Nestmate recognition and the genetic relatedness of nests in the ant Formica pratensis

Genetic relatedness of the mound-building ant Formica pratensis was determined by means of microsatellite DNA polymorphism, and its impact on nestmate recognition was tested in a population in Southern Sweden (Oeland). Recognition between nests was measured by testing aggression levels between single pairs of workers. The genetic distances of nests (Nei's genetic distance) and the spatial distance of nests were correlated and both showed a strong relation to the aggression behavior. Multiple regression analysis revealed a stronger impact of genetic relatedness rather than spatial distances on aggression behavior. Neighbouring nests were more closely related than distant nests, which may reflect budding as a possible spreading mechanism. The genetic distance data showed that nestmate recognition was strongly genetically influenced in F. pratensis. Received: 2 October 1997 / Accepted after revision: 10 January 1998     

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.     

Young-boy networks without kin clusters in a lek-mating manakin

I use 10 years of data from a long-term study of lek-mating long-tailed manakins to relate the social network among males to their spatial and genetic structure. Previously, I showed that the network connectivity of young males predicts their future success. Here, I ask whether kinship might shape the organization of this “young-boy network”. Not surprisingly, males that were more socially distant (linked by longer network paths) were affiliated with perch zones (lek arenas) that were further apart. Relatedness (r) among males within the network decreased as social distance increased, as might be expected under kin selection. Nevertheless, any role for indirect inclusive fitness benefits is refuted by the slightly negative mean relatedness among males at all social distances within the network (overall mean r = −0.06). That is, relatedness ranged from slightly negative (−0.04) to more negative (−0.2). In contrast, relatedness in dyads for which at least one of the males was outside the social network (involving at least one blood-sampled male not documented to have interacted with other banded males) was slightly above the random expectation (mean r = 0.05). The slight variations around r = 0 among males of different categories likely reflect dispersal dynamics, rather than any influence of kinship on social organization. Relatedness did not covary with the age difference between males. These results, together with previous results for lack of relatedness between alpha and beta male partners, refute any role for kin selection in the evolution of cooperative display in this lek-mating system. This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau, and R. James).     

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.     

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。     

对三点比较式臭袋法的浅见

针对臭气浓度的标准分析方法——三点比较式臭袋法,在分析过程中引入"无法辨别"选项,并建议稀释倍数由标准限值确定。经实际案例验证,采用改进后的方法,分析结果更接近现场的真实状况,从而提高了嗅辨结果的准确性,并减轻了嗅辨员的嗅觉疲劳。     

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.     

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.     

Women and children last: An essay on sex discrimination in disasters

In general, little attention has been given to differential survival between the sexes in disasters. Consideration of physiological differences between males and females would suggest that, all things being equal, morbidity and mortality after disaster, particularly where food shortage is involved, should indicate an excess male mortality. Such statistics as exist in disasters, as in chronic underdevelopment, show that it is females and especially girl children who are at highest risk. The basis of this lies in sex discrimination which is implicit in most social systems.     

Evidence of kin-selected tolerance by nestlings in a siblicidal bird

Behaviorally dominant members of blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) broods can effect siblicide by restricting access of subordinate siblings to parents providing food. In spite of their capacity for siblicide, dominant chicks permit subordinates to feed during short-term food shortage; in fact, the proportion of the food that the dominant takes is independent of the total amount delivered in older chicks. A model of optimal food distribution suggests that dominant chicks maximize their inclusive fitness with this pattern, rather than by satisfying their own food requirements and leaving what remains for the subordinate sibling. The indirect reproductive potential represented by a chick's sibling appears to have influenced the evolution of siblicidal brood reduction in this species.