallow bees), respectively. No other bee species tolerated imidacloprid as well as honey bees did, which exhibited no appreciable mortality and only modest paralysis across concentration. In contrast, native bees either lived shorter lives, experienced longer paralysis, or endured both. Overall, longevity decreased with concentration linearly for social bees and non-linearly for solitary species. The percentage of a bee's captive lifespan spent paralyzed increased logarithmically with concentration for all species, although bumble bees suffered longest. Of greatest concern was comparable debilitation of agriculturally valuable solitary bees at both low and high sublethal rates of imidacloprid.

Effects of coumaphos and imidacloprid on honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) lifespan and antioxidant gene regulations in laboratory experiments.

The main objective of this study was to test comparatively the effects of two common insecticides on honey bee Apis mellifera worker's lifespan, food consumption, mortality, and expression of antioxidant genes. Newly emerged worker bees were exposed to organophosphate insecticide coumaphos, a neonicotinoid imidacloprid, and their mixtures. Toxicity tests were conducted along with bee midgut immunohistological TUNEL analyses. RT-qPCR assessed the regulation of 10 bee antioxidant genes linked to pesticide toxicity. We tested coumaphos at 92,600 ppb concentration, in combination with 5 and 20 ppb imidacloprid. Coumaphos induced significantly higher bee mortality, which was associated with down regulation of catalase compared to coumaphos and imidacloprid (5/20 ppb) mixtures, whereas, both imidacloprid concentrations independently had no effect on bee mortality. Mixture of coumaphos and imidacloprid reduced daily bee consumption of a control food patty to 10 mg from a coumaphos intake of 14.3 mg and 18.4 and 13.7 mg for imidacloprid (5 and 20) ppb, respectively. While coumaphos and imidacloprid mixtures induced down-regulation of antioxidant genes with noticeable midgut tissue damage, imidacloprid induced intensive gene up-regulations with less midgut apoptosis.

Toxicity of Selected Acaricides to Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and Varroa (Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman) and Their Use in Controlling Varroa within Honey Bee Colonies.

The efficacies of various acaricides in order to control a parasitic mite, the Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, of honey bees, were measured in two different settings, namely, in laboratory caged honey bees and in queen-right honey bee colonies. The Varroa infestation levels before, during, and after the acaricide treatments were determined in two ways, namely: (1) using the sugar shake protocol to count mites on bees and (2) directly counting the dead mites on the hive bottom inserts. The acaricides that were evaluated were coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, amitraz, thymol, and natural plant compounds (hop acids), which were the active ingredients. The acaricide efficacies in the colonies were evaluated in conjunction with the final coumaphos applications. All of the tested acaricides significantly increased the overall Varroa mortality in the laboratory experiment. Their highest efficiencies were recorded at 6 h post-treatment, except for coumaphos and thymol, which exhibited longer and more consistent activity. In the honey bee colonies, a higher Varroa mortality was recorded in all of the treatments, compared with the natural Varroa mortality during the pretreatment period. The acaricide toxicity to the Varroa mites was consistent in both the caged adult honey bees and workers in the queen-right colonies, although, two of these acaricides, coumaphos at the highest doses and hop acids, were comparatively more toxic to the worker bees.

Species and Media Effects on Soil Carbon Dynamics in the Landscape.

Three woody shrub species [cleyera (Ternstroemia gymnanthera Thunb. 'Conthery'), Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica L.) and loropetalum (Loropetalum chinensis Oliv.'Ruby')] were container-grown for one growing season in 2008 using either pinebark (industry standard), clean chip residual or WholeTree (derived by-products from the forestry industry) as potting substrates and then transplanted into the landscape in 2008. An Automated Carbon Efflux System was used to continually monitor soil CO2 efflux from December 2010 through November 2011 in each species and substrate combination. Changes in soil carbon (C) levels as a result of potting substrate were assessed through soil sampling in 2009 and 2011 and plant biomass was determined at study conclusion. Results showed that soil CO2-C efflux was similar among all species and substrates, with few main effects of species or substrate observed throughout the study. Soil analysis showed that plots with pinebark contained higher levels of soil C in both 2009 and 2011, suggesting that pinebark decomposes slower than clean chip residual or WholeTree and consequently has greater C storage potential than the two alternative substrates. Results showed a net C gain for all species and substrate combinations; however, plants grown in pinebark had greater C sequestration potential.

Positive Clinical Outcomes Are Synergistic With Positive Educational Outcomes When Using Telehealth Consulting in General Practice: A Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of telehealth technology to enable real-time consultations between patients and specialist services (to whom travel may be an impediment to the patient's care) has recently been encouraged in Australia through financial incentives. However, the uptake has been both fragmented and inconsistent. The potential benefits for patients include access to a broader range of specialist referral services, cost and time saving, and more rapid access to specialist services and a continuum of care through the triangulation of interaction between patient, primary health care providers (general practitioners and nurses), and specialists. Enhanced broadband connectivity and higher-grade encryption present an opportunity to trial the use of telehealth consulting as an intrinsic element of medical education for both medical students and doctors-in-training within rural practices and Aboriginal Medical Services. OBJECTIVE: This paper discusses the reported, and varied, benefits of telehealth consulting arising from a multisite trial in New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of this study is to encourage the use of selected telehealth consultations between patients in a primary care setting with a specialist service as an integral aspect of medical education. METHODS: The trial closely followed the protocol developed for this complex and multiaspect intervention. This paper discusses one aspect of the research protocol--using telehealth consultations for medical education--in detail. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. In the quantitative analysis, free-text comments were made on aspects of Telehealth Consulting for the patient, concerning the quality of the interactions, and the time and cost saving, and also on the leaning opportunities. Students commented that their involvement enhanced their learning. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that that the interpersonal aspects were satisfactory, with some brief comments supporting their views. In the analysis of the qualitative data, five themes emerged from the analyses concerning the educational benefits of Telehealth Consulting for different levels of learners, while three themes were identified concerning clinical benefits. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated strong synergies between the learning derived from the telehealth consulting and the clinical benefits to the patient and clinicians involved.

Patient perceptions of innovative longitudinal integrated clerkships based in regional, rural and remote primary care: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Medical students at the University of Wollongong experience continuity of patient care and clinical supervision during an innovative year-long integrated (community and hospital) clinical clerkship. In this model of clinical education, students are based in a general practice 'teaching microsystem' and participate in patient care as part of this community of practice (CoP). This study evaluates patients' perceptions of the clerkship initiative, and their perspectives on this approach to training 'much-needed' doctors in their community. METHODS: Semi-structured, face-to-face, interviews with patients provided data on the clerkship model in three contexts: regional, rural and remote health care settings in Australia. Two researchers independently thematically analysed transcribed data and organised emergent categories into themes. RESULTS: The twelve categories that emerged from the analysis of transcribed data were clustered into four themes: learning as doing; learning as shared experience; learning as belonging to a community; and learning as 'becoming'. Patients viewed the clerkship learning environment as patient- and student-centred, emphasising that the patient-student-doctor relationship triad was important in facilitating active participation by patients as well as students. Patients believed that students became central, rather than peripheral, members of the CoP during an extended placement, value-adding and improving access to patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Regional, rural and remote patients valued the long-term engagement of senior medical students in their health care team(s). A supportive CoP such as the general practice 'teaching microsystem' allowed student and patient to experience increasing participation and identity transformation over time. The extended student-patient-doctor relationship was seen as influential in this progression. Patients revealed unique insights into the longitudinal clerkship model, and believed they have an important contribution to make to medical education and new strategies addressing mal-distribution in the medical workforce.

Early driving experience and influence on risk perception in young rural people.

Young people, particularly males and those from a rural area, are over represented in road crashes; this occurs in vehicle dependent countries around the world, including Australia. The attitudes, experiences and behaviours of young drivers are some of the key factors which affect their potential to have an early on road driving experience that is crash free. This paper considers the views of young people, some of whom were brought up on rural properties, and had significant, responsible roles in agricultural work, including task related driving from a very early age. This early responsibility and associated awareness of risk of injury in farm related tasks can affect risk perception and impact on later risk taking behaviours. Ten focus groups were conducted with young people attending schools in four towns in rural New South Wales, Australia. These were recorded and analysed using qualitative methodology. The results indicate that risk factors in driving, on and off road, are clearly identified and understood; the majority of young people in rural areas are not "high" risk takers or sensation seekers. They also indicate that, in rural NSW, early vehicle handling, before the age for obtaining a license for driving on roads, is customary practice within the community. Attitudes towards speeding, however, reflect that it is tolerable behaviour, and almost inevitable, and often not considered to be risky. Drink driving is considered more risky, and less acceptable, at both the personal and community levels. Future intervention strategies to reduce crash rates in young rural drivers should aim to address the attitudes and actions associated with speeding on rural roads.

Distribution of Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Mississippi.

An extensive monitoring and survey program in Mississippi was conducted from 2000 to 2004 to investigate the distribution of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Seventy-two towns from 22 counties in southern Mississippi were monitored with a total of 3914 traps that catch alates during the swarming season. In addition, 259 licensed pest management professionals in Mississippi were surveyed to determine the locations of termite infestations treated. The alates of C. formosanus were recovered in 12 counties with light traps, and termite infestations were documented in an additional 13 from data collected in the termite survey. Infestations of C. formosanus have been documented in urban, urban cluster, rural, and forested areas of Mississippi. However, the distribution in mean total capture of alates for 4 yr differed significantly among the four ecological areas with the highest percentage in forested areas (31%) and the lowest percentage in urban cluster areas (17%). Most of the infestations of C. formosanus were geographically distributed along the coastal areas of southern Mississippi from Gulfport to Pascagoula. The greatest total number of alates captured in light traps was documented in Pearl River County. Mass swarming of C. formosanus occurred primarily in May or June, depending on weather conditions. The number of documented counties with the evidence of large and widely dispersed swarms of C. formosanus in different ecological areas, and the increase in total annual alate captures from 2000 to 2003, suggest that this invasive termite species is now firmly established in Mississippi.