The alternative Pharaoh approach: stingless bees mummify beetle parasites alive

Workers from social insect colonies use different defence strategies to combat invaders. Nevertheless, some parasitic species are able to bypass colony defences. In particular, some beetle nest invaders cannot be killed or removed by workers of social bees, thus creating the need for alternative social defence strategies to ensure colony survival. Here we show, using diagnostic radioentomology, that stingless bee workers (Trigona carbonaria) immediately mummify invading adult small hive beetles (Aethina tumida) alive by coating them with a mixture of resin, wax and mud, thereby preventing severe damage to the colony. In sharp contrast to the responses of honeybee and bumblebee colonies, the rapid live mummification strategy of T. carbonaria effectively prevents beetle advancements and removes their ability to reproduce. The convergent evolution of mummification in stingless bees and encapsulation in honeybees is another striking example of co-evolution between insect societies and their parasites.

Localizing Seizure-Onset Zones in Presurgical Evaluation of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy by Electroencephalography/fMRI: Effectiveness of Alternative Thresholding Strategies

Simultaneous EEG/fMRI is an effective noninvasive tool for identifying and localizing the SOZ in patients with focal epilepsy. In this study, we evaluated different thresholding strategies in EEG/fMRI for the assessment of hemodynamic responses to IEDs in the SOZ of drug-resistant epilepsy.

Evaluating Faculty Publications in Accounting Ph.D. Programs: The Author Affiliation Index as an Alternative

We propose a new model, the Author Affiliation Index (AAI), for examining journal quality, explain how the AAI is calculated, and report the resulting scores for 35 accounting and accounting-related journals. Next, we compare AAI journal rankings with those from other published studies and examine the correlations between them to show how the AAI can be used to evaluate relatively new journals, such as Accounting and the Public Interest, that are not included in extant ranking lists. By explaining its flexibility, we demonstrate that the AAI model can serve as a valuable tool for measuring journal quality and for meeting AACSB accreditation requirements for faculty groups as well as individual faculty. The AAI is based on the principle that as the percentage of authors in a journal who are accounting faculty at doctoral-granting institutions increases, the perceived value of that journal in terms of quality to Ph.D.-granting accounting programs also increases. Although our illustrations focus on the construction of this measure for use by Ph.D.-granting institutions, we describe how it can be adapted for use by other faculty groups.

DESIGN OF A LIQUID FUEL INJECTOR FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL STUDIES IN AN ATMOSPHERIC MODEL GAS TURBINE COMBUSTOR

A new liquid-fuel injector was designed for use in the atmospheric-pressure, model gas turbine combustor in Bucknell University’s Combustion Research Laboratory during alternative fuel testing. The current liquid-fuel injector requires a higher-than-desired pressure drop and volumetric flow rate to provide proper atomization of liquid fuels. An air-blast atomizer type of fuel injector was chosen and an experiment utilizing water as the working fluid was performed on a variable-geometry prototype. Visualization of the spray pattern was achieved through photography and the pressure drop was measured as a function of the required operating parameters. Experimental correlations were used to estimate droplet sizes over flow conditions similar to that which would be experienced in the actual combustor. The results of this experiment were used to select the desired geometric parameters for the proposed final injector design and a CAD model was generated. Eventually, the new injector will be fabricated and tested to provide final validation of the design prior to use in the combustion test apparatus.

Design, Construction, and Validation of an Atmospheric Combustor for Alternative Fuel Studies

An atmospheric combustion apparatus was designed through several iterations for Bucknell University's combustion laboratory. The final design required extensive fine-tuning of the fuel and air systems and repeated tests to arrive at a satisfactory procedure to transfer from gaseous to liquid fuel operation. Measurement of exhaust emissions were obtained under tests of gaseous methane and liquid heptane were operation in order to validate the functionality of the combustion apparatus, the fuel transition procedure, and emissions analyzer systems. The emission concentrations of CO, CO2, NOx, 02, S02, and unburned hydrocarbons from a multianalyzer and HFID analyzer were obtained for a range of equivalence ratios. The results verify the potential for future alternative fuel tests and illuminate necessary alterations for further liquid fuel studies.

Structural and procedural properties important in promoting bio-enterprises as alternative livelihoods to pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods

Alternative livelihoods to pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods are increasingly gaining attention in rural development but few empirical evidence exist on how to go about supporting such initiatives. As pastoral and agro-pastoral production conditions change due to various factors including market conditions, climate variability and change, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists are increasingly faced with the challenge of finding alternative livelihoods. Bio-enterprises offer such alternatives or complementary activities for rural actors to adapt to changing socio-ecological conditions. This study examines the roles of bio-enterprise initiatives from a livelihood perspective and identifies the features important for such initiatives to reduce poverty and improve the adaptive capacities of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. It draws on four different bio-enterprise initiatives on agro-pastoral and pastoral livelihoods and on improved natural resources management (NRM) in the drylands of Kenya. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, informal discussions and the study of reports. Results shows among other factors that diversification into enterprises requires cooperation among the stakeholders with their varying experiences in development, NRM and business development. Other factors such as sustained financial support, capacity development to survive the market introduction phase, as well as quantity and quality of the product, are critical. Mentoring proved to be a driver of success in some initiatives.