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)     

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。     

不同小分子物质与传统抗菌剂对混合菌生物膜形成的抑制效应

针对污水处理系统混合菌形成的生物膜,比较了两种传统抗菌剂(银离子和氯)及3种小分子物质,包括双(3-氨基丙基)胺、(Z-)-4-溴-5-(溴乙烯)-2(5H)-呋喃酮(BBF)和香兰素对生物膜形成的抑制效应.结果表明,本研究所选用的传统抗菌剂中,0.05~10 mg·L-1Ag+对生物膜形成的抑制率为23%~70%,0.01~20 mg·L-1氯对生物膜形成的抑制率为23%~53%.而在3种小分子物质中,500~2000μmol·L-1双(3-氨基丙基)胺对生物膜形成的抑制率为16%~68%,0.1~200 mg·L-1香兰素对生物膜形成的抑制率为20%~37%,1~20 mg·L-1BBF对生物膜形成的抑制率为11%~18%.高浓度的Ag+(0.1~10 mg·L-1)会显著抑制混合菌的生长,且浓度越高,抑制效果越显著.1000μmol·L-1以下的双(3-氨基丙基)胺基本不会抑制混合菌的生长,但高浓度(2000μmol·L-1)的双(3-氨基丙基)胺会显著抑制混合菌的生长.     

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.     

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。     

基于无线通讯技术的起重机抬吊同步控制系统改进

本文介绍了基于无线工业以太网通讯的可编程同步检测系统结构和设计方法、同步功能的检测原理及实现方法、调试和操作方法。通过在控制系统中加入信号反馈,将两台起重机的控制执行器信号和末端机械传动的差异值进行反馈跟踪,组成具有反馈功能的抬吊控制系统,在监測到执行器异步或末端传动异步现象时及时控制两车同步停止,从而避免吊物坠落等吊运事故的发生。     

土木工程结构健康监测研究进展

阐述了实施土木工程结构健康监测的必要性和迫切性,介绍了结构健康监测系统的概念、组成及其应用,信号采集与处理以及损伤检测的方法和研究现状,重点讨论了神经网络法在损伤诊断中的应用。介绍了利用小波神经网络和概率神经网络等新型网络的损伤诊断方法,最后指出了需要进一步研究的重点和难点问题。