Measuring the order in ordered porous arrays: can bees outperform humans?

A method that explains how to quantify the amount of order in “ordered” and “highly ordered” porous arrays is derived. Ordered arrays from bee honeycomb and several from the general field of nanoscience are compared. Accurate measures of the order in porous arrays are made using the discrete radial distribution function (RDF). Nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO), hexagonal arrays from functional materials, hexagonal arrays from nanosphere lithography, and square arrays defined by interference lithography (all taken from the literature) are compared to two-dimensional model systems. These arrays have a range of pore diameters from ∼60 to 180 nm. An order parameter, OP ₃ , is defined to evaluate the total order in a given array such that an ideal network has the value of 1. When we compare RDFs of man-made arrays with that of our honeycomb (pore diameter ∼5.89 mm), a locally grown version made by Apis mellifera without the use of foundation comb, we find OP ₃ =0.399 for the honeycomb and OP ₃ =0.572 for man’s best hexagonal array. The nearest neighbor peaks range from 4.65 for the honeycomb to 5.77 for man’s best hexagonal array, while the ideal hexagonal array has an average of 5.93 nearest neighbors. Ordered arrays are now becoming quite common in nanostructured science, while bee honeycombs were studied for millennia. This paper describes the first method to quantify the order found in these arrays with a simple yet elegant procedure that provides a precise measurement of the order in one array compared to other arrays.     

Hexagonal comb cells of honeybees are not produced via a liquid equilibrium process

The nests of European honeybees (Apis mellifera) are organised into wax combs that contain many cells with a hexagonal structure. Many previous studies on comb-building behaviour have been made in order to understand how bees produce this geometrical structure; however, it still remains a mystery. Direct construction of hexagons by bees was suggested previously, while a recent hypothesis postulated the self-organised construction of hexagonal comb cell arrays; however, infrared and thermographic video observations of comb building in the present study failed to support the self-organisation hypothesis because bees were shown to be engaged in direct construction. Bees used their antennae, mandibles and legs in a regular sequence to manipulate the wax, while some bees supported their work by actively warming the wax. During the construction of hexagonal cells, the wax temperature was between 33.6 and 37.6 °C. This is well below 40 °C, i.e. the temperature at which wax is assumed to exist in the liquid equilibrium that is essential for self-organised building.     

Honeybee combs: construction through a liquid equilibrium process?

Geometrical investigations of honeycombs and speculations on how honeybees measure and construct the hexagons and rhombi of their cells are centuries old. Here we show that honeybees neither have to measure nor construct the highly regular structures of a honeycomb, and that the observed pattern of combs can be parsimoniously explained by wax flowing in liquid equilibrium. The structure of the combs of honeybees results from wax as a thermoplastic building medium, which softens and hardens as a result of increasing and decreasing temperatures. It flows among an array of transient, close-packed cylinders which are actually the self-heated honeybees themselves. The three apparent rhomboids forming the base of each cell do not exist but arise as optical artefacts from looking through semi-transparent combs.Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available for this article if you access the article at . A link in the frame on the left on that page takes you directly to the supplementary material.     

Prison construction and guarding behaviour by European honeybees is dependent on inmate small hive beetle density

Increasing small hive beetle (Aethina tumida Murray) density changes prison construction and guarding behaviour in European honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). These changes include more guard bees per imprisoned beetle and the construction of more beetle prisons at the higher beetle density. Despite this, the number of beetles per prison (inmate density) did not change. Beetles solicited food more actively at the higher density and at night. In response, guard bees increased their aggressive behaviour towards beetle prisoners but did not feed beetles more at the higher density. Only 5% of all beetles were found among the combs at the low density but this percentage increased five-fold at the higher one. Successful comb infiltration (and thus reproduction) by beetles is a possible explanation for the significant damage beetles cause to European honeybee colonies in the USA.     

Brood comb as a humidity buffer in honeybee nests

Adverse environmental conditions can be evaded, tolerated or modified in order for an organism to survive. During their development, some insect larvae spin cocoons which, in addition to protecting their occupants against predators, modify microclimatic conditions, thus facilitating thermoregulation or reducing evaporative water loss. Silk cocoons are spun by honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae and subsequently incorporated into the cell walls of the wax combs in which they develop. The accumulation of this hygroscopic silk in the thousands of cells used for brood rearing may significantly affect nest homeostasis by buffering humidity fluctuations. This study investigates the extent to which the comb may influence homeostasis by quantifying the hygroscopic capacity of the cocoons spun by honeybee larvae. When comb containing cocoons was placed at high humidity, it absorbed 11% of its own mass in water within 4 days. Newly drawn comb composed of hydrophobic wax and devoid of cocoons absorbed only 3% of its own mass. Therefore, the accumulation of cocoons in the comb may increase brood survivorship by maintaining a high and stable humidity in the cells.     

The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin)

Higher termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites) are known to build fungus gardens where a symbiotic fungus (Termitomyces sp.) is cultivated. The fungus grows on a substrate called fungus comb, a structure built with the termites’ own faeces. Here we present the first fossil fungus combs ever found in the world. They were extracted from 7-million-year-old continental sandstone (Chad basin). Fossilized fungus combs have an ovoid morphology with a more or less flattened concave base and a characteristic general alveolar aspect. Under lens, they display a typical millimetre-scale pelletal structure. The latter, as well as the general shape and alveolar aspect, are similar to the morphology of fungus combs from extant fungus-growing termites.     

北京市民用燃煤烟气中气态污染物排放特征

以北京远郊农村居民常用的蜂窝煤、煤球、烟煤散煤为实验用煤,开展燃烧实验.研究了烟气无机污染物排放因子、VOCs释放情况.结果表明在充分燃烧的条件下,蜂窝煤、煤球、烟煤气态污染物SO2排放因子分别为1.50、1.91、1.62kg·t~(-1);NOx排放因子分别为0.420、0.901、2.20 kg·t~(-1);CO排放因子分别为22.4、37.3、87.3 kg·t~(-1).燃烧排放的NOx和CO的排放因子顺序关系为:烟煤煤球蜂窝煤;SO2的排放因子大小顺序分别为:煤球烟煤蜂窝煤.获得了北京市2014年3种民用煤燃烧排放的气态污染物的排放清单,烟煤散煤排放的SO2超过了0.55万t,NOx超过了0.75万t,CO超过了29万t.3种煤质燃烧过程中点火和封火阶段VOCs排放浓度相对较高,各阶段VOCs排放因子为点火阶段最高,封火阶段次之.     

Heat and carbon dioxide generated by honeybees jointly act to kill hornets

We have found that giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) are killed in less than 10 min when they are trapped in a bee ball created by the Japanese honeybees Apis cerana japonica, but their death cannot be solely accounted for by the elevated temperature in the bee ball. In controlled experiments, hornets can survive for 10 min at the temperature up to 47°C, whereas the temperature inside the bee balls does not rise higher than 45.9°C. We have found here that the CO₂ concentration inside the bee ball also reaches a maximum (3.6 ± 0.2%) in the initial 0–5 min phase after bee ball formation. The lethal temperature of the hornet (45–46°C) under conditions of CO₂ concentration (3.7 ± 0.44%) produced using human expiratory air is almost the same as that in the bee ball. The lethal temperature of the honeybee is 50–51°C under the same air conditions. We concluded that CO₂ produced inside the bee ball by honeybees is a major factor together with the temperature involved in defense against giant hornets.     

麻黄碱在斑马鱼体内的器官特异性蓄积及毒代动力学

麻黄碱（ephedrine,EPH）是一种生物碱,用于减轻感冒、过敏性鼻炎、鼻炎及鼻窦炎引起的鼻充血症状,控制支气管哮喘等,同时还是制造毒品冰毒的原料.EPH已经在地表水中广泛检出,并可能对水生生物甚至生态系统产生不利影响.但目前,EPH在水生生物中的摄取、器官分配和毒代动力学过程还没有受到关注.本研究中将斑马鱼（Danio rerio）在半静态系统中暴露于EPH,研究斑马鱼的不同器官对EPH的吸收、蓄积以及EPH在斑马鱼体内的毒物代动力学.暴露浓度分别为0.01、1.00和100.00 μg·L^-1,暴露14 d后,在斑马鱼脑、肝、肠、卵巢及肌肉中均检测到EPH,高浓度组斑马鱼脑中EPH最高达到84.97 ng·g^-1;EPH的平均含量的相对大小遵循以下顺序：脑 > 卵巢 > 肝 >肠 > 肌肉.斑马鱼器官中的麻黄碱的摄取速率常数（K_u）为0.23~570.31 L·（kg·d）^-1,消除速率常数（K_e）为1.22~6.11 d^-1,半衰期为0.12~0.57 d.观察到的生物富集系数（BCF_o）和动力学来源的生物富集系数（BCF_k）范围分别为0.24~337.33 L·kg^-1和0.13~316.43 L·kg^-1,处于相同的水平.     

Interspecific utilisation of wax in comb building by honeybees

Beeswaxes of honeybee species share some homologous neutral lipids; but species-specific differences remain. We analysed behavioural variation for wax choice in honeybees, calculated the Euclidean distances for different beeswaxes and assessed the relationship of Euclidean distances to wax choice. We tested the beeswaxes of Apis mellifera capensis, Apis florea, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata and the plant and mineral waxes Japan, candelilla, bayberry and ozokerite as sheets placed in colonies of A. m. capensis, A. florea and A. cerana. A. m. capensis accepted the four beeswaxes but removed Japan and bayberry wax and ignored candelilla and ozokerite. A. cerana colonies accepted the wax of A. cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata but rejected or ignored that of A. m. capensis, the plant and mineral waxes. A. florea colonies accepted A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea wax but rejected that of A. m. capensis. The Euclidean distances for the beeswaxes are consistent with currently prevailing phylogenies for Apis. Despite post-speciation chemical differences in the beeswaxes, they remain largely acceptable interspecifically while the plant and mineral waxes are not chemically close enough to beeswax for their acceptance.     

辽宁省人为源大气污染物排放清单及特征研究

为全面评估辽宁省关键大气污染物排放状况,系统收集和整理全省基础活动水平信息,采用排放因子法建立了该省2012年人为源大气污染物排放清单.结果显示,2012年辽宁省SO_2、NO_x、CO、PM10、PM_(2.5)、BC、OC及NH_3排放总量分别为1434.8×10~3、1632.3×10~3、6682.9×10~3、1529.9×10~3、1087.8×10~3、74.5×10~3、176.1×10~3t及880.4×10~3t.BC和OC最大贡献源为生物质燃烧源,排放集中分布在辽宁中、西部;NH_3主要来自畜禽养殖与化肥施用,排放高值区位于辽宁中部农业畜牧业发达地区;其他污染物主要来自固定燃烧源和工艺过程源,集中分布在辽宁中部城市群以及大连金州区、甘井子区和普兰店区.大连、沈阳是SO_2、NO_x、NH_3和颗粒物主要排放城市,鞍山和本溪由于钢铁行业发达,成为CO排放量最大的城市.基于卫星观测获得的NO_2垂直柱浓度对NO_x排放空间分布进行评估,两者相关性系数为0.57(p0.01).辽宁省级排放清单与国家尺度排放清单在一定程度存在差异,主要原因在于采用的活动水平和污染物控制效率的不同,基于详细本地化污染源信息建立的省级排放清单可以较好地反映实际情况.建议完善点源排放特征信息并加强本地化测试,进一步降低省级排放清单不确定性.     

太原市居民生活燃煤大气污染物排放清单研究

为了科学计算居民生活燃煤对大气污染物排放的贡献率,建立了太原市居民生活燃煤的大气污染物排放清单.利用高分辨率遥感卫星影像、DEM（数字高程模型）和GIS（地理信息系统）对太原市平房空间分布及面积进行了解译,得到2016年太原市平原、山区、城乡区域平房面积.对平原农村、山区农村、城中村典型区域进行实地调查,统计不同区域户均平房面积和生活燃煤使用量,估算得到了平原农村、山区农村、城中村的生活燃煤使用量.结合相关文献测算的排放因子,计算太原市居民生活燃煤散烧的PM₁₀、PM_2.5、SO₂、NO_x、VOCs、CO、OC、EC排放总量.结果表明:2016年太原市有22.8×104户燃煤散烧居民,2016年燃煤消耗量为109.6×104 t,平原和城乡居民是主要的生活燃煤用户也是居民生活燃煤大气污染物的主要排放源;太原市居民生活燃煤散烧的PM₁₀、PM_2.5、SO₂、NO_x、VOCs、CO、OC、EC排放总量分别为9 666.7、7 518.6、8 110.4、1 753.6、657.6、153 549.6、3 419.5、2 882.5 t;2016年太原市清徐县和太原市城区居民煤炭消耗量合计达97.9×104 t,占全年燃煤总消耗量的88%.研究显示,太原市应加快煤改气、煤改电和集中供热建设,进一步推广清洁能源以期减小居民生活燃煤大气污染.      

Dancing to different tunes: heterospecific deciphering of the honeybee waggle dance

Although the structure of the dance language is very similar among species of honeybees, communication of the distance component of the message varies both intraspecifically and interspecifically. However, it is not known whether different honeybee species would attend interspecific waggle dances and, if so, whether they can decipher such dances. Using mixed-species colonies of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, we show that, despite internal differences in the structure of the waggle dances of foragers, both species attend, and act on the information encoded in each other’s waggle dances but with limited accuracy. These observations indicate that direction and distance communication pre-date speciation in honeybees.     

A bee in the corridor: centering and wall-following

In an attempt to better understand the mechanism underlying lateral collision avoidance in flying insects, we trained honeybees (Apis mellifera) to fly through a large (95-cm wide) flight tunnel. We found that, depending on the entrance and feeder positions, honeybees would either center along the corridor midline or fly along one wall. Bees kept following one wall even when a major (150-cm long) part of the opposite wall was removed. These findings cannot be accounted for by the “optic flow balance” hypothesis that has been put forward to explain the typical bees’ “centering response” observed in narrower corridors. Both centering and wall-following behaviors are well accounted for, however, by a control scheme called the lateral optic flow regulator, i.e., a feedback system that strives to maintain the unilateral optic flow constant. The power of this control scheme is that it would allow the bee to guide itself visually in a corridor without having to measure its speed or distance from the walls.     

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.     

富营养化湖区CH4排放特征及其影响因素

为明确富营养湖区CH_4排放特征及其影响因素,对太湖梅梁湾湖区和湖心区进行为期1a的观测,分析影响富营养化湖泊CH_4扩散通量时空格局的环境要素.结果表明,太湖不同湖区均表现为大气CH_4的源,但富营养化梅梁湾湖区的CH_4扩散排放量[年均值:0. 140 mmol·(m~2·d)~(-1))]要明显高于中营养化湖心区的排放量[年均值:0. 024 mmol·(m~2·d)~(-1)],并且在富营养化湖区中,湖岸区的CH_4排放量最高. CH_4通量表现出显著的季节变化:夏季排放量最高,冬季排放量最低,并且季节间的差异可达一个数量级大小.太湖CH_4通量的空间变化与水体DOC浓度显著正相关(R~2=0. 62,P 0. 01),富营养化湖区中较高DOC浓度导致其出现高CH_4排放量.太湖CH_4扩散通量的时间变化受风速和水温等气象因素的驱动,部分水质因子对此有间接影响作用.鉴于湖泊CH_4扩散通量强烈的时空变化以及环境因素巨大的影响,湖泊CH_4排放量准确的估算依赖于较大空间和较长时间的观测.     

纳米刻蚀法制备氧化锰介孔材料及其降解高含盐废水中罗丹明B

为了有效去除高含盐废水中的有机染料污染物,利用有序介孔硅材料作为模板剂,通过硬模板法制备了新型锰系氧化物（MnO_x）介孔材料作为类Fenton催化剂.催化剂的结构表征结果表明,模板剂在锰前驱物溶液中浸渍和后续煅烧成型过程决定了氧化锰介孔材料的结构.浸渍-煅烧成型重复次数越多,MnO_x介孔材料中孔道结构的有序度和氧化锰的结晶度越好.浸渍-煅烧成型次数过少,MnO_x介孔材料中孔道呈现无序状态,比表面积较大但氧化锰结晶度不足;次数过多则形成更为致密的小孔径的孔道结构,从而使MnO_x介孔材料的比表面积减小.由于对罗丹明B（RhB）良好的选择性吸附能力和较多的Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺对,具有有序规则孔道的氧化锰介孔材料具有优异的类Fenton催化活性,对高含盐废水中RhB的5 h降解去除率最高可达90%左右.     

Impacts of continuously regenerating trap and particle oxidation catalyst on the NO2 and particulate matter emissions emitted from diesel engine

Two continuously regenerating diesel particulate filter (CRDPF) with different configurations and one particles oxidation catalyst (POC) were employed to perform experiments in a controlled laboratory setting to evaluate their effects on NO₂, smoke and particle number emissions. The results showed that the application of the after-treatments increased the emission ratios of NO₂/NO_x significantly. The results of smoke emissions and particle number (PN) emissions indicated that both CRDPFs had sufficient capacity to remove more than 90% of total particulate matter (PM) and more than 97% of solid particles. However, the POC was able to remove the organic components of total PM, and only partially to remove the carbonaceous particles with size less than 30 nm. The negligible effects of POC on larger particles were observed due to its honeycomb structure leads to an inadequate residence time to oxidize the solid particles or trap them. The particles removal efficiencies of CRDPFs had high degree of correlations with the emission ratio of NO₂/NO_x. The PN emission results from two CRDPFs indicated that more NO₂ generating in diesel oxidation catalyst section could obtain the higher removal efficiency of solid particles. However this also increased the risk of NO₂ exposure in atmosphere.     

乌鲁木齐市散煤燃烧大气污染物排放清单及时空分布特征

为研究乌鲁木齐市散煤燃烧对大气污染物的贡献情况,根据实地调研收集到的散煤燃烧活动水平数据,利用排放因子法建立2015年乌鲁木齐市散煤燃烧PM_2.5、SO₂和NO_x的排放清单,利用ArcGIS空间分析工具进行空间分布特征分析,使用蒙特卡罗方法进行不确定性分析.结果表明:2015年散煤燃烧排放PM_2.5、SO₂、NO_x分别为1.70×104、4.13×104、2.80×103 t.PM_2.5和SO₂排放的主要贡献区域为乌鲁木齐县,分别占排放总量的27.35%和26.23%,这是由于乌鲁木齐县社区居民和大棚种植耗煤量较大所致;NO_x排放的主要贡献区域为米东区,贡献率高达28.03%,这是因为米东区社区居民所用炉灶为手动炉排层燃炉灶,其排放因子较大所致.空间分布特征表明,污染物主要分布在米东区南部、沙依巴克区北部及乌鲁木齐县中部.不确定性分析表明,村庄、社区、大棚种植、商业和事业单位在95%的置信区间时不确定性分别为-69%~165%、-57%~116%、-68%~171%和-67%~165%.蒙特卡罗预测结果（平均值）高于排放清单的计算结果.研究显示,乌鲁木齐市散煤燃烧对污染物排放贡献较大,并且具有明显的季节性和区域性特征.      

Pd/CeZr/TiO2/Al2O3蜂窝状金属丝网催化剂选择催化还原NOX

采用溶胶-凝胶法和浸渍法制备了Pd/CeZr/TiO2Al2O3蜂窝状金属丝网催化剂,并将其应用于在富氧条件下以丙烯选择催化还原NOx的研究.利用扫描电镜(SEM)分析了钛酸四丁酯的含量以及涂敷次数对TiO2涂层的影响,系统地考察了Pd含量、氧气浓度和空速对蜂窝状金属丝网催化剂催化性能的影响.实验结果表明,采用钛酸四丁酯的含量为20.0%的溶胶,涂敷2次,可以在金属丝网载体上氧化铝涂层表面获得均匀、无皲裂的TiO2涂层;Pd含量在0.23%～1.06%的范围内, NOx的转化率随Pd含量的增加而减小, Pd含量为0.23%时, NOx表现最高的NOx转化率;反应气体中氧气浓度从1.5%增加到6.0%, NOx的转化率随氧气浓度的增加而增大,当氧气浓度高于6.0%, NOx的转化率则随氧气浓度的增加而迅速减小; NOx的转化率随着空速的增加而降低,在高温条件下空速对转化率的影响要大于在低温条件下.