Gonadotropic effects of dopamine in isolated workers of the primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes chinensis

In social insects, biogenic amines are thought to play regulatory roles in the transition between reproductive states in females. To determine the effect of dopamine on the reproductive development of workers in primitively eusocial societies, isolated workers of the paper wasp Polistes chinensis were supplied with oral dopamine. Ovarian development was accelerated in dopamine-fed workers as compared to control workers of the same age fed only sucrose solution. Oral dopamine increased brain levels of dopamine and its metabolite (N-acetyldopamine). Brain levels of tyramine or octopamine were also increased by dopamine application in one of two colonies; levels of the tyramine metabolite N-acetyltyramine were unchanged. These results indicate that dopamine plays a gonadotropic role in isolated workers in the primitively eusocial wasp, similar to the gonadotropic role previously reported for juvenile hormone. This is the first study to report effects of dopamine on ovarian development in workers of the paper wasp.     

The function of dart behavior in the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus

Dominance behavior in Polistes wasps is a composite trait consisting of various discrete behaviors such as darts, lunges, bites, and mounts. The majority of these behaviors are considered aggressive, and these aggressive behaviors are considered to form a continuum from mild (e.g., darts) to severe (e.g., falling fights). In this paper we focus on darts, the most common of the dominance behaviors, and investigate their function in un-manipulated post-emergent colonies of the primitively eusocial wasp P. fuscatus. Here we show that darts are correlated with the more severe dominance behaviors, and that dominance ranks do not change with the addition or exclusion of darts. We find no correlation, however, between receiving darts and receiving more severe dominance behaviors. This result suggests that darts are not indicative of aggressive reinforcement of dominance, but rather may serve a different function. Our data suggest that the function of darts is to regulate activity on nests. Both foundresses and workers dart inactive workers significantly more often than by chance, and workers respond to a foundresss (but not a workers) dart by becoming less inactive. We also found that active workers who receive a dart from either a foundress or worker respond mostly by switching from one activity to another. Thus, our data suggest that darts are not aggressive behaviors, that foundresses use this signal to initiate activity, and that foundresses and workers both use the signal to regulate worker activity.     

A survey of DNA methylation across social insect species, life stages, and castes reveals abundant and caste-associated methylation in a primitively social wasp

DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic control of developmental and behavioral plasticity, with connections to the generation of striking phenotypic differences between castes (larger, reproductive queens and smaller, non-reproductive workers) in honeybees and ants. Here, we provide the first comparative investigation of caste- and life stage-associated DNA methylation in several species of bees and vespid wasps displaying different levels of social organization. Our results reveal moderate levels of DNA methylation in most bees and wasps, with no clear relationship to the level of sociality. Strikingly, primitively social Polistes dominula paper wasps show unusually high overall DNA methylation and caste-related differences in site-specific methylation. These results suggest DNA methylation may play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological differences in primitively social species with more flexible caste differences.     

Out with the garbage: the parasitic strategy of the mantisfly Plega hagenella mass-infesting colonies of the eusocial bee Melipona subnitida in northeastern Brazil

Between April and June of 2012 mantisflies (Plega hagenella) were found to be extensively parasitizing the nests of two groups of managed colonzies of eusocial stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The mantisfly larvae developed inside closed brood cells of the bee comb, where each mantispid larva fed on the bee larva or pupa present in a single brood cell. Mature mantispid larvae pupated inside silken cocoons spun in place within their hosts' brood cells then emerged as pharate adults inside the bee colony. Pharate adults were never attacked and killed by host colony workers. Instead, colony workers picked up the pharates and removed them from the nest unharmed, treating them similar to the way that the general refuse is removed from the nest. Adult mantispids subsequently eclosed from their pupal exuviae outside the nest. Manipulative experiments showed that post-eclosion adult mantispids placed back within active bee colonies were quickly attacked and killed. These observations demonstrate that pharate and post-eclosion adults of P. hagenella are perceived differently by colony workers and that delayed adult eclosion is an important functional element in the parasitic life strategy of P. hagenella, allowing adults to escape without injury from the bee colonies they parasitize.     

Docile sitters and active fighters in paper wasps: a tale of two queens

Ropalidia marginata and Ropalidia cyathiformis are sympatric, primitively eusocial paper wasps widely distributed in peninsular India. We compare the two species, especially their queens, in an attempt to begin to understand the role of the power of queens over their workers, in social organisation and evolution. Queens of R. marginata have lower levels of activity, rates of interactions and dominance behaviour, compared with queens of R. cyathiformis. For the same variables, R. marginata queens are either indistinguishable from or have lower values than their workers, while R. cyathiformis queens have higher values than their workers. R. marginata queens never occupy the top rank while R. cyathiformis queens are always at the top of the behavioural dominance hierarchies of their colonies. R. marginata queens thus do not appear to use dominance behaviour to suppress reproduction by their workers, while R. cyathiformis queens appear to do so. These different mechanisms used by the two queens to regulate worker reproduction give them different powers over their workers, because R. marginata queens are completely successful in suppressing reproduction by their nestmates while in R. cyathiformis colonies, other individuals also sometimes lay eggs. There is also some evidence that the different powers of the queens result in different mechanisms of regulation of worker foraging in the two species--decentralised, self-regulation in R. marginata and relatively more centralised regulation by the queen in R. cyathiformis. Thus we show here, perhaps for the first time, that the power of the queens over their workers can have important consequences for social organisation and evolution.     

Atmospheric HONO formation during and after the Spring Festival holidays in a coastal city of China

Nitrous acid(HONO) is an important source of hydrogen oxides(HOx), which affects air quality, the atmospheric oxidation capacity, and human health. Here, we present ambient measurements of the HONO concentrations in Zhuhai, a coastal city in Southern China,from February 7 to March 15, 2021. The campaign was classified into two periods during(P1) and after(P2) the Spring Festival holidays. The average HONO mixing ratio during P2(1.19 ± 0.85 ppbv) was much higher than that during P1(0.24 ± 0.18 pp...     

Analysis of the hydrocyclone stock cleaning process for wasted fibre in a paper mill

The main objective of this project was to evaluate the possibility of reducing the quantity of fibre wasted at one of many hydrocyclone (centrifugal) cleaning processes in a paper mill. It was found that the application of elutriation water to both the tertiary and quaternary cleaners was essential to minimise the fibre discharged to the sewer, and the pressure of this elutriation water had a dramatic effect of reducing the fibre wastage. Accordingly, it has been shown that 150–160 kPa as the optimum pressure range to apply elutriation water to minimise the product grade fibre wasted whilst sending undesired shive fibre to the sewer. Also, monitoring of the press uhle box wastewater revealed that the paper mill has the potential to make substantial cost savings by reducing the waste stream. Further investigation is necessary to determine the types of fibre that are being wasted, and the viability of a screen to recycle the wasted fibre to the process. However, these fibres may be unsuitable to reuse in the process and alternative uses must be found.     

北京秋季一次先污染后沙尘现象成因分析

利用卫星监测资料、气象站的观测资料和北京市环境保护监测中心的PM₁₀监测资料,通过对天气图进行分析,对发生在2000-11-01—07这一污染天气过程的成因和性质进行了解析。结果表明:在此期间PM₁₀呈现准正态分布。污染过程由2个性质完全不同的阶段构成:第一阶段(11月1—3日)属于雾型污染,污染物是SO₂,NO₂等经过化学转化而成的硫酸盐和硝酸盐微粒;第二阶段(11月4—7日)属于沙尘型污染,该阶段的污染物是受上游沙尘天气影响而形成的黄土、浮尘。这2个阶段的气象过程及天气形势也完全不同,沙尘暴爆发前(前一阶段)的天气受均压场控制,呈现双层逆温结构,相对湿度较大;沙尘暴期间(后一阶段)的天气受高压前部西北气流控制,相对湿度大幅度下降,空气干燥度从地面到高空基本一致。      

同温混合初期主库区沉积物间隙水DOM的光谱特征——以周村水库为例

运用紫外-可见光谱技术以及结合平行因子分析法的三维荧光光谱（EEM-PARAFAC）技术,对周村水库秋末同温混合初期的沉积物间隙水中溶解性有机物（DOM）的光谱特征进行分析.结果表明：周村水库沉积物间隙水DOM的紫外-可见吸收光谱并无明显特征峰,吸收系数的变异系数在50%~330%之间,表明其性质在不同深度上存在差异;E2/E3、E3/E4随深度增加,说明富里酸所占DOM的比例随沉积物深度增加而升高;三维荧光光谱中分离了4个组分,分别为类富里酸（C1、C2）、类蛋白（C3）和类腐殖酸（C4）;类蛋白（C3）与类腐殖酸（C4）具有显著的相关性（P<0.01,R=0.905）;DOM总荧光强度以及各组分荧光强度随着沉积物深度的增加均呈下降趋势,但DOM中腐殖质所占比例随深度逐渐增加,各样点间各荧光组分的荧光强度与组分比例差异显著;水库沉积物间隙水的高FI（1.8~2.0）和BIX（>1.0）,以及低HIX（<4.0）的荧光特征指数,说明不同深度DOM的腐殖化程度低,均来源于微生物作用.     

Temporary storage of carbon in the biosphere does have value for climate change mitigation: a response to the paper by Miko Kirschbaum

Kirschbaum (Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 11:1151–1164, 2006) explores the climatic impact over time of temporarily sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. He concludes that temporary storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere “achieves effectively no climate-change mitigation”. His strongly worded statement begs for a response. This paper argues that Kirschbaum’s conclusion is an artifact of the specific perspective of his analysis and his choice of a definition for climate-change impact. Even temporary sinks put us on a lower path for climate change, a path that will not otherwise be accessible. For carbon sinks in the terrestrial biosphere, we argue that sooner is better and longer is better, but even known temporary sinks have value.

闲置厌氧氨氧化微生物的启动及微生物分析

文章以闲置12个月的厌氧氨氧化生物膜填料重新启动厌氧氨氧化反应器,并对反应器的活性恢复情况、脱氮效果和微生物菌群结构开展研究。实验结果表明:在启动的200 d逐渐将进水氨氮、亚硝态氮浓度从50 mg/L提高到70 mg/L,水力停留时间从12 h缩短到4 h,后期氨氮去除率达80%以上,亚硝酸盐去除率达95%。170~200 d的稳定期中,平均去除负荷0.71±0.15 kg/(m~3·d)。另外,通过高通量测序技术对反应器中微生物群落变化情况进行了系统分析。启动过程中填料中污泥微生物浮霉菌门Planctomyctes的相对丰度从13.7%增长到了36.0%,成为优势菌群。     

Ozone episodes during and after the 2018 Chinese National Day holidays in Guangzhou: Implications for the control of precursor VOCs

The impact of reducing industrial emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on ozone (O₃) pollution is of wide concern particularly in highly industrialized megacities. In this study, O₃, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and VOCs were measured at an urban site in the Pearl River Delta region during the 2018 Chinese National Day Holidays and two after-holiday periods (one with ozone pollution and another without). O₃ pollution occurred throughout the 7-day holidays even industrial emissions of VOCs were passively reduced due to temporary factory shutdowns, and the toluene to benzene ratios dropped from ∼10 during non-holidays to ∼5 during the holidays. Box model (AtChem2-MCM) simulations with the input of observation data revealed that O₃ formation was all VOC-limited, and alkenes had the highest relative incremental reactivity (RIR) during the holiday and non-holiday O₃ episodes while aromatics had the highest RIR during the non-pollution period. Box model also demonstrated that even aromatics decreased proportionally to levels with near-zero contributions of industrial aromatic solvents, O₃ concentrations would only decrease by less than 20% during the holiday and non-holiday O₃ episodes and ozone pollution in the periods could not be eliminated. The results imply that controlling emissions of industrial aromatic solvents might be not enough to eliminate O₃ pollution in the region, and more attention should be paid to anthropogenic reactive alkenes. Isoprene and formaldehyde were among the top 3 species by RIRs in all the three pollution and non-pollution periods, suggesting substantial contribution to O₃ formation from biogenic VOCs.     

斑节对虾Penaeus monodon养成期间池水CODMn和BOD5的变化及其相互关系

研究了有益微生物制剂调控下,斑节对虾生长周期内,池水中CODMn和BOD5的变化规律.结果表明,CODMn和BOD5的动态变化大致分为3个阶段：前期在低浓度下缓慢增长,中期由较低浓度向较高浓度快速增长,后期在较高浓度波动,回归分析结果显示二者呈显著的线性正相关关系（P〈 0.01）.在养殖后期,未投放微生物的对照池中CODMn和BOD5浓度比投放微生物的试验池中有所增高,分别增高约9 %和21 %.     

泾河中游将军村全新世剖面中钾素的地球化学特征及古气候意义

通过对泾河中游将军村全新世黄土地层中钾素、低频质量磁化率、频率磁化率、Rb/Sr与年代学综合分析,着重探讨了黄土中钾素的地球化学特征及其所揭示的古气候变化。研究表明：（1）速效钾、缓效钾具有很明显的古气候指示意义,可作为衡量东亚夏季风强弱的一种敏感参数或代用指标,并且对微弱的古气侯波动反映更灵敏。（2）近万年来将军村剖面所经历的古气候变化特征：早全新世（11.20—8.05 ka BP）气候逐渐趋于相对暖湿,但气候冷干/暖湿波动频繁交替;中全新世（8.05—3.10 ka BP）气候适宜;晚全新世前期（3.10—2.00 ka BP）气候偏凉干;晚全新世后期（2.00 ka BP—至今）气候再度转为偏暖湿。（3）将军村剖面全新世气候适宜期是渐变形成的,但大暖期却在约3.10 ka BP时以气候突变形式终结。