Non-random nectar unloading interactions between foragers and their receivers in the honeybee hive

Nectar acquisition in the honeybee Apis mellifera is a partitioned task in which foragers gather nectar and bring it to the hive, where nest mates unload via trophallaxis (i.e. mouth-to-mouth transfer) the collected food for further storage. Because forager mates exploit different feeding places simultaneously, this study addresses the question of whether nectar unloading interactions between foragers and hive-bees are established randomly, as it is commonly assumed. Two groups of foragers were trained to exploit a different scented food source for 5 days. We recorded their trophallaxes with hive-mates, marking the latter ones according to the forager group they were unloading. We found non-random probabilities for the occurrence of trophallaxes between experimental foragers and hive-bees, instead, we found that trophallactic interactions were more likely to involve groups of individuals which had formerly interacted orally. We propose that olfactory cues present in the transferred nectar promoted the observed bias, and we discuss this bias in the context of the organization of nectar acquisition: a partitioned task carried out in a decentralized insect society.     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of diene modified analogs of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Matsucoccus</Emphasis> sex pheromones

The biological activity of the Matsucoccus spp. sex pheromones and diene modified analogs has been tested in forests of Israel and Portugal in order to explore the structure-activity relationship of the pine bast scale pheromone/kairomone system. The response of the adult predatory bugs, Elatophilus hebraicus and E. crassicornis and of the brown lacewing, Hemerobius stigma is more selective than that of the conspecific Matsucoccus males. The removal of the terminal methyl group from the diene terminus of both pheromones 1 and 2 eliminates all kairomonal activity but retains moderate pheromonal activity. Addition of a methyl group to the diene terminus of pheromones 1 and 2 sustains full pheromonal and kairomonal activities of the Elatophilus spp. but eliminates entirely the kairomonal activity of H. stigma. Subtle designed alterations in the structure of the diene group, typical of all Matsucoccus pheromones, change the mode of the kairomonal activity markedly.     

A biological paleoindicator for early lake acidification: Mallomonadacean (Chrysophyceae) scale abundance in sediments

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荒漠化面前我们该怎样作为?

今年春天，北京严重的沙尘暴再次引起了人们对我国荒漠化问题的关注。然而，人们对于荒漠、沙漠、沙地等概念是经常混淆的。至于荒漠化、沙漠化或者沙化更是说不清楚，以至于我们在荒漠化防治中走了不少弯路。上述概念之间的关系有包容也有区别，弄清它们的区别对于确切理解我国的荒漠化问题，从而采取正确的治理措施具有重要的现实意义。     

Rapid prediction of disinfection by-product formation potential by fluorescence

Recent drinking water regulations have lowered the disinfection by-product standards as well as added new disinfection by-products for regulation. Natural organic matter (NOM) plays a major role in the formation of undesirable organic by-products following disinfection/oxidation of drinking water. It is suspected that most precursors to disinfection by-products are humic, although nonhumic substances are also suspected of contributing to these by-products. Many of the disinfection by-products have adverse health effects in humans (i.e., carcinogenic or mutagenic effects). The primary chlorinated disinfection by-products of concern include trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and haloacetonitrile. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study humic and fulvic acids. The two fractions of humic substances, humic and fulvic acids, were characterized by a double-peak phenomena in an overlapping fluorescing region. Disinfection by-product formation potentials of humic and fulvic acids have been correlated with total organic carbon, UV absorbance at 254 nm, specific absorbance and fluorescence. River humic and fulvic acid was found to have the highest reactivity to disinfection by-product formation as compared to soil and peat humic and fulvic acid. Fluorescence spectroscopy has shown to be a rapid and predictive tool for disinfection by-products formation potential of humic and fulvic acids.     

关于完善中国生态补偿机制若干问题的研究

随着中国经济的迅速发展,生态和环境问题已经成为阻碍经济社会发展的瓶颈.近年提出的科学发展观,对生态建设给予高度重视.建立完善的生态补偿机制,已经成为解决生态环境问题的核心问题,文章对生态补偿的定义、理论基础进行了阐述,根据国内外生态补偿发展的最新状况,结合中国目前生态补偿机制出现的问题如生态补偿标准不合理,补偿机制缺乏有效的法律基础,现行的资源税费未能反映生态补偿的内容,没有建立完善的良性融资机制,各行业与管理部门的条块分割等,提出了完善中国生态补偿机制的对策.     

"数字地球"在环境保护中的应用

本文介绍了“数字地球”的概念，并从其主要技术角度阐述了“数字地球”在环境监测和环境保护中的应用。     

Vacuum energy in a Friedmann-Lemaître cosmos

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