Egg Cup Research Articles

Identification of fungi isolated from commercial bumblebee colonies.

Fungi can have important beneficial and detrimental effects on animals, yet our understanding of the diversity and function of most bee-associated fungi is poor. Over 2 million bumblebee colonies are traded globally every year, but the presence and transport of viable fungi within them is unknown. Here, we explored whether any culturable fungi could be isolated from commercial bumblebee nests. We collected samples of various substrates from within 14 bumblebee colonies, including the honey, honey cup wall, egg cup wall, and frass then placed them on agar and recorded any growth. Fungal morphotypes were then subcultured and their ITS region sequenced for identification. Overall, we cultured 11 fungal species from the various nest substrates. These included both pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi, such as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Candida sp. Our results provide the first insights into the diversity of viable fungal communities in commercial bumblebee nests. Further research is needed to determine if these fungi are unique to commercial colonies or prevalent in wild bumblebee nests, and crucially to determine the ecological and evolutionary implications of these fungi in host colonies.

Field tests of egg and larval release methods of biological control agents (Archanara neurica, Lenisa geminipuncta) for introduced Phragmites australis australis (Cav.) trin. Ex Steud

Field releases of the stem-boring moths Archanara neurica and Lenisa geminipuncta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as classical biological control agents for introduced Phragmites australis australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. began in Canada during 2019. Since then, we have developed and tested release methods for eggs and larvae of both agents. Experiments here include comparisons of: (1) egg survival from exposed “egg card” and protected “egg cup” release methods to assess the risk of agent predation and test mitigation strategies; (2) performance of egg cups overwintered at the release site and those placed shortly before emergence in spring to test for any potential phenological asynchrony between biological control agents and the target weed; and (3) effectiveness of egg cup and larval-inoculated stem releases at a large geographic scale across 15 field sites in southern Ontario. Egg card releases experienced high egg loss likely due to predation (∼90 % of eggs), but egg cups were successful at reducing these losses to near zero. Releasing eggs in cups during the spring made it easier to place releases near phenologically synchronized microsites, minimized the risk of damage to the egg cups, and avoided a 16 % reduction in egg hatch likely associated with desiccation. Both larval-inoculated stems and egg cups produced highly encouraging feeding damage in the first season of release, with 7.7-fold higher damage from stem larvae compared to egg cups. Overall, we recommend a combination of larval-inoculated stems and spring egg cups for the primary release strategies of A. neurica and L. geminipuncta as biological control agents of introduced Phragmites. Both methods offer protection from predation and varying degrees of control over phenological mismatches. The release of larval-inoculated stems is a more labour-intensive but highly effective method in terms of initial feeding damage whereas egg cups are a more efficient mass-release method than stems with a lower amount of initial feeding damage per agent released.

Rhapsody in Turquoise

Rhapsody in Turquoise

Parent’s experience in remote learning during COVID-19 with digital and physical mathematical modelling

In reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Luxembourg suspended in-school teaching and learning towards remote teaching. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Education after three weeks of confinement, showed that more than half of the parents faced difficulties when using remote teaching with their students. To tackle this new challenge, we adapted our research to the use of augmented reality, digital and physical mathematical modelling in remote mathematics education for elementary schools. The elementary school students (aged 5 to 12) created cultural artifacts (i.e., Easter egg cups) during the confinement. In this paper, we will describe mathematical modelling in remote teaching and further concentrate on parents’ perspectives, who played an essential role in assisting their children. Moreover, we will discuss different didactical principles that emerged from the task design during the study through parents’ eyes. Thus, understanding parents’ perspectives became highly important in enabling us to improve task designs and related pedagogical approaches in remote teaching. The data collected in this study included semi-structured interviews with students, parents, and teachers as well as questionnaires and field notes. We followed an exploratory stance with our data analyses, primarily utilizing grounded theory (Corbin & Strauss, 1990, 2014) approaches. Through the insights we gained from our findings, we aim to explain how the parents perceived teaching and learning mathematical modelling in our experiments, how they scaffolded the given tasks, and what support they required and would need in future remote teaching.

Review: The Return of the Past: Postmodernism in British Architecture and Superstructures: The New Architecture, 1960–1990

The Return of the Past: Postmodernism in British Architecture Sir John Soane's Museum, London 16 May–27 August 2018 Superstructures: The New Architecture, 1960–1990 Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich 24 March–2 September 2018 Recent years have seen British architecture of the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s attract growing interest. The buildings of this period are becoming old enough to be the subjects of proposals for substantial remodeling or demolition, and so some of the key debates in contemporary British architectural conservation are concerned with them. At the same time, historians are increasingly keen to look beyond the trente glorieuses of the postwar British welfare state (i.e., 1945–75), which coincided with the high-water mark of modern architecture and planning. How were the architectural and urban principles of the previous three decades challenged and refined during the second half of the 1970s and the 1980s? Two complementary exhibitions mounted in 2018 explored this question, one showcasing the postmodern revival of historic forms and urban principles, and the other examining so-called high-tech architecture, which celebrated structural engineering and the use of mechanical services, fusing modernist enthusiasm for contemporary technology and flexible planning with an interest in nineteenth- and twentieth-century engineering accomplishments. The Return of the Past: Postmodernism in British Architecture , presented at Sir John Soane's Museum in London, was curated by Owen Hopkins, who had previously curated exhibitions dealing with subjects ranging from the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor to that of Alison and Peter Smithson. The show took place principally in the museum's two temporary exhibition galleries, but it began in the adjacent Yellow Drawing Room. There, items from the permanent collection were juxtaposed with those brought in temporarily for the show. One of the giant yellow “egg cups” from the roofline of Terry Farrell's 1983 TV-am headquarters building in London echoed the color of the room, into which were brought chairs by Charles Jencks and others, while the painter Carl Laubin's dramatic depiction of Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones's reworking of the Royal Opera …

First complete description of nest, eggs, and nestlings of the Squamate Antbird, Myrmoderus squamosus (Aves: Thamnophilidae)

Even though nest architecture has been useful for phylogenetic inferences among the Thamnophilidae (Aves: Passeriformes), the nests of only three out of five species ofMyrmoderus(Ridgway, 1909) are known to science. Here we describe the nests, eggs, and nestling of the Squamate AntbirdMyrmoderussquamosus(Pelzeln, 1868). Two nests were bulky bottom-supported cups, measuring 7.3 and 12 cm in maximum outside diameter, with a noticeably smaller egg cup, and they were placed within the crown of short, broad-leafed plants. Eggs were short-oval, with chalky white background color, and purple blotches and streaks more concentrated in the large end. One nestling was dark reddish grey, with bluish white feet, pinkish gray tarsi, and a blackish bill with bright yellow rictal flanges. In face of the great diversity of nest types found among the Thamnophilidae, we concluded that the nest ofM.squamosuswas similar to those of other congeners, giving support to this currently phylogenetically-defined genus.

Semi-field assessment of Spinosad in combination with Altosid briquet and Dudim DT tablets against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae reared in pond water.

This study aims at evaluating the larvicidal efficacy of slow-release formulations of bacterial insecticide Spinosad blended with two insect growth regulators (IGRs), Altosid XR–briquets and Dudim DT tablets against mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti. This insect is the cause of dengue arthropod-borne viral disease. Treatment based on vector control using chemicals poses risks to human and environment, while the strategy based on the use of natural products poses lower risks. The results of the present study indicated that the mixture of Spinosad plus Dudim or Altosid tablets continued their fatal activity against the 3rd instar larvae for a longer period than the treatment with Spinosad, Altosid or Dudim tablets alone. The treatment of Spinosad plus either Altosid or Dudim has given effect to female mosquitoes in laying eggs in egg cups containing the treated pond water compared to the control egg cups. The results also showed that the treatment of Spinosad plus Altosid did not affect the egg hatching rate in the treated pond water, while the treatment of Spinosad combination with Dudim showed a significant decrease in the percentage of egg hatching. Use of natural products with larvicidal activities offers better approaches to integrated pest management and insecticide resistance management.

Nest architecture and parental care in Ruddy Treerunner Margarornis rubiginosus

We complement the only existing nest description for Ruddy Treerunner Margarornis rubiginosus and include observations of nestbuilding and breeding behaviour. We also compare our data with existing information on nest architecture and breeding biology of the closely related Pearled Treerunner M. squamiger and Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens. The nest of Ruddy Treerunner was a pendant closed nest below a single tree branch and was mostly constructed of moss. In the nest base there was a circular entrance and a second cavity. The inner chamber was spherical and the egg cup was mostly constructed of roots, fern scales and other plant fibres. Both adults build the nest and care for chicks. We observed a nest helper and removal of faecal sacs by both adults. Many aspects of nest structure and parental behaviour are similar to those of its sister species, thereby supporting existing genetic data.

First description of the nest and notes on parental care of Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, Phylloscartes oustaleti (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae)

A nest of Phylloscartes oustaleti (Sclater, 1887), collected in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, is described as an ovoid structure with a dome-shaped lateral entrance supported laterally by thin twigs of a shrub. Building material was slender plant fiber interwoven with strands of live moss, which was growing also on twigs around the nest, thus serving to camouflage it. Egg cup was lined by silky material, probably seed down. This nest was found on 13 December 2007 when an adult was spotted carrying food to the nest, located 2.3 m above ground on the edge of secondary forest. Only arthropods were identified in the provisioned food, including mainly insects, but also spiders. General features of this nest conform to those of the few other species of the genus whose nests are known. Available records of Oustalet's Tyrannulet nests are consistent with the previously postulated September to December breeding season for the species, although one record of a bird carrying nest material in early August suggests the breeding season may extend earlier. Detailed nest descriptions are needed from a larger number of species before intra- and interspecific variation in nesting can be adequately appreciated in evolutionary or purely taxonomic contexts in this genus.

A novel technique to practice using a high-speed burr for spinal anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Background:Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has been a successful procedure in terms of patient satisfaction in the management of cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy. The procedure involves an anterior approach to the cervical vertebral column and decompression of the neural elements.Aim:A key part of the procedure is the removal of the posterior osteophyte. This is usually performed using a high-speed burr. In inexperienced hands, this part of the procedure can be a challenging one.Materials:Egg, egg cup, zinc oxide tape and high-speed burr.Conclusion:We describe a simple and cost effective method of practicing this manoeuver, enabling the trainee to gain sufficient confidence in handling the tool around delicate tissues.

Tissandier revisited—the answer

A famous 19th century experiment involved striking a rod balanced on two glasses. In my version (Featonby 2014 Phys. Educ. 49 120) a thin rod is placed horizontally between two supports about 80 cm apart. The supports consist of an uncooked egg in an egg cup. A table-tennis ball is placed on top the rod at each end. What happens next when the rod is given a sharp strike in the centre with another rod?

A New Species ofHydra(Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Hydridae) and Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Six Congeners from China

A new species of genus Hydra (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Hydridae), Hydra shenzhensis sp. nov. from Guangdong Province, China, is described and illustrated. Most polyps have five tentacles. Column length reaches 11 mm when relaxed. Buds do not acquire tentacles synchronously. Stenotele is broad and pyriform in shape, 1.2 times as long as its width. Holotrichous isorhiza is asymmetrical and slender (more than 2.7 times as long as its width), with transverse and slanting coils. Atrichous isorhiza is long, resembling a melon-seed in shape. Desmoneme is asymmetrically pyriform in shape. The new species, belonging to the vulgaris group, is dioecious; sexual reproduction was found to occur mostly during November and December under conditions of dense culture or food shortage. Two to thirteen testes, cone-like shape with papilla, formed beneath the tentacles. One to three ovaries, with an egg cup, milky white in color, formed on body column. Ninety percent of individuals developed only one ovum. On a mother polyp, a fertilized ovum developed an embryonic theca covering its surface. The embryotheca is brown, with a spine-like structure, covering a layer of transparent, membrane-like material. For phylogenetic analysis, the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) of six hydra species collected from China was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Morphological characters in combination with molecular evidence support the hydra described here as a new species.

New method to stimulate the onset of Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) rearing: Using worker helpers in the presence of frozen pupae

AbstractThe failure of bumblebee queens to enthusiastically start a colony under laboratory conditions may be due to lack of oviposition during an experiment, a long delay in oviposition from the termination of hibernation, and failure to rear a large first brood. In the present study, the use of frozen male pupae to start the colony with the assistance of bumblebee workers rather than fresh, young, male pupae was investigated under controlled room temperature and humidity conditions. The period of initiation of the colony decreased with an increase in the number of worker helpers from one to six. The period was as short as 3.9 days in the presence of six worker helpers. Second and third broods also started earlier with the help of workers. The rate of first worker production per egg cup was double that of the normal method (i.e. without worker helpers). Egg eating behavior of the queen was not found in the first brood if more than two workers helped the development of the larvae. Four worker helpers were found to be sufficient, as they could produce 100% colony foundation and 91.46% first worker production colonies. This study showed that using frozen old pupae is a good stimulator for colony foundation in the presence of four bumblebee worker helpers.

Adipophilin-enriched domains in the ER membrane are sites of lipid droplet biogenesis

The prevailing hypothesis of lipid droplet biogenesis proposes that neutral lipids accumulate within the lipid bilayer of the ER membrane from where they are budded off, enclosed by a protein-bearing phospholipid monolayer originating from the cytoplasmic leaflet of the ER membrane. We have used a variety of methods to investigate the nature of the sites of ER-lipid-droplet association in order to gain new insights into the mechanism of lipid droplet formation and growth. The three-dimensional perspectives provided by freeze-fracture electron microscopy demonstrate unequivocally that at sites of close association, the lipid droplet is not situated within the ER membrane; rather, both ER membranes lie external to and follow the contour of the lipid droplet, enclosing it in a manner akin to an egg cup (the ER) holding an egg (the lipid droplet). Freeze-fracture cytochemistry demonstrates that the PAT family protein adipophilin is concentrated in prominent clusters in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the ER membrane closely apposed to the lipid droplet envelope. We identify these structures as sites at which lipids and adipophilin are transferred from ER membranes to lipid droplets. These findings call for a re-evaluation of the prevailing hypothesis of lipid droplet biogenesis.

Airway Clearance in Bronchiectasis: A Randomized Crossover Trial of Active Cycle of Breathing Techniques versus Acapella®

Background: The efficacy of a new airway clearance device (Acapella^®) has not been previously investigated. Active cycle of breathing techniques (ACBT) is the standard airway clearance technique used in patients with bronchiectasis. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of ACBT with Acapella as methods of airway clearance in adults with stable, productive bronchiectasis. Methods: Twenty patients (7 males), age 58 ± 11 years (mean ± SD), FEV₁ 64 ± 22% predicted with stable (change of not greater than FEV₁ 10% predicted during 3 months prior to study), productive (history of expectoration of half an egg cup sputum/day) bronchiectasis attended the respiratory clinic on 3 days. Day 1: 40-min training session on ACBT and Acapella. Days 2 and 3: 30-min treatment session of either ACBT or Acapella. Treatment order was determined by a concealed randomization procedure. The following outcomes were measured before and after treatment spirometry, SpO₂ and breathlessness by an independent assessor who was blinded to treatment order. Weight of sputum (during treatment plus 30 min after treatment), number of coughs and patient preference were also recorded. Results: No significant differences were found at baseline indicating that patients were stable. No significant differences were found between weight of sputum expectorated with ACBT treatment and weight of sputum expectorated with Acapella treatment – mean difference 0.54 g (95% CI –0.39 to 1.46). A greater proportion of patients preferred Acapella (14/20). Conclusion: Acapella is as effective a method of airway clearance as ACBT and may offer a user-friendly alternative to ACBT for patients with bronchiectasis.

Discussion Paper--Are Eggs the Right Size for Egg Cups Because of Good Planning by Hens? Where is Reading Research Going?

Research effort in special education often seeks explanation for children's learning difficulties in hypothetical cognitive processes that are assumed to underpin competence. This is particularly the case with reading difficulty. Despite disappointing empirical evidence about the significance of such constructs, repeated efforts are made to discover them. An argument is made here for the case that the reasoning that lies behind these efforts relies on an artificial distinction between performances (such as reading) and supposed faculties (such as memory or awareness). The construction of this distinction means that illegitimate cause-effect inferences are made about simple associations. The result of this sort of reasoning is a raft of assessments and special pedagogies whose benefits are, at best, dubious and whose ultimate effect is to exaggerate differences between children. The end product of the process is the logic of separating and segregating out those who supposedly need such different treatment.

Integration of the Property of Weight into Infant's Manipulation

This study examines the perception of the property of weight in infants’ early manipulation. What is the baby’s reaction when facing visually identical objects differentiable only by hand manipulation ? Will babies use the property of weight in a functional way ? We presented to 8, 11 and 14 month-old infants four closed egg cups, three light (30g) and a heavy one (160g), during four minutes of free play. Total duration of looking at the objects, total time of manipulation, contact time with each object, exploratory actions and objects’ arrangements in space were scored. Results indicated that the heavy object (called the ‘trap object’) was more watched, more manipulated and more lifted than the light ones as early as 8 months. Objects’ arrangements in space revealed an evolution with age and are in favour of an integration of this tactilo-kineasthetic object property into free manipulation.

Editor's Notes

Editor's Notes One of the attractions of creative nonfiction is its flexibüity ofform. Annie DUlard says, "The essay can do everything a poem can do, and everything a short story can do—everything but fake it. It can also do everything a diary, a journal, a critical article, an editorial, a feature, a report can do." We know that literary journalists and memoirists use fictional devices such as plot, characterization, setting, and dialogue in order to more effectively render their subjects and shape their stories. But as DUlard suggests, this genre also gives writers permission to explore the more whimsical, nonrational twists and turns oftheir imaginations and psyches. Consequently, its writers often experiment with a variety ofstructures, ranging from chronological narratives and flashbacks to non-Unear, disjunctive, or associative strategies, such as montages, mosaics, and coUages. A measure of the genre's distinctiveness is, I believe, its tendency to blur boundaries—and to caU on a multitude ofliterary techniques. Writers know that finding the right image, metaphor, or other strategy can often be the catalyst for shaping a narrative into an aestheticaUy satisfying whole. Below, I'd Uke to highUght some of the different strategies that appear in this issue. "How to BearWitness," Nancy Lord's lead essay, is about visiting the dens of sleeping bears. It's written in the second person, and is deliberately structured as a series of suggested instructions—as if Lord were a tour guide preparing us for our own visit. Anna Monardo's "Ours or the Other Place" is a disjunctive memoir/travel essay that examines issues of place and identity by spanning several decades and jump-cutting between different locales. "The Queimada" by Michele Morano is a memory recollection that's focused on a native ritual the writer experienced in Oviedo, Spain. John D'Agata's "HaU ofFame ofUs/HaU ofFame of Them" are lyrical mini-essays written as disjunctive fragments, Uke lines ofpoetry. "Why I Played the Blues" by Richard TerriU is a straightforward rendering of some of the author's youthful experiences as a member of a blues band. "Oval" by Gaü Griffin takes three distinct objects and shapes and connects them imag- viFourth Genre isticaUy. George R. Clay's "Report from Paris" focuses on a singular, violent act that the writer once witnessed. "Light CaUing to Other Light" by Robert Vivian is a meditation written in segments, each one examining some aspect of the author's preoccupation with different kinds ofUght. "Final Exam" by Alvin Greenberg is a wry ironic piece that utilizes a series ofinvented exam questions designed to explore issues ofautobiography, meaning, and identity. Lisa D. Chavez's "Independence Day, Manley Hot Springs, Alaska" is a focused flashback that detaüs a chüdhood encounter with racism and prejudice . "The Mackerel Skies, the Salmon-Crowded Seas" byWiUiam Greenway is an internal narrative about the vagaries of freshwater fishing in Great Britain. Melanie Dylan Fox's "Nighthiking" is an extended reflection that was prompted by an end-of-season hike in Sequoia National Park. In "Boat Poor,"Alys Culhane begins with a description of a kayaking maneuver on a New Hampshire Lake and then flashes back to specific incidents and events that highlight her obsession with buying boats. Sydney Lea's "Architecture" describes the simpUcity of a Tuscan farmhouse and uses it as a way of examining his attraction to a specific kind of architecture. In "Lost" by EUzabeth Danson, the author describes chüdhood egg cups that in turn trigger a remembrance and reflection on family and place. Michaela CavaUaro's "Catalog" is a segmented essay that utilizes a variety of locations and incidents , aU ofwhich are related to her relationship with her father. "Saint Mary of Egypt—Who Had Been a Sinner" by Donna Perry is a humorous piece that uses a grade school assignment as a way of exploring chüdhood confusions about sex and reUgion. Steven Harvey's "The Big Scioty" is a disjunctive essay that begins with a walk in the southern mountain woods that the author takes with his two youngest chüdren. As they begin to lose their way, the piece opens up into a series of memory fragments about...

One-Handed Non-Slip Egg Cup

One-Handed Non-Slip Egg Cup