Lack of evidence for nepotism by workers tending queens of the polygynous termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nasutitermes corniger</Emphasis>

Kin selection theory predicts that workers in social insect colonies should preferentially aid close relatives over less related or unrelated individuals if such behaviors increase inclusive fitness. For example, a worker in a polygynous (multiple-queen) colony is predicted to tend its own mother rather than an unrelated queen if this nepotistic behavior increases its mother’s reproductive success in excess of costs. Despite predictions, experimental tests conducted in the social Hymenoptera have found no clear evidence of nepotism. No tests for nepotism have been carried out in the Isoptera (termites), another major insect taxon showing highly developed sociality. We tested for nepotistic behavior in the termite Nasutitermes corniger by determining if workers preferentially fed and groomed their mothers in a laboratory assay. We collected workers from nine naturally occurring multiple-queen colonies as they tended queens and determined their parentage using highly variable microsatellite markers. Our results provide no evidence that workers tend their mothers in preference to co-occurring queens. The absence of evidence for nepotism is consistent with previous results reported from numerous studies of eusocial hymenopterans.     

Territory ownership and familiarity status affect how much male root voles (Microtus oeconomus) invest in territory defence

Neighbour–stranger discrimination occurs when individuals respond with more aggression to strangers than to territorial neighbours—a phenomenon termed the “dear enemy phenomenon” (DEP). We investigated the DEP with male and female root voles (Microtus oeconomus Pallas 1776) using field dyadic arena tests conducted in enclosures where we could test for the effects of familiarity (familiar versus stranger), ownership (resident versus intruder status) and resource-holding potential (body mass) on territorial behaviours. The results showed that males put more effort into territorial defence than females, and males could discriminate between neighbours and strangers. In males, aggressiveness was influenced by a significant two-way interaction between treatment and ownership. Male residents were more aggressive towards stranger intruders than towards neighbour intruders, while male intruders were less aggressive towards stranger residents than towards neighbour residents. In females, neither treatment nor ownership status had a significant effect on aggressiveness. Familiar males performed more social behaviours but less non-social behaviours than stranger males. Furthermore, there was a clear dominance hierarchy between residents and intruders in stranger dyads, with the male territory holders dominating the intruder in pairwise interactions. To our knowledge, these results demonstrate for the first time DEP in a small mammal with a known pedigree and present the first evidence for “prior resident advantage” in voles. We argue that both ownership status and familiarity status affect how much an individual invests in territory defence. The benefits of neighbour–stranger discrimination for male root voles and the absence of neighbour–stranger discrimination in female root voles are discussed.     

Experimental support for the use of egg uniformity in parasite egg discrimination by cuckoo hosts

Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) parasitism drastically reduces the reproductive success of their hosts and selects for host discrimination of cuckoo eggs. In a second stage of anti-parasite adaptation, once cuckoos can lay eggs that mimic those of their hosts, a high uniformity of host egg appearance within a clutch may favour cuckoo egg discrimination. Comparative evidence provides indirect support for this hypothesis although experimental support is currently lacking. Here, we studied the effect of experimentally decreased uniformity of host egg appearance on cuckoo egg discrimination by great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) hosts in a population in which long-term cuckoo parasitism has led to high levels of cuckoo–host egg mimesis. We manipulated host clutch uniformity by adding extra spots to fresh host eggs just after they were laid. Rejection of non-mimetic experimental eggs added to these nests was compared with those in control nests in which uniformity was not altered. Previously, by over-painting real spots in a control group of nests, we showed a negligible effect of our paints on hosts’ perception of their eggs. We show that for the great reed warbler, non-mimetic experimental eggs were relatively more tolerated in experimental nests, i.e. with lower uniformity (40%) than in control nests (5%). This is the first experimental study, to our knowledge, which demonstrates a reduced discrimination of foreign eggs as a consequence of an increase of egg phenotypes variation perception in a cuckoo host.     

Green jobs for the disadvantaged in British Columbia: the perspectives of non-governmental organisations and social entrepreneurs

This paper examines the actions and potential of green jobs for the disadvantaged, from the perspective of non-governmental organisations and social entrepreneurs. The populations of interest include: low-income, developmentally challenged, those with mental health or addiction issues, women, and First Nations. Findings indicate that green businesses and social entrepreneurs have uniquely engaged in social training and hiring strategies related to green jobs. The major challenges they face include a lack of policies that support the development of green jobs through social training and hiring. As a result of these findings, an argument is made for combining job and life skills for both disadvantaged populations and the agencies that serve them as well as building the capacity of employers to practise social hiring.     

Recursive residuals and model diagnostics for normal and non-normal state space models

Model diagnostics for normal and non-normal state space models are based on recursive residuals which are defined from the one-step ahead predictive distribution. Routine calculation of these residuals is discussed in detail. Various diagnostic tools are suggested to check, for example, for wrong observation distributions and for autocorrelation. The paper also discusses such topics as model diagnostics for discrete time series and model discrimination via Bayes factors. The case studies cover environmental applications such as analysing a time series of the number of daily rainfall occurrences and a time series of daily sulfur dioxide emissions.     

Low level radioactivity measurements with phoswich detectors using coincident techniques and digital pulse processing analysis

A new system has been developed for the detection of low radioactivity levels of fission products and actinides using coincidence techniques. The device combines a phoswich detector for alpha/beta/gamma-ray recognition with a fast digital card for electronic pulse analysis. The phoswich can be used in a coincident mode by identifying the composed signal produced by the simultaneous detection of alpha/beta particles and X-rays/gamma particles. The technique of coincidences with phoswich detectors was proposed recently to verify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT) which established the necessity of monitoring low levels of gaseous fission products produced by underground nuclear explosions. With the device proposed here it is possible to identify the coincidence events and determine the energy and type of coincident particles. The sensitivity of the system has been improved by employing liquid scintillators and a high resolution low energy germanium detector. In this case it is possible to identify simultaneously by alpha/gamma coincidence transuranic nuclides present in environmental samples without necessity of performing radiochemical separation. The minimum detectable activity was estimated to be 0.01 Bq kg(-1) for 0.1 kg of soil and 1000 min counting.     

基于模糊综合判别的森林火险等级预报研究

森林火险气象因子的预报具有很大的不确定和模糊性,而依赖于气象预报因子的森林火险预报同样具有等级判别的模糊性.以海南岛森林火险气象等级预报为例建立森林火险预报模糊数学模型,研究建立森林火险预报模糊综合判别数学模型的关键技术,并分析对比模糊数学模型与其它常用森林火险预报方法模型的优劣.结果表明模糊数学模型在海南岛森林火险等级预报中显现出明显优势,它能够更好地分辨出高森林火险与低森林火险,较好反映森林火险等级与气象因子之间存在的复杂关系.     

基于层次分析法的往复压缩机组安全评价指标体系研究

科学合理的评价指标体系是往复压缩机组安全评价的基础,并直接影响评价结果的准确性.以人-机-环境-管理的分析方法建立了一套包括安全管理因素、设备因素、技术资料因素、环境因素、救援措施5个方面的系统的、科学的安全评价指标体系,并以层次分析法为理论基础,用判别矩阵来确定各层评价指标的权重,从而提高了往复压缩机组安全评价结果的准确性和科学性.     

基于距离判别分析理论的露天矿边坡潜在破坏模式识别方法

露天矿边坡潜在破坏模式的识别仍然值得深入研究。基于距离判别分析理论,结合露天矿边坡失稳的特点,选取岩石单轴抗压强度、结构面倾角、结构面与边坡面的位置关系、地下水条件、岩体结构类型、黏聚力、内摩擦角、边坡高度、边坡角等9个因素作为判别露天矿边坡潜在破坏模式的指标,建立露天矿边坡潜在破坏模式识别的距离判别分析模型。以21个典型露天矿边坡的信息作为学习样本进行训练,建立相应的判别函数进行识别,并以回代估计法对该模型进行检验。研究结果表明,经过学习后的模型误判率为0.05,即判别能力是高的。用所建立的模型判别某露天矿边坡的失稳模式,判别结果和期望结果比较符合。     

基于高光谱技术的土壤镉污染分级评价研究

提出一种利用高光谱技术进行土壤镉污染分级评价的方法。以FieldSpec 3地物光谱仪采集厂矿区土壤光谱反射率175份,随机分成校正集（135份）和检验集（40份）。光谱经小波去噪和标准归一化（SNV）处理后,以主成分分析法（PCA）降维。将降维所得的前5个主成分数据为输入变量,分别采用Fisher线性判别、Byes逐步判别、模糊模式识别、BP-ANN判别以及SVM 5种方法建立了土壤镉污染分级评价模型,并利用40个未知样对模型进行检验。结果表明：Fisher线性判别准确率为77.5%,Byes逐步判别与模糊模式识别预测为80.0%,BP-ANN模型预测精度为82.5%,SVM模型预测精度最高,达85.0%。说明采用高光谱技术进行土壤镉污染分级评价是可行,其中SVM是建模的优选算法。