Improvement in collective performance with experience in ants

We show that entire ant colonies can improve their collective performance progressively when they repeat the same process. Colonies of Leptothorax albipennis can reduce their total emigration times over successive emigrations. We show that this improvement is based on experience and some memory-like process, rather than a coincidental developmental change or an increased general level of arousal. We demonstrate that the benefits of experience can be lost (i.e. forgotten) if the interval between successive emigrations is too long. We also show that the benefits of experience are more likely to be retained over a longer period if the collective performance has been repeated several times. This is a new demonstration of a process akin to learning in ants and we briefly discuss how it may involve not only improvements in individual performance but also improvements in the ways in which the ants interact with one another.Communicated by L. Sundström     

Analysis of PM2.5 and PM10 in the atmosphere of Mexico City during 2000-2002

During the last 10 years, high atmospheric concentrations of airborne particles recorded in the Mexico City metropolitan area have caused concern because of their potential harmful effects on human health. Four monitoring campaigns have been carried out in the Mexico City metropolitan area during 2000-2002 at three sites: (1) Xalostoc, located in an industrial region; (2) La Merced, located in a commercial area; and (3) Pedregal, located in a residential area. Results of gravimetric and chemical analyses of 330 samples of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm (PM2.5) and PM with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microm (PM10) indicate that (1) PM2.5/PM10 average ratios were 0.42, 0.46, and 0.52 for Xalostoc, La Merced, and Pedregal, respectively; (2) the highest PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were found at the industrial site; (3) PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were lower at nighttime; (4) PM2.5 and PM10 spatial averages concentrations were 35 and 76 microg/m3, respectively; and (5) when the PM2.5 standard was exceeded, nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, organic carbon, and elemental carbon concentrations were high. Twenty-four hour averaged PM2.5 concentrations in Mexico City and Sao Paulo were similar to those recorded in the 1980s in Los Angeles. PM10 concentrations were comparable in Sao Paulo and Mexico City but 3-fold lower than those found in Santiago.     

Post-mortem findings in a fetus with 48,XXY, + 21

A fetus with 48,XXY, + 21 was detected on routine amniocentesis at 15 weeks for advanced maternal age. Fibroblast cultures from six different tissues were initiated after termination and each showed the same karyotype without any tissue limited mosaicism. The only pheno-typic abnormality detected at post-mortem examination was bilateral clinodactyly of the fifth finger which had been detected on ultrasound. The maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and the femur length were normal. Maternal age remains an essential criterion for prenatal diagnosis.     

Comparability between PM2.5 and particle light scattering measurements

Particle light scattering and PM_2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 m) concentration data from air quality studies conducted over the past ten years wereexamined. Fine particle scattering efficiencies were determinedfrom statistical relationships among measured light scattering and fine and coarse mass concentrations. The resulting fine particle scattering efficiencies ranged from 1.7 m² g^-1at Meadview in the Grand Canyon to over 5 m² g^-1 in Mexico City. Most of the derived fine scattering efficiencieswere centered around 2 m² g^-1, which is considerablylower than most values reported from previous studies.     

Evaluation of filter-based aerosol measurements during the 1987 Southern California Air Quality Study

The Southern California Air Quality Study (SCAQS) was conducted during the summer and fall of 1987 to assess the causes of elevated ozone and suspended particulate matter concentrations in California's South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Extensive gaseous (i.e. nitric acid, ammonia, sulfur dioxide) and particle (i.e. PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ mass, elements, ions, carbon) measurements were acquired for 11 days during the summer at nine locations, and six days during the fall at six locations. Outliers were identified so that they could be excluded from further statistical analyses. Carbon and elemental measurements were found to be negatively biased by 20% owing to inhomogenous aerosol deposits on the SCAQS filters and analysis methods which were applied to a portion of the filters. These biases seem relatively consistent, however, and should not affect conclusions drawn from data analysis efforts if they are appropriately considered. Significant fractions (30–60%) of ammonium nitrate volatilized during the summer when temperatures were higher. Less than 10% typically volatilized during the fall when temperatures were lower. Anion/cation balances support the accuracy and precision estimates of the nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium measurements. Coarse particle sulfate was generally low, while coarse particle nitrate was most pronounced at the coastal sites.This paper documents SCAQS filter-based aerosol measurement methods, and evaluates the accuracy, precision, and validity of the data set. Various comparisons were made for: (1) PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratios for mass and major chemical species; (2) sum of chemical species versus measured mass; (3) sulfate versus sulfur ratios; (4) PM_2.5 particulate nitrate versus nitric acid-denuded nitrate; and (5) anion/cation balances. The measurement and evaluation techniques presented in this paper serve as a guideline for other data analysis and modeling studies.     

Key beliefs influencing young drivers’ engagement with social interactive technology on their smartphones: A qualitative study

Objective: The main aim of this study was to identify young drivers’ underlying beliefs (i.e., behavioral, normative, and control) regarding initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding to social interactive technology (i.e., functions on a Smartphone that allow the user to communicate with other people).

Method: This qualitative study was a beliefs elicitation study in accordance with the theory of planned behavior and sought to elicit young drivers’ behavioral (i.e., advantages, disadvantages), normative (i.e., who approves, who disapproves), and control beliefs (i.e., barriers, facilitators) that underpin social interactive technology use while driving. Young drivers (N = 26) aged 17 to 25 years took part in an interview or focus group discussion.

Results: Though differences emerged between the 3 behaviors of initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding for each of the behavioral, normative, and control belief categories, the strongest distinction was within the behavioral beliefs category (e.g., communicating with the person that they were on the way to meet was an advantage of initiating; being able to determine whether to respond was an advantage of monitoring/reading; and communicating with important people was an advantage of responding). Normative beliefs were similar for initiating and responding behaviors (e.g., friends and peers more likely to approve than other groups) and differences emerged for monitoring/reading (e.g., parents were more likely to approve of this behavior than initiating and responding). For control beliefs, there were differences between the beliefs regarding facilitators of these behaviors (e.g., familiar roads and conditions facilitated initiating; having audible notifications of an incoming communication facilitated monitoring/reading; and receiving a communication of immediate importance facilitated responding); however, the control beliefs that presented barriers were consistent across the 3 behaviors (e.g., difficult traffic/road conditions).

Conclusion: The current study provides an important addition to the extant literature and supports emerging research that suggests that initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding may indeed be distinct behaviors with different underlying motivations.     

Quantifying the relative irreplaceability of important bird and biodiversity areas

World governments have committed to increase the global protected areas coverage by 2020, but the effectiveness of this commitment for protecting biodiversity depends on where new protected areas are located. Threshold‐ and complementarity‐based approaches have been independently used to identify important sites for biodiversity. We brought together these approaches by performing a complementarity‐based analysis of irreplaceability in important bird and biodiversity areas (IBAs), which are sites identified using a threshold‐based approach. We determined whether irreplaceability values are higher inside than outside IBAs and whether any observed difference depends on known characteristics of the IBAs. We focused on 3 regions with comprehensive IBA inventories and bird distribution atlases: Australia, southern Africa, and Europe. Irreplaceability values were significantly higher inside than outside IBAs, although differences were much smaller in Europe than elsewhere. Higher irreplaceability values in IBAs were associated with the presence and number of restricted‐range species; number of criteria under which the site was identified; and mean geographic range size of the species for which the site was identified (trigger species). In addition, IBAs were characterized by higher irreplaceability values when using proportional species representation targets, rather than fixed targets. There were broadly comparable results when measuring irreplaceability for trigger species and when considering all bird species, which indicates a good surrogacy effect of the former. Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has convened a consultation to consolidate global standards for the identification of key biodiversity areas (KBAs), building from existing approaches such as IBAs. Our results informed this consultation, and in particular a proposed irreplaceability criterion that will allow the new KBA standard to draw on the strengths of both threshold‐ and complementarity‐based approaches.