Examining Risks to Honey Bee Pollinators Foraging in Agricultural Landscapes

Bee pollinators provide essential ecological services to wild plant communities, and addtremendous economic value to agriculture by improving both the quality and quantity of crop yield. Beekeepers are often contracted by growers to provide colonies of honey bees for pollination of high-value produce (fruits, vegetables and nuts). Many of the major commodity crops produced in the central and mid-southern United States are wind-pollinated (rice, corn, grain sorghum, wheat), or are sufficiently self-fertile (soybeans, cotton), and so do not require bee pollination in order to produce yield. Beekeepers still rely on these agricultural landscapes to support honey bee colonies when not actively pollinating farms or orchards because these landscapes remain irrigated and productive while other areas may endure a long seasonal nectar dearth. However, intensely managed agricultural landscapes can also expose bees to a variety of detrimental risks, including reduced plant diversity and nutrition, and increased pesticide exposure. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been blamed for recent widespread losses of honey bee colonies in the U.S. and abroad. The planting of insecticide-coated seeds to protect plant growth from early season insect damage has come under particular scrutiny as a potentially significant factor in honey bee declines. Previous investigations have concluded with inconsistent results, based on varying methods employed, seasons and environments, and the scale of the experiments. This study characterized the landscape where seed treatments were common, in terms of floral resources available to bees, sources of contamination. A radius of 2 miles (3.2 km) around an apiary was surveyed for 2 seasons to determine the land use by crop, and to quantify the proportion planted with treated seeds, and what other products were applied during the cropping season, and which of these compounds were found in bee hives. Our survey found that approximately 81% of the landscape was under cultivation, of which 70% was planted with neonicotinoid treated seeds. However, no neonicotinoids were detected in samples of bee hive products. Because pollen could be sampled directly from foraging bees at discrete intervals, and traced back to plant origin, it was used as a bioindicator to determine when neonicotinoids might be present in crops or wild plants. Bees collected relatively little pollen from crops except for a brief period of hot, dry weather. Neonicotinoids were detected infrequently and at low levels, and not at all when bees were visiting crop plants. To test the effects of neonicotinoid ingestion on individual bees in situ, a method was devised to continuously monitor the activities of individual honey bees fed with a sublethal concentration of imidacloprid. Bees that consumed 20 ppb imidacloprid did not suffer acute mortality, but actually appeared to survive 1.7 times as long as untreated bees. This work suggests that neonicotinoids, when properly utilized, may not necessarily pose a greater risk to honey bees than other agricultural chemicals, provided colonies have access to sufficient alternative nutritional sources in the surrounding landscape

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis dissertation attempts to detail the necessary and sufficient conditions for tropical cyclogenesis; specifically those environmental, convective, and thermodynamic properties that may determine the fate of disturbances with apparent genesis potential. Unlike previous observational case studies which evaluate a few cases with limited spatial and temporal resolution in-situ and satellite data, this study examines 1 2 developing and four nondeveloping cases from recent (since 2005) tropical cyclone field campaigns using dropsonde data from multiple agency aircraft, as well as data from infrared and multiple passive microwave satellite platforms. Results, composited for all developing cases, indicate that the inner core of developing disturbances prior to genesis exhibits a midlevel moisture that is greater than the surrounding environment, high relative humidity, a warm temperature anomaly at upper levels that progressively lowers through genesis, and a cool, dry anomaly at low levels. Likewise, the vertical alignment of the low- and midlevel vorticity centers is necessary for formation. The midlevel moisture content only shows a slight "progressive moistening" during the pregenesis stage, while the total precipitable water does not apparently increase among the cases studied. Consistent with conclusions from previous observational and modeling studies, the cool, dry anomaly and increased static stability at low levels in the composite, perhaps as a result of persistent convective precipitation near the center within 1-3 days of genesis, appears to be a necessary condition for formation; this genesis pathway suggests that an initially stronger midlevel vortex precedes primarily low-level spin-up within a day of formation. Among the convective properties examined using the satellite datasets (raining area, convective intensity, area of intense convection, duration, and proximity), the results suggest that the proximity and duration of precipitation within three degrees of the center are the most important properties for formation. However, the developing cases studied do not exhibit any common distinguishing convective characteristics during the pregenesis stage; not all developing cases exhibit widespread, intense convective episodes, and although some of the cases exhibit their most "favorable" convective episodes (in terms of intensity, area, and proximity to the center) around 30-36 hours prior to formation, in a few cases that episode occurs as many as 3 days before formation

A Graph-Based Analysis of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya

We analyze the famous Anton Chekhov play Uncle Vanya by means of graph theory. Moreover, we make the ‘brave’ suggestion that Chekhov might have used graphs to represent the plot of the play and the relationships between characters. Our analysis also includes the analysis of a specific performance of the play held in Bielsko-Biała which differs slightly from the original script. The differences between the two versions are traced via graph-based analyses. When a first round of clique assignments did not give much insight we transformed them via a sequence of operations on consecutive graphs. The final graphs obtained this way from the two versions of the play differ only by one loop, which disturbs the initially intended symmetry. We explore some of the unexpected consequences

The Silent Run: New Issues and Outcomes for University-Industry Relations in Brazil

In order to develop innovations, companies are establishing University-Industry (U-I) relations which are explained in theories like the Triple Helix. Maybe this traditional view it is not enough to describe what happens in Brazil. Followed by a growth of articles published internationally, companies in technologically stable industries seem to be incorporating high-tech outcomes from universities, boosting sectors that once were apparently inert. This research will propose a different approach on U-I relations, focusing on the Knowledge Flow. Results show that agriculture companies are increasing their relations as much as engineering companies. Such relations are mainly based on raw technologies or applied solutions. Start-up firms’ relations are mainly based on informal contacts and patents are not used to protect technologies. The Silent Run shows that companies which appear to be technologically stable are now upgrading trough U-I, and patents does not seem to be the first option when protecting new technologie

CFD Simulation of Flow Phenomena in Selected Centrifugal Pumps, Industrial Fans and Positive Displacement Pumps

The chapter presents simulation models for the analysis of centrifugal pumps, fans and positive displacement pumps. In centrifugal pumps based on the “sliding mesh” method, a CFD model was created to calculate the flow characteristics, and the pump operating parameters were determined at which an unfavourable phenomenon of cavitation occurs. In the case of a radial fan, the CFD model was used to determine the influence of inlet channel geometry on the efficiency of an industrial installation. The main purpose of the CFD simulation was to obtain the pressure distributions and determine the areas in which cavitation may occur. To investigate the flow phenomena that occur in external gear pumps and double-acting vane pumps, the “immersed solid” method was used. The results of 2D and 3D simulation studies for various operating parameters of pumps have been presented

Strenghtening Innovation in Developing Countries

In spite of the variety of studies regarding innovation management questions, there is still a lack of studies concerning the structuring of the innovation management activity in developing countries’ firms. In parallel, there is an increasing number of studies arguing that these firms have no innovative capabilities. Traditionally, however, the metrics used for analysing the innovative capabilities of firms of this nature, such as patents and research and development investments, are incapable of understanding how the innovation process occurs. This study seeks to contribute with the filling of these existing gaps. In this sense, it suggests a total innovation management system focused on the reality of developing countries’ firms, which gives rise to a group of non-conventional indicators to examine the technological capabilities, such as cadence and projects’ mix, here presented and discussed.In spite of the variety of studies regarding innovation management questions, there is still a lack of studies concerning the structuring of the innovation management activity in developing countries’ firms. In parallel, there is an increasing number of studies arguing that these firms have no innovative capabilities. Traditionally, however, the metrics used for analysing the innovative capabilities of firms of this nature, such as patents and research and development investments, are incapable of understanding how the innovation process occurs. This study seeks to contribute with the filling of these existing gaps. In this sense, it suggests a total innovation management system focused on the reality of developing countries’ firms, which gives rise to a group of non-conventional indicators to examine the technological capabilities, such as cadence and projects’ mix, here presented and discussed.In spite of the variety of studies regarding innovation management questions, there is still a lack of studies concerning the structuring of the innovation management activity in developing countries’ firms. In parallel, there is an increasing number of studies arguing that these firms have no innovative capabilities. Traditionally, however, the metrics used for analysing the innovative capabilities of firms of this nature, such as patents and research and development investments, are incapable of understanding how the innovation process occurs. This study seeks to contribute with the filling of these existing gaps. In this sense, it suggests a total innovation management system focused on the reality of developing countries’ firms, which gives rise to a group of non-conventional indicators to examine the technological capabilities, such as cadence and projects’ mix, here presented and discussed

Technological Capability and Firm Performance

This research aims to investigate the relationship between investments in technological capability and economic performance in Brazilian firms. Based on economic development theory and on developed countries history, it is assumed that this relationship is positive. Through key indicators, 133 Brazilian firms have been analyzed. Given the economic circumstances of an emerging economy, which the majority of businesses are primarily based on low and medium-low-technology industries, it is not possible to affirm the existence of a positive relation between technological capability and firm performance. There are other elements that allow firms to achieve such results. Firms of lower technological intensity industries performed above average in the economic performance indicators, adversely, they invested below average in technological capability. These findings do not diminish the merit of firms’ and country’s success. They in fact confirm a historical tradition of a country that concentrates its efforts on basic industries

Technological Interfaces of the Brazilian Shipbuilding and Offshore Industry

The recent challenges of the Brazilian naval and offshore industry have generated a unique opportunity for studies on technological innovation and economic development. This paper presents the recent developments and future prospects of this industry under the theoretical framework of ‘technological interfaces’. Technological interfaces are defined as the thread of knowledge and technology necessary for establishing a transaction between two or more agents. It is both a theoretical construct and a tool for better understanding industrial coherence and dynamics. The development project of ship and platform construction in Brazil, unveils a potential dynamic similar to large national projects, such as the U.S. space project in the 50s. By establishing scientific parameters of analysis for the study, it is possible to generate a broader diagnosis of the technological interface matrix of the industry, but mainly it is possible to map the framework of operational gaps and the needs for technical-scientific development

Inovação em serviços no paradigma da economia do aprendizado : a pertinência de uma dimensão espacial na abordagem dos sistemas de inovação

A análise do processo de inovação em serviços é recente na literatura, onde este foi tradicionalmente considerado um processo decorrente das inovações engendradas na indústria. Destacam-se, nesta perspectiva, três abordagens: a tecnicista, baseada nos serviços, e a integradora. Esta última, em especial, destaca-se pela tentativa de estabelecer uma teoria única da inovação, que contemple tanto a indústria quanto os serviços, constituindo as conceituações necessárias para diferenciar suas especificidades. Neste sentido, este artigo procura investigar as bases teóricas para a aplicação da abordagem dos sistemas de inovação sobre o processo de inovação em serviços e, em especial, a consideração de uma dimensão espacial, local ou regional, a ser considerada em futuras investigações empíricas. Nossas considerações apontam na direção da pertinência deste enfoque, uma vez que o processo de aprendizagem, determinante do processo de inovação sob o novo paradigma, possui caráter delimitado geográfica, cultural e setorialmente, que está na fonte das vantagens competitivas das organizações. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe analysis of innovation in services is recent in literature once this kind of innovation has for long been considered as a byproduct from innovation in manufacturing. Three approaches deserve more attention under this perspective: the technicist, the service-based and the integrated. The latter attempts to establish a single theory of innovation for manufacturing and services, including the necessary conceptualizing to distinguish their specificity. In this sense, this paper aims at investigating theoretical foundations for the application of the innovation systems approach to services, including a spatial, local or regional dimension in future empirical studies. The paper argues for the relevance of this approach once the learning process, decisive for the innovation process in the realm of the new paradigm, is related to geographical, cultural and sectoral boundaries that provide a source for competitive advantage for the organizations

Internal magnetic fields at Hg and TI in ferromagnets

With the perturbed angular correlation method the hyperfine magnetic fields acting at 198Hg nuclei embedded in Fe, Co and Ni lattices are found to be -440 J: 105 kG, -370 :~ 78 kG and -86 J: 22 kG, respectively. The measured fields at 203T1 nuclei in Fe and Co lattices are -185 :e 70 kG and -90 ± 35 kG, respectively