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.     

A Minimal Model of Adiabatic Isotherms Surfacing in Very Shallow Waters

Based on a phenomenology that is rather frequent in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea), we analytically model the short time evolution of the temperature field inside a shallow layer of coastal water induced by a sudden offshore wind. In particular, we reproduce in a very simple way the unsteady surfacing of the isotherms forced by the marine current circulating in a vertical plane perpendicular to the coastline. The model is in agreement with the observations of a significant event recorded on 25 June, 2002 in the Gulf of Trieste.     

Renewable resources in an endogenously growing economy: balanced growth and transitional dynamics

We introduce a renewable resource sector into an endogenous growth model of a small economy, deriving the transitional dynamic equilibrium. The model generates a long-run equilibrium in which a resource sector of limited size can coexist with constant ongoing growth elsewhere. The key feature of the model is the allocation of labor between harvesting the resource and its use in the final output sector. This naturally generates the empirically observed negative relationship between resource abundance and growth. We examine both the dynamic and long-run responses of the economy to various shocks pertaining to technological production conditions and resource sector parameters.     

水体表面微层中酞酸酯的光降解研究

研究了水体表面微层中酞酸酯化合物光降解的动力学,指出光催化降解符合一级动力学过程,实验证明：催化剂ＴｉＯ２为２ｇ．ｌ＾－１,ｐＨ为６,并有Ｈ２Ｏ２存在时,是ＤＢＰ,ＤＥＨＰ光降解的最佳条件,溶解氧增加有利于光降解,实际表面微层水样的光催化降解速率比模拟水样快。     

Application of machine learning methods to palaeoecological data

A palaeoecological study was conducted to investigate past environmental conditions and vegetation dynamics around the southwestern Ljubljana Moor. In order to find potential regularities and/or dependencies among co-existent plant species through time, different machine learning methods were applied to pollen records from the cores taken at Bistra and Ho?evarica. The data comprised relative pollen frequencies of the most common plant genera/families at particular core depths that correspond to particular ages in the Early and Mid Holocene periods. The applied methods include equation discovery and hierarchical clustering. Both methods have found plausible and explainable relationships among identified plant genera/families.     

广州白云山次生常绿阔叶林的群落结构动态

根据对广州白云山次生常绿阔叶林群落相隔６ａ的两次植被调查，分析了广州白云山次生常绿阔叶林在保护条件下，自然演变过程中的群落结构动态．群落的垂直结构变化主要以大量幼树进入第一层成树为特点；水平结构则以密度和盖度的增长为特点．在种类组成方面，６ａ前群落中居多的阳性树种现已逐渐为耐阴性较强的种类所代替．在组织结构水平上，乔木层的物种多样性指数、群落均匀度指标趋于增加，而生态优势度指标趋于降低，反映了群落向着组成结构复杂、物种多样性增高的方面演变，且前期变化速度较快，后期较慢并趋于稳定．     

第三系红层下石林的岩溶动力学特征

区域地球化学表明 ,第三系泉水及直接被第三系覆盖的灰岩泉水的SIC在雨季小于 0 ,在旱季大于 0。在祭白龙洞 ,地表被第三系覆盖洞段滴水的暂时硬度比地表无此覆盖层的滴水小 1 .6～ 3mmol/L ,pH值也较低。第三系盖层中空气CO2 浓度为 1 0 0 0 0～ 1 4 0 0 0mg/m3,随深度下降。第三系的裂隙最大渗透张量为 0 .0 2～ 0 .0 5m/d,高于石灰岩。野外溶蚀试验结果 ,第三系盖层中石灰岩的溶蚀速率为 1 .5mg/ 1 0 0d,且垂直溶蚀速率与水平溶蚀速率相当。上述特征表明 ,较高的裂隙渗透张量及随裂隙下渗的富侵蚀性的水是石芽、石林发育的两个重要因素。这也是为什么发育好的石林常常伴随残留的小面积第三系出现的原因     

Changes in quality of groundwater with seasonal fluctuations: an example from Ghor Safi area, southern Dead Sea coastal aquifers, Jordan

Introduction The alluvial fan along the eastern and southern m argins of the D ead Sea (hereafter denoted D S) consists of fine to coarse-grained siliclastic sand and pebble-size gravel w ith thin intercalations of lam inated m arl of H olocene age (Pow e…     

摩擦压力机打击力的测量误差分析

对摩擦压力机打击力测量不准确的现象进行了试验验证 ,并从理论上分析了摩擦压力机打击力测量误差产生的原因 ,探讨了摩擦压力机滑块初速度、工件质量和刚度以及测力传感器质量和刚度对摩擦压力机打击力测量误差的影响。     

考虑源头减量的城市生活垃圾管理系统动力学研究

文章根据计划行为理论,使用系统动力学的方法,设计了考虑源头减量的城市生活垃圾管理的系统动力学模型.该模型动态地仿真了管理系统中宏观和微观的因素之间随时间推移的相互作用.通过分析管理模型中各个子模型的仿真结果,说明了源头减量对垃圾管理的重要意义.