Aphid soldier differentiation: density acts on both embryos and newborn nymphs

The mechanism of caste differentiation in a social aphid Tuberaphis styraci, which has a sterile soldier caste in the 2nd instar, was investigated using an artificial diet rearing system. High aphid density induced soldier production. Combinatorial prenatal and postnatal density treatments revealed that (1) either prenatal high density or postnatal high density is sufficient for soldier induction; (2) thus, embryos in the maternal body and newborn 1st instar nymphs are both responsive to high density; (3) the combination of prenatal high density and postnatal high density enhances soldier differentiation in a synergistic manner; and (4) the final determination of soldier differentiation occurs postnatally, probably at a late 1st instar stage. This study first throws light on the developmental aspects of caste differentiation in a social aphid.     

Food offering in jackdaws (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Corvus monedula</Emphasis>)

Food sharing among unrelated same-sex individuals has received considerable interest from primatologists and evolutionary biologists because of its apparent altruistic nature and implications for the evolution of complex social cognition. In contrast to primates, food sharing in birds has received relatively little attention. Here we describe three types of food sharing in jackdaws, with the initiative for the transfer either with the receiver or the giver. The latter situation is of particular interest because the food transfer takes place through active giving. Compared to primates, jackdaws show high rates of food sharing. Finally we discuss the implications of food sharing in jackdaws, and in birds in general.     

Parasitoids and competitors influence colony-level responses in the red imported fire ant,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Solenopsis invicta</Emphasis>

Social insect colonies respond to challenges set by a variable environment by reallocating work among colony members. In many social insects, such colony-level task allocation strategies are achieved through individual decisions that produce a self-organized adapting group. We investigated colony responses to parasitoids and native ant competitors in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Parasitoid flies affected fire ants by decreasing the proportion of workers engaged in foraging. Competitors also altered colony-level behaviours by reducing the proportion of foraging ants and by increasing the proportion of roaming majors, whose role is colony defence. Interestingly, the presence of both parasitism and competition almost always had similar effects on task allocation in comparison to each of the biotic factors on its own. Thus, our study uniquely demonstrates that the interactive effect of both parasitism and competition is not necessarily additive, implying that these biotic factors alter colony behaviour in distinct ways. More generally, our work demonstrates the importance of studying the dynamics of species interactions in a broader context.     

海面溢油处理技术的分析与选择

海上溢油会对生态环境造成破坏。根据溢油扩展的动力学过程，对溢油处理方法进行分析，选择适合的处理方法并对不同类型溢油分散剂的性能进行分析，提出应用建议。     

In-nest environment modulates nestmate recognition in the ant<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Camponotus fellah</Emphasis>

Multiple behavioral and chemical studies indicate that ant nestmate recognition cues are low-volatile substances, in particular hydrocarbons (HCs) located on the cuticular surface. We tested the hypothesis that in the ant Camponotus fellah, nest environment, in particular nest volatile odors, can modulate nestmate-recognition-mediated aggression. Workers were individually confined within their own nest in small cages having either a single mesh (SM = limited physical contact permitted) or a double mesh (DM = exposed to nest volatiles only) screen. Individual workers completely isolated outside their nest (CI) served as control. When reintroduced into a group of 50 nestmates, the CI workers were attacked as alien ants after only 2 weeks of separation, whereas the SM workers were treated as nestmates even after 2 months of separation. Aggression towards DM ants depended on the period of isolation. Only DM workers isolated for over 2 months were aggressed by their nestmates, which did not significantly differ from the CI nestmates. Cuticular HC analyses revealed that the profile of the non-isolated ants (NI) was clearly distinct from that of CI, SM and DM ants. Profile differences matched the aggressive response in the case of CI ants but were uncorrelated in the case of SM or DM ants. This suggests that keeping the ants within the nest environment affected nestmate recognition in additional ways than merely altering their HC profile. Nest environment thus appears to affect label–template mismatch by modulating aggressive behavior, as well as the direction at which cuticular HCs diverged during the separation period.     

微生物固定化技术及其对土霉素生产废水处理的研究

本文提出活性炭核一海藻酸钙包埋微生物固定化技术，并将以假丝酵母为主的混合菌群固定化，然后分别在低氧与好氧状态对土霉素生产废水的处理进行了试验研究。结果表明，经固定的微生物，其使用温度、pH值适应范围扩大，对有机物的降解能力亦优于未固定微生物。室温下，当进水CODcr(化学需氧量)为2400～5500mg／1时，在低氧与好氧状态停留24h，其去除率分别达88．2％和97．3％。     

FBS-3数字观测系统的标定分析

着重介绍了蒙城地震台FBS-3系统标定参数的测定与计算,同时也总结了标定软件使用的步骤和注意事项.对仪器进行日常脉冲标定、特定情况下的正弦波标定可以对仪器系统的工作状态有一个量化的评定,以此来判定仪器性能的变化及其稳定程度.2006年7月份,对FBS-3数字化测震观测系统进行了一次标定,此次标定作为每年一次系统正弦波标定的最终结果.与2005年7月份标定结果对比分析,两次标定结果差别不大,符合规范要求,观测系统性能稳定.     

大气监测仪器维护检修能力的评价

一直以来,环境大气监测的数据精度与维护成本,始终是数据应用部门和数据提供部门的难题之一.作者谷学先生根据多年的实档践,首次提出,运用数据对大气监测仪器维护管理进行评价的可行性,并试图建立仪器维护管理作业量化的评价系统.在仪器维护管理中,任何时候,都很难完全排除技术水平比较低的仪器维护检修人员,为了回避这种实际情况,作者通过对数字的分析指出,急需构建环境大气监测仪器维护管理业务能力的评价系统,并期待地方自制体通过评价手段,来选择和指导监测仪器维护管理人员.从而提高数据的精度和减低运转经费的开支.