Trespassing on the tracks: a review of railway pedestrian safety research

INTRODUCTION: Train-pedestrian collisions have been shown to be the leading cause of fatality in train-related accidents worldwide, yet there is remarkably little research in this area. METHOD: In this paper, the major types of railway transportation accident research are briefly highlighted to indicate the general context of research concerning train-pedestrian collisions, which are then reviewed. Themes emerging from the diverse research are identified, the various strategies that have been proposed for prevention of railway pedestrian accidents are discussed, and the empirical evidence for their efficacy examined in the light of the much more extensive literature on road pedestrian accidents. Finally, it is proposed that application of current theory in behavioral and cognitive psychology may usefully inform future research in transportation safety.     

Social discrimination tuning in ants: template formation and chemical similarity

To investigate the role of template plasticity in shaping nest-mate recognition processes in ants, we constructed experimental mixed-species groups of Manica rubida with either Myrmica rubra, Tetramorium bicarinatum or Formica selysi. Selecting Ma. rubida as the focal species, we observed the behaviour within mixed-species groups and the transfer rates of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) onto the focal ants, and we also tested the aggression of the focal species reared either alone or in association with each of the three different species. We show that Ma. rubida workers were always amicable towards their mixed group members, as towards members of the respective parental colonies, irrespective of the associated species. They did, however, express different levels of aggression towards single-species groups of the other species tested, depending on the species with which they were reared. The study suggests that similarity in CHC profiles in two species leads to a narrow template in mixed groups, while dissimilarity is followed by lower levels of aggression (a broader template), at least against species with similar CHC compound compositions (i.e. both a broader template in the focal ants and familiarity with the compound groups of the tested individuals operate together). This refutes the hypothesis that ants reared in mixed-species groups are systematically more tolerant. It also demonstrates that heterospecific information is not treated equally during development. We suggest that post-imaginal learning, template reforming and decision making are more precisely tuned when the two species' chemical complexes are similar.     

Inter-colonial selection for the maintenance of cooperative breeding in the ant Pristomyrmex pungens: a laboratory experiment

The queenless ant Pristomyrmex pungens has an unusual social structure, in which all workers reproduce parthenogenetically and help others. Laboratory experiments manipulating the proportion of post-reproductive foragers in the colony at various rates suggested that colonies with 5–10% forager ratios had the maximum efficiency per-worker. This result suggests that the cooperative colonies may be maintained by colony-level natural selection. Non-cooperative mutants that oviposit but do not forage should increase in relative frequency in the colony in the short term. However, decreased colony productivity and the resulting competition among colonies might eliminate colonies dominated by such mutants in the long term. P. pungens has a viscous population without migration between colonies, which may facilitate this process.     

Behavioral pathways in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes: From contributing factors,pre-crash actions,to injury severities

Introduction: This study performed a path analysis to uncover the behavioral pathways (from contributing factors, pre-crash actions to injury severities) in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes. Method: The analysis investigated more than 7,000 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes in North Carolina between 2007 and 2014. Pre-crash actions discussed in this study are actions of cyclists and motorists prior to the event of a crash, including “bicyclist failed to yield,” “motorist failed to yield,” “bicyclist overtaking motorist,” and “motorist overtaking bicyclist.” Results: Model results show significant correlates of pre-crash actions and bicyclist injury severity. For example, young bicyclists (18 years old or younger) are 23.5% more likely to fail to yield to motor traffic prior to the event of a crash than elder bicyclists. The “bicyclist failed to yield” action is associated with increased bicyclist injury severity than other actions, as this behavior is associated with an increase of 5.88 percentage points in probability of a bicyclist being at least evidently injured. The path analysis can highlight contributing factors related to risky pre-crash actions that lead to severe injuries. For example, bicyclists traveling on regular vehicle travel lanes are found to be more likely to involve the “bicyclist failed to yield” action, which resulted in a total 44.38% (7.04% direct effect + 37.34% indirect effect) higher likelihood of evident or severe injuries. The path analysis can also identify factors (e.g., intersection) that are not directly but indirectly correlated with injury severity through pre-crash actions. Practical Applications: This study offers a methodological framework to quantify the behavioral pathways in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes. The findings are useful for cycling safety improvements from the perspective of bicyclist behavior, such as the educational program for cyclists.     

家庭用水行为综合模型研究

水资源管理部门正在面临应对干旱,人口增长和水资源减少,气候变化的预言而仍要保证有足够水供应满足需求的挑战。为了发展有效的家庭需求管理程序,水资源管理者需要了解可能影响家庭水源使用的因素。通过检查和再分析当前的水消费行为模型,我们提出了一个理解家庭水消费的新模型。我们对信任在居民水消费中所发挥的作用进行了讨论,因为如果人们感觉身边的人并没有最小化水的使用那么人们便不会自觉节约用水（人际间的信任）。除此之外,如果人们不信任水资源管理部门,那么人们也不太可能节约用水（对社会公共机构的信任）。本文提出了为完全理解确定居民用水行为所涉及的因素,需要对水消费中信任度的作用进行研究。     

Analysis of behavioral changes of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in response to formaldehyde using Self-organizing map and a hidden Markov model

Two computational methods were applied to classification of movement patterns of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to elucidate Markov processes in behavioral changes before and after treatment of formaldehyde (0.1 mg/L) in semi-natural conditions. The complex data of the movement tracks were initially classified by the Self-organizing map (SOM) to present different behavioral states of test individuals. Transition probabilities between behavioral states were further evaluated to fit Markov processes by using the hidden Markov model (HMM). Emission transition probability was also obtained from the observed variables (i.e., speed) for training with the HMM. Experimental transition and emission probability matrices were successfully estimated with the HMM for recognizing sequences of behavioral states with accuracy rates in acceptable ranges at central and boundary zones before (77.3-81.2%) and after (70.1-76.5%) treatment. A heuristic algorithm and a Markov model were efficiently combined to analyze movement patterns and could be a means of in situ behavioral monitoring tool.     

Male mating preference is associated with risk of pre-copulatory cannibalism in a socially polymorphic spider

We performed male attraction experiments and staged courtship sequences to test for non-random mating with respect to social behavioral phenotype in the comb-footed spider, Anelosimus studiosus. While asocial behavior is the dominant phenotype in all A. studiosus populations examined to date, a social phenotype approaches a frequency of 15% in colder environments. We collected test subjects from higher latitude polymorphic populations and scored all individuals as to their behavioral phenotype prior to their use in these trials. Males of both phenotypes differentially approached and courted social females over asocial females and no-spider controls. By offering males different numbers of females of one type vs. the other in subsequent trials, we determined that the difference in attractiveness between the two phenotypes social/asocial is 1.5/1. Both the web produced by a female and a female that has been removed from its web attract males. We suggest that the male attracting pheromone is present on females and is also attached to silk threads. Staged encounters completed between males and females of the respective phenotypes demonstrated that courting males suffer significantly less pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism with social females than with asocial ones, and thus, female social tendency is phenotypically linked to sexual aggression. We propose that the male preference for social females is adaptive because of the observed asymmetry in courtship success.     

Diversity of Ontogenetic Pathways in Plant Populations

Population heterogeneity in cespitose, fibrous-rooted, brevirhizomatous, stoloniferous, and tap-rooted herbaceous and woody plants is described. This heterogeneity is caused by the multivariant character of plant ontogeny (i.e., its dimensional, morphological, rhythmological, and temporal multiversality), which is regarded as the main adaptation mechanism operating in plant populations because it provides for the diversity of ontogenetic pathways under different ecological conditions.     

Regulation of honey bee division of labor by colony age demography

The age at which worker honey bees begin foraging varies under different colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that juvenile hormone (JH) mediates this behavioral plasticity, and that worker-worker interactions influence both JH titers and age at first foraging. These results also indicated that the age at first foraging is delayed in the presence of foragers, suggesting that colony age demography directly influences temporal division of labor. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether behavioral or physiological development can be accelerated, delayed, or reversed by altering colony age structure. In three out of three trials, earlier onset of foraging was induced in colonies depleted of foragers compared to colonies depleted of an equal number of bees across all age classes. In two out of three trials, delayed onset of foraging was induced in colonies in which foragers were confined compared to colonies with free-flying foragers. Finally, in three out of three trials, both endocrine and exocrine changes associated with reversion from foraging to brood care were induced in colonies composed of all old bees and devoid of brood; JH titers decreased and hypopharyngeal glands regenerated. These results demonstrate that plasticity in age-related division of labor in honey bee colonies is at least partially controlled by social factors. The implications of these results are discussed for the recently developed ‘‘activator-inhibitor” model for honey bee behavioral development. Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted after revision: 10 May 1996     

Effects of worker genotypic diversity on honey bee colony development and behavior (Apis mellifera L.)

There have been numerous reports of genetic influences on division of labor in honey bee colonies, but the effects of worker genotypic diversity on colony behavior are unclear. We analyzed the effects of worker genotypic diversity on the phenotypes of honey bee colonies during a critical phase of colony development, the nest initiation phase. Five groups of colonies were studied (n = 5–11 per group); four groups had relatively low genotypic diversity compared to the fifth group. Colonies were derived from queens that were instrumentally inseminated with the semen of four different drones according to one of the following mating schemes: group A, 4 A-source drones; group B, 4 B-source drones; group C, 4 C-source drones; group D, 4 D-source drones; and group E, 1 drone of each of the A-D drone sources. There were significant differences between colonies in groups A-D for 8 out of 19 colony traits. Because the queens in all of these colonies were super sisters, the observed differences between groups were primarily a consequence of differences in worker genotypes. There were very few differences (2 out of 19 traits) between colonies with high worker genotypic diversity (group E) and those with low diversity (groups A-D combined). This is because colonies with greater diversity tended to have phenotypes that were average relative to colonies with low genotypic diversity. We hypothesize that the averaging effect of genotypic variability on colony phenotypes may have selective advantages, making colonies less likely to fail because of inappropriate colony responses to changing environmental conditions.