Reproductive plasticity in bumblebee workers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>)—reversion from fertility to sterility under queen influence

Worker sterility in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris is conditional and is linked to the social development of the colony. Workers refrain from reproducing or overtly challenging the queen until gyne production has initiated, at the so-called competition point (CP). It is not known whether this behavior is hard-wired or workers show reproductive plasticity. It also remains unclear whether worker reproductive decision is under queen and/or worker control. In this study, we tested worker reproductive plasticity in an attempt to assess whether and under which conditions worker sterility/fertility are reversible. We introduced egg-laying workers into colonies with different social structures for 1 week then monitored their reproductive status. We revealed a remarkable reproductive plasticity in the introduced workers that was social-condition-dependent. In the presence of a pre-CP queen, the introduced workers reverted to sterility, whereas in the presence of a post-CP queen, such workers remained egg-layer. Reversion to sterility does not occur when direct contact with the queen is prevented, as the introduced workers remained egg-layer in the queenright colonies with a confined queen. Egg-laying workers that were introduced into queenless colonies mostly maintained their fertility regardless of colony social phase. This shows that worker transition from cooperative to selfish behavior is reversible depending on the social context.     

Dufour’s gland pheromone as a reliable fertility signal among honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers

When a colony becomes queenless and without the possibility of requeening, honeybee workers initiate reproduction and lay male eggs about a week later. Assays in which two bees were confined in a small arena revealed that they establish a reproductive dominance hierarchy, i.e., one worker demonstrates greater ovarian development than her paired bee. Reproductive dominance is independent of relatedness, and can be established between full sisters, cousins, or random nestmates. A social environment, however, is obligatory, as singly housed bees fail to develop ovaries on the same time scale. Allowing varying degrees of social interactions between the paired bees revealed that olfaction of volatile bee compounds, as well as tactile communication, seem to provide the necessary social environment. Ovarian development was accompanied by the production of queen-like Dufours gland secretion in these workers. Especially notable was the increase in the queen-like esters. This increase was tightly linked to ovarian development and not necessarily to the dominance status of the bees in the pair. Thus, the occurrence of queen-like esters can serve as a reliable fertility signal. Advertising ovarian status may recruit helper workers with less developed ovaries (and which are less likely to successfully reproduce before colony breakdown) to assist their nestmates and thereby gain inclusive fitness. Revealing the role of Dufours gland secretion as a fertility signal adds another dimension to our understanding of how queen pheromones operate. The mandibular-gland secretion is a good predictor of dominance hierarchy, being correlated with false-queen characteristics but not fertility, whereas Dufours gland secretion is a good predictor of fertility but not dominance hierarchy.Communicated by R.F.A. Moritz     

The neglected scent: on the marking function of urine in Lemur catta

In ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) urine deposition can be combined with two different tail configurations: (i) tail held up in an evident display (urinate tail-up, UT-up); (ii) tail slightly raised to avoid its impregnation with urine (urinate tail-down, UT-down). We used both signaller- and receiver-based approaches to search for functional differences between these two kinds of urine deposition. We predicted that UT-up might be a complex signal combining olfactory and visual cues. We carried out observations and scent tests on four captive groups of ring-tailed lemurs. Group members sniffed/licked UT-up scents more frequently than UT-down ones. Moreover, UT-up showed peak levels during the mating season whereas UT-down did not. These findings suggest that urine can play a role in intra-group reproductive communication. Lemurs more frequently performed UT-up in a few drops and UT-down in streams. Recognition experiments clearly showed that individuals can discriminate between urine of their own group and urine from a foreign group (a necessary prerequisite for the use of urine in inter-group communication). The possible function of UT-up in inter-troop communication was supported by the higher frequency of this pattern along a fence separating two of the study groups. Moreover, in the presence of a dummy, the frequency of UT-up increased significantly. In conclusion, UT-up is a complex signal with multiple characteristics. By using different sensory channels, UT-up provides different types of information (location and signaller quality) and contains multiple messages directed both at group-members and neighbouring groups....to conceal this letter, the Minister had resorted to the comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempting to conceal it at all (from the Purloined letter E. A. Poe, 1845)     

混沌理论在河流溶解氧预测中的应用初探

基于混沌理论、相空间重构思想和嵌入理论分析涟水流域溶解氧的时间序列，计算吸引子维数和最大的Lyapunov指数，研究河流水质系统的复杂性特征。结果表明，河流溶解氧时间序列具有混沌特性，其外在表现为貌似随机的无规则特点；但系统本身内在的、固有的规律(表现在最大的Lyapunov指数)，表明短期预测河流水质变化是可行的，并应用混沌相空间模线性回归模型进行了预测，其预测结果对涟水流域的水质管理和控制具有一定的参考价值。     

水是西北地区生态系统重建的根本

我国以植树造林为核心的生态环境建设取得了很大成绩,到1997年全国已累计造林4627万hm²,其中“三北地区”3024万hm²。但也存在着很大问题,主要表现在平均造林成活率仅25%,保存率仅13%。经分析,西北地区少雨干旱,缺土壤水是“年年造林不见林”的主要原因。分析表明,水是西北地区生态系统重建的根本,而跨流域调水、加强水资源管理、雨水资源化、发展节水农业、普及节水意识等,是解决西北地区水资源短缺的根本途径。     

基于条件变分自编码器的齿轮箱故障诊断

目的实现齿轮箱故障类型的智能识别诊断。方法针对传统故障诊断方法通用性不广、数据依赖强、泛化能力弱并需人工提取特征问题,提出一种基于条件变分自编码器的故障诊断方法。以故障类别概率分布为目标并将振动信号频谱作为条件,通过条件变分自编码器,建立齿轮箱振动信号频谱到对应各故障下的条件概率模型,并通过多层神经网络结合变分推断方法进行训练优化,实现对齿轮箱各类型故障的高精度分类诊断。结果在仅有少量训练数据条件下,实现了准确的故障识别。结论条件变分自编码器在齿轮箱振动信号频谱概率分布建模上具有优异性能,对故障信号数据量的依赖低、泛化能力强,无需人工提取特征。能有效实现齿轮箱故障的智能分类诊断。     

爆炸分离冲击数据的零漂校正

目的为消除爆炸分离冲击信号中的零漂趋势项,提出一种爆炸分离冲击数据处理方法。方法基于分段和线性拟合思想,获取测试数据的零漂趋势项。通过分析原始信号和校正信号的频谱相关性,定量讨论分段窗口数对试验数据有效性的影响规律,进而给出爆炸分离冲击加速度信号的校正原则。结果通过对试验数据进行有效性分析与校正,能够较好地抑制积分零漂,消除基线零漂趋势项对冲击谱的影响。结论该方法可提高试验数据的准确性和有效性。     

信号分子对高负荷UASB中ANAMMOX颗粒特性的影响

针对高负荷反应器中ANAMMOX颗粒污泥易上浮流失的问题,进行外源添加酰基高丝氨酸内酯类信号分子（AHLs）对污泥特性的影响研究.结果表明添加30mg/L辛酰基高丝氨酸内酯（C8-HSL）可对颗粒污泥沉降性能产生长期影响,能够有效控制高负荷UASB中ANAMMOX颗粒污泥上浮.仅在实验初期（0~20d）向反应器R2中添加C8-HSL,在实验进行至100d时R2中颗粒污泥B-EPS含量相比对照组R1降低15%,PN/PS值由4.22下降至2.14,同时污泥颗粒表面疏水性提高了26%,因此R2中颗粒污泥的沉降性能大幅提高（颗粒污泥密度增加了24%,沉速提高了90%）.实验进行至100d,R2未发生较明显污泥上浮现象,此时氮容积负荷NLR为12.9kg-TN/（m³·d）,氮容积去除率NRR高达11.3kg-TN/（m³·d）,氮去除率达88%.己酰基高丝氨酸内酯（C6-HSL）可使污泥颗粒的活性有所提高,而十二烷酰基高丝氨酸内酯（C12-HSL）则对高负荷反应器中颗粒污泥的特性没有影响.     

Development of methods for establishing nutrient criteria in lakes and reservoirs: A review

Nutrient criteria provide a scientific foundation for the comprehensive evaluation, prevention,control and management of water eutrophication. In this review, the literature was examined to systematically evaluate the benefits, drawbacks, and applications of statistical analysis,paleolimnological reconstruction, stressor-response model, and model inference approaches for nutrient criteria determination. The developments and challenges in the determination of nutrient criteria in lakes and reservoirs are presented. Reference lakes can reflect the original states of lakes, but reference sites are often unavailable. Using the paleolimnological reconstruction method, it is often difficult to reconstruct the historical nutrient conditions of shallow lakes in which the sediments are easily disturbed. The model inference approach requires sufficient data to identify the appropriate equations and characterize a waterbody or group of waterbodies, thereby increasing the difficulty of establishing nutrient criteria. The stressor-response model is a potential development direction for nutrient criteria determination, and the mechanisms of stressor-response models should be studied further. Based on studies of the relationships among water ecological criteria, eutrophication, nutrient criteria and plankton, methods for determining nutrient criteria should be closely integrated with water management requirements.     

我国精密可控震源主动探测研究进展

精密可控震源对地发射扫频信号,通过高精度的观测系统获得记录资料,采用专门的数据处理方法来提取信号,获得地下介质的信息。介绍现有的一些数据处理方法,比如匹配滤波、反褶积、Wigner-Hough变换和时变滤波等,可以实现可控震源信号提取。并总结这些方法的优缺点。通过多次野外科学实验发现,精密可控震源技术是一种探测地下介质结构及变化的有效途径。针对精密可控震源探测的影响因素,还需要开展深入研究,以便于改善其探测距离和分辨能力。