Individual variation and prior experience affect the discrimination of a brood-parasite by its subsocial beetle host

In birds, host experience can modify response to parasites but nothing similar is known for insects. We studied two desert tenebrionid beetles, the subsocial host Parastizopus armaticeps and its obligate and ubiquitous brood-(clepto)parasite Eremostibes opacus, which mimics the hosts odour spectrum. Nearly 10% of host burrows in the field (n=214) remain unparasitised even after introducing E. opacus experimentally (n=22). In discrimination tests, 7% of naive host beetles eject the parasite, showing individual variation in olfactory discrimination ability. To test for effects of prior breeding experience, naive (first time) or experienced (second time) breeders with or without prior parasite contact were confined with E. opacus at breeding onset, their behaviour recorded and parasite number counted on breeding completion. More first- than second-time breeding pairs completely excluded the parasite and second-time breeders with no prior contact with E. opacus had fewer parasites than any others. These pairs increased burrow-guarding dramatically, mostly during early reproduction, this being the best predictor of parasite number. Prolonged guarding, however, must be traded-off against other brood-care behaviours. Hence, it might pay breeding pairs to take the risk of accepting some parasites breeding within their burrow, and we expect this effect will be more pronounced if poor feeding and digging conditions are taken into account. This might explain why apparently 90% of the P. armaticeps breeding burrows in the field contain at least one parasitic E. opacus.Communicated by D. Gwynne     

因子分析法用于近岸海域大气污染来源的判别

应用因子分析法，设计一个分析近岸海域大气污染来源的综合指标，根据综合指标的大小，可以判别主要污染来源，通过对大连近岸海域大气污染监测数据的因子分析并与其它结果比较表明，该方法具有明显的判别效果。     

Isms and schisms: A meta‐analysis of the prejudice‐discrimination relationship across racism,sexism, and ageism

Racism, sexism, and ageism persist in modern day organizations and may translate into workplace discrimination, which can undermine organizational effectiveness. We provide the first meta‐analysis comparing the relationships between these three types of prejudice (racism, sexism, and ageism) and three types of workplace discrimination (selection, performance evaluation, and opposition to diversity‐supportive policies). Across outcomes, racism was associated with workplace discrimination, whereas sexism was not. Ageism was associated with discriminatory selection and opposition to organizational policies supporting older workers; however, ageism was not related to discriminatory performance evaluation. Consistent with prior research and theory, Implicit Association Test measures were related to subtle discrimination (opposition to diversity‐supportive policies) but not deliberate discrimination (selection and performance evaluation). Finally, prejudice was more strongly associated with discrimination against real as compared with hypothetical targets. Implications for organizational researchers and practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elman神经网络在矿井突水水源判别中的应用

矿井突水是矿建与生产过程中最具威胁的自然灾害之一,准确判别突水水源是防治水害的关键。选取6种离子的质量浓度作为突水水源的判别因素,将河南省焦作矿区不同水层的39组水化数据以2种样本设计方案进行Elman神经网络模型的构建与检验。以不同的35组水源样品作为训练样本,运用Matlab软件进行Elman神经网络训练,将所建立的判别模型应用于(相应的)4组待测样本的判别,并与DDA、FDA、Bayes三种判别方法的判别结果进行分析比较。2种方案应用结果表明:将具有非线性动态特征的Elman神经网络应用于突水水源判别,在结合相应的水文地质条件前提下,可以准确判断突水来源;矿井多年的开采促使地下各水层水质呈动态变化,Elman神经网络判别模型能够反映这种变化特性,对探寻地下水运移与演化具有一定的应用价值。     

可耗竭资源开采追加投资行为研究

目前,我国可耗竭资源开采回采率普遍较低,企业可以通过追加投资来提高资源的管理及技术水平,进而提高资源开采回采率,减少资源浪费.文中基于Hotelling横向差异化模型,构建了一个三阶段动态博弈模型,采用逆向归纳法的思路,分析了可耗竭资源开采企业追加投资的动态行为.首先在企业通过竞争形成的价格和市场份额给定的基础上,分析第三阶段实行价格歧视消费者的转移情况,得到两企业的竞争策略;接着将第三阶段的最优价格策略和利润考虑到第二阶段中,讨论两企业的价格竞争均衡问题,分别得到两企业的需求;最后将第二阶段的利润贴现到第一阶段,可得到企业追加投资的策略,给出了该动态博弈模型存在唯一子博弈完美纳什均衡的条件和企业最佳追加投资规模.研究结果表明,要使企业追加投资就必须要求追加投资的回报率足够高,当企业追加投资的回报率很高时,只要较小的追加投入就会产生较大的边际成本减少量,获得较大的竞争优势,甚至会将不进行追加投资企业挤出市场;当投资回报率给定时,企业追加投资的激励是取决于其耐心,即企业对未来收益关注越多,则追加投资的规模也越大.     

Response of stable carbon isotope in epilithic mosses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition

Epilithic mosses are characterized by insulation from substratum N and hence meet their N demand only by deposited N. This study investigated tissue C, total Chl and δ¹³C of epilithic mosses along 2 transects across Guiyang urban (SW China), aiming at testing their responses to N deposition. Tissue C and total Chl decreased from the urban to rural, but δ¹³C_moss became less negative. With measurements of atmospheric CO₂ and δ¹³CO₂, elevated N deposition was inferred as a primary factor for changes in moss C and isotopic signatures. Correlations between total Chl, tissue C and N signals indicated a nutritional effect on C fixation of epilithic mosses, but the response of δ¹³C_moss to N deposition could not be clearly differentiated from effects of other factors. Collective evidences suggest that C signals of epilithic mosses are useful proxies for N deposition but further works on physiological mechanisms are still needed.     

Linking intra-seasonal variations in climate and tree-ring δC: A functional modelling approach

Stable carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) in tree rings is a widely recognized tool for climate reconstruction, and several works suggest that seasonal information can be extracted from intra-ring δ¹³C variations. In this study, we explored the link between climate and intra-seasonal oak ring δ¹³C using a process-based modelling approach. The ISOCASTANEA model was developed to compute the seasonal dynamics of tree-ring δ¹³C for deciduous species from half-hourly climatic data by accounting for photosynthetic discrimination and carbon translocation and allocation at the tree scale and in tree rings.The model was applied from March 2005 to December 2007 in a 150-year-old deciduous oak forest. Canopy photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were calibrated using H₂O and CO₂ fluxes measured by the eddy flux technique, and simulated δ¹³C values were compared to seasonal patterns of total organic matter δ¹³C measured in tree rings for 2006 and 2007 at the same site. With the inclusion of carbon translocation and with regard to ¹³C enrichment of starch compared to soluble sugars, the model can reasonably simulate the intra-seasonal and inter-annual variability of tree-ring δ¹³C using the same parameter values for 2006 and 2007. The amplitude of the seasonal carbon isotope pattern in tree rings was influenced by both photosynthetic and post-photosynthetic processes (starch enrichment and reserve use). The δ¹³C variations in the early part of the ring, i.e., mainly in the earlywood, were related mostly to carbohydrate metabolism, although diluted information about environmental conditions during the previous year could also be found. The last part of the ring, consisting mainly of latewood, was found to be a good recorder of current-year environmental conditions, in particular relative humidity, at a fine temporal resolution when the growth rate was high. The sensitivity of the δ¹³C in the early part of the ring to carbohydrate metabolism suggests that intra-ring δ¹³C could be used to explore the relationship between tree decline or mortality and carbohydrate deficiency.     

Neighbor–stranger discrimination in Audubon's shearwater (Puffinus l. lherminieri) explained by a “real enemy” effect

Neighbor–stranger discrimination (NSD) occurs when animals respond with more aggression to strangers than to territorial neighbors. NSD has been reported in many species that defend multi-purpose territories for breeding and foraging, but it is rare among species that defend other types of territories. For birds that defend only their nest sites, there is no experimental evidence for NSD, and observational studies have provided mixed results. In a colony of Audubon's shearwaters (Puffinus l. lherminieri), I played back the calls of a neighbor and a stranger to males defending nest sites. Subjects responded with longer calls to playbacks of strangers than to those of neighbors. In shearwater colonies, strangers are often birds looking for future breeding sites. In contrast, there is no evidence that established breeders compete with their neighbors for any resources. Shearwaters should benefit from NSD because strangers represent a “real enemy” and established neighbors do not.     

Molecular approaches to microbiological monitoring: fecal source detection

Molecular methods are useful both to monitor natural communities of bacteria, and to track specific bacterial markers in complex environments. Length-heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rDNAs discriminate among 16S rRNA genes based on length polymorphisms of their PCR products. With these methods, we developed an alternative indicator that distinguishes the source of fecal pollution in water. We amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments from the fecal anaerobic genus Bacteroides with specific primers. Because Bacteroides normally resides in gut habitats, its presence in water indicates fecal pollution. Molecular detection circumvents the complexities of growing anaerobic bacteria. We identified Bacteroides LH-PCR and T-RFLP ribosomal DNA markers unique to either ruminant or human feces. The same unique fecal markers were recovered from polluted natural waters. We cloned and sequenced the unique markers; marker sequences were used to design specific PCR primers that reliably distinguish human from ruminant sources of fecal contamination. Primers for more species are under development. This approach is more sensitive than fecal coliform assays, is comparable in complexity to standard food safety and public health diagnostic tests, and lends itself to automation and high-throughput. Thus molecular genetic markers for fecal anaerobic bacteria hold promise for monitoring bacterial pollution and water quality.     

人工神经元网络辅助酚类化合物构效关系研究

分子连接性指数（^tXv）与在正辛醇和水之间的分配系数logP是反映化合物性能的重要结构参数。本文计算了酚类化合物的分子连接性指数及分配系数,运用新型的模式识别方法──人工神经元网络对酚类化合物的构效关系进行了研究。所得结果优于逐步判别法,对于预测未知化合物的毒性,具有重要意义。