Kin conflict over caste determination in social Hymenoptera

We argue that caste determination, the process whereby females in the social Hymenoptera develop into either queens or workers, is subject to kin-selected conflict. Potential conflict arises because developing females are more closely related to their would-be offspring than to those of other females. Therefore, they may favour becoming queens contrary to the interests of other developing females and of existing queens and workers. We suggest two contexts leading to potential caste conflict. The first occurs when queens are reared in a reproductive phase following an ergonomic phase of worker production, while the second occurs when queens and workers are reared simultaneously. The first context assumes that workers' per capita contribution to colony survival and productivity falls with rising colony size. A critical feature influencing whether potential conflict is realized is the extent to which developing females can determine their own caste (“self-determination”). Self-determination is facilitated when female larvae control their own food intake and when queen-worker size dimorphism is low. We know of no strong evidence for actual conflict over caste fate arising in the first context. However, stingless bees and polygynous ants with excess queen-potential larvae that are either forced to develop as workers or are culled as adults demonstrate actual caste conflict in the second context. Caste conflict does not preclude caste regulation for “the good of the colony”, but such regulation is contingent on either the absence of potential conflict or on developing females losing control of their caste fate. Received: 22 March 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 June 1999 / Accepted: 19 June 1999     

Plasticity of social organization in a forest ant species

We manipulated availability of food and nesting sites in one population of the forest ant Myrmica punctiventris. The manipulations produced significant changes in relatedness structure, reproductive allocation, and response to hierarchical selection. Food availability appeared to have a consistently stronger influence on these aspects of social organization than did availability of nesting sites. We interpret our experimental results in light of observed differences between populations, and discuss implications for kin selection dynamics. Received: 30 July 1998 / Accepted after revision: 31 October 1998     

REAL CODED GENETIC ALGORITHM OPTIMIZATION OF LONG TERM RESERVOIR OPERATION1

ABSTRACT: An optimization and simulation model holds promise as an efficient and robust method for long term reservoir operation, an increasingly important facet of managing water resources. Recently, genetic algorithms have been demonstrated to be highly effective optimization methods. According to previous studies, a real coded genetic algorithm (RGA) has many advantages over a binary coded genetic algorithm. Accordingly, this work applies an RGA to obtain the 10‐day (the traditional period of reservoir operation in Taiwan) operating rule curves for the proposed reservoir system. The RGA is combined with an effective and flexible scheme for coding the reservoir rule curves and applied to an important reservoir in Taiwan, considering a water reservoir development scenario to the year 2021. Each rule curve is evaluated using a complex simulation model to determine a performance index for a given flow series. The process of generating and evaluating decision parameters is repeated until no further improvement in performance is obtained. Many experiments were performed to determine the suitable RGA components, including macro evolutionary (ME) selection and blend‐α crossover. Macro evolution (ME) can be applied to prevent the premature problem of the conventional selection scheme of genetic algorithm. The purpose of adjusting a of a crossover scheme is to determine the exploratory or exploitative degree of various subpopulations. The appropriate rule curve searched by an RGA can minimize the water deficit and maintain the high water level of the reservoir. The results also show that the most promising RGA for this problem consists of these revised operators significantly improves the performance of a system. It is also very efficient for optimizing other highly nonlinear systems.     

定量风险评价（QRA）中的危险辨识方法

危险辨识是进行定量风险评价（QRA）的关键步骤,QRA分析区域内的危险设备设施可能很多,但并不是每台设备设施都一定要包含并进行定量风险计算,这不仅涉及到QRA的效率和成本问题,也涉及到评价结论准确性、安全投入有效性等问题。本文简要介绍并比较了欧盟ARAMIS和挪威Purple book中推介的2种危险辨识方法,有助于国内QRA分析人员参照比较及提升QRA分析的一致性。     

新型水处理活性炭选型技术

活性炭依其原料不同、生产工艺不同,而有不同的吸附性能.使用简易的活性炭选型方法,可以减少应用测试时的备选炭型,从而大大降低活性炭水处理技术的运行成本.以碘值、甲基蓝值、苯酚值和丹宁酸值4种吸附容量性能指标为依据的活性炭选型技术,可以有效地预测活性炭对于水中各种大小不同污染物的去除能力.BET测试结果证明了这4项指标数据对于活性炭孔径分布预测的准确性.2,4-二氯苯酚和腐殖酸等目标化合物的吸附容量实验结果也都验证了这4项指标的预测功用,说明这种简便的活性炭选型技术有着广泛的应用价值.     

工程方案选择的权重-属性决策分析方法

工程方案的选择是工程项目的战略决策问题 .从认知学原理出发 ,提出方案选择决策的 3个要素 :目标、权重和属性 .对决策目标体系的建立、权重的调查和赋值、属性的分析和规范化进行了讨论 ,提出了解决问题的思路和方法 .文中引用了一项工程方案决策实例 ,进一步说明权重 -属性分析方法的应用 .     

长距离人工输水渠道水质时空演变规律研究——以南水北调中线总干渠为例

以南水北调中线工程通水6年来沿线30个常规水质监测断面逐月的水质监测数据为基础,基于斯皮尔曼秩次相关检验,系统分析总干渠水质时空变化趋势.结果表明,总干渠水质总体良好,主要指标能够达到Ⅱ类及以上水平.空间尺度上,总干渠水温(r=-0.897,p＜0.01)、总磷(r=-0.820,p＜0.01)、生化需氧量(r=-0....     

简易水处理活性炭的选择和应用方法

首先介绍活性炭性能测试与水处理活性炭选炭、吸附技术选择、工艺应用的关系,其次报导两个活性炭选用方面的改进方法。通过重新定义、整合、完善现有活性炭性能指标,建立了以酚值、碘值、亚甲基蓝、丹宁酸值为吸附性能指标的选炭方法。这四种指标化合物的分子量与直径覆盖了大多数有机污染物的范围,用此法可减少活性炭应用测试的炭型。在活性炭精选和吸附工艺应用研究中,用微型炭柱进行穿透实验可弥补缩小式传统型、小型炭柱的不足。相对于国外现用微型柱的实验方法,文中介绍的微型柱快速穿透（MCRB）方法的设备要求较低,操作简单,可以在国内大多数实验室中进行;遇过对多种污染物质的实验结果,建立了MCRB方法的可信性和适用性。这两种新方法完善了活性炭水处理研究的实验体系,可降低其应用于水与污水处理的成本,有利于中国的环境保护。     

水处理活性炭吸附性能指标的表征与应用

使用碘值、苯酚值、甲基蓝值和丹宁酸值4种吸附容量性能指标组成水处理活性炭选型技术.经BET测试验证,碘值可以体现活性炭中孔径略大于1.0nm微孔的发达程度,表征比表面积大小;甲基蓝值则代表孔径大于1.5nm的微孔和中孔发达程度;而丹宁酸值代表直径大于2.8nm左右的中孔数量;苯酚值体现活性炭表面化学信息,可表征活性炭对于小分子芳环类和极性有机物的吸附能力.硝基苯、甲基叔丁基醚(MTBE)、双酚A(BPA)、腐殖酸以及焦化厂二级生化出水的吸附实验结果均验证了该技术作为水处理活性炭实用选型方法的有效性.     

污水流量测量中流量计的选型与探讨

环保产业对污水流量的测量和控制的精确度、可靠性要求已越来越高 ,介绍了电磁式、涡街式、节流式等几种流量计的选型设计 ,结合水处理工艺 ,从理论和实践两方面阐述各自的特点