Chemical and vibratory signals used in alarm communication in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Rhinotermitidae)

Termites have evolved diverse defence strategies to protect themselves against predators, including a complex alarm communication system based on vibroacoustic and/or chemical signals. In reaction to alarm signals, workers and other vulnerable castes flee away while soldiers, the specialized colony defenders, actively move toward the alarm source. In this study, we investigated the nature of alarm communication in the pest Reticulitermes flavipes. We found that workers and soldiers of R. flavipes respond to various danger stimuli using both vibroacoustic and chemical alarm signals. Among the danger stimuli, the blow of air triggered the strongest response, followed by crushed soldier head and light flash. The crushed soldier heads, which implied the alarm pheromone release, had the longest-lasting effect on the group behaviour, while the responses to other stimuli decreased quickly. We also found evidence of a positive feedback, as the release of alarm pheromones increased the vibratory communication among workers and soldiers. Our study demonstrates that alarm modalities are differentially expressed between castes, and that the response varies according to the nature of stimuli

Variational Autoencoder Based Estimation Of Distribution Algorithms And Applications To Individual Based Ecosystem Modeling Using EcoSim

Individual based modeling provides a bottom up approach wherein interactions give rise to high-level phenomena in patterns equivalent to those found in nature. This method generates an immense amount of data through artificial simulation and can be made tractable by machine learning where multidimensional data is optimized and transformed. Using individual based modeling platform known as EcoSim, we modeled the abilities of elitist sexual selection and communication of fear. Data received from these experiments was reduced in dimension through use of a novel algorithm proposed by us: Variational Autoencoder based Estimation of Distribution Algorithms with Population Queue and Adaptive Variance Scaling (VAE-EDA-Q AVS). We constructed a novel Estimation of Distribution Algorithm (EDA) by extending generative models known as variational autoencoders (VAE). VAE-EDA-Q, proposed by us, smooths the data generation process using an iteratively updated queue (Q) of populations. Adaptive Variance Scaling (AVS) dynamically updates the variance at which models are sampled based on fitness. The combination of VAE-EDA-Q with AVS demonstrates high computational efficiency and requires few fitness evaluations. We extended VAE-EDA-Q AVS to act as a feature reducing wrapper method in conjunction with C4.5 Decision trees to reduce the dimensionality of data. The relationship between sexual selection, random selection, and speciation is a contested topic. Supporting evidence suggests sexual selection to drive speciation. Opposing evidence contends either a negative or absence of correlation to exist. We utilized EcoSim to model elitist and random mate selection. Our results demonstrated a significantly lower speciation rate, a significantly lower extinction rate, and a significantly higher turnover rate for sexual selection groups. Species diversification was found to display no significant difference. The relationship between communication and foraging behavior similarly features opposing hypotheses in claim of both increases and decreases of foraging behavior in response to alarm communication. Through modeling with EcoSim, we found alarm communication to decrease foraging activity in most cases, yet gradually increase foraging activity in some other cases. Furthermore, we found both outcomes resulting from alarm communication to increase fitness as compared to non-communication

A High-confidence Cyber-Physical Alarm System: Design and Implementation

Most traditional alarm systems cannot address security threats in a satisfactory manner. To alleviate this problem, we developed a high-confidence cyber-physical alarm system (CPAS), a new kind of alarm systems. This system establishes the connection of the Internet (i.e. TCP/IP) through GPRS/CDMA/3G. It achieves mutual communication control among terminal equipments, human machine interfaces and users by using the existing mobile communication network. The CPAS will enable the transformation in alarm mode from traditional one-way alarm to two-way alarm. The system has been successfully applied in practice. The results show that the CPAS could avoid false alarms and satisfy residents' security needs.Comment: IEEE/ACM Internet of Things Symposium (IOTS), in conjunction with GreenCom 2010, IEEE, Hangzhou, China, December 18-20, 201

Functionally referential signals: a promising paradigm whose time has passed

Finding the evolutionary origins of human language in the communication systems of our closest living relatives has, for the last several decades, been a major goal of many in the field of animal communication generally and primate communication specifically.1–4 The so-called “functionally referential” signals have long been considered promising in this regard, with apparent parallels with the semantic communication that characterizes language. The once-prominent idea that functionally referential signals are word-like, in that they are arbitrary sounds that refer to phenomena external to the caller, has largely been abandoned.5 However, the idea that these signals may offer the strongest link between primate communication and human language remains widespread, primarily due to the fact the behavior of receivers indicates that such signals enable them to make very specific inferences about their physical or social environment. Here we review the concept of functional reference and discuss modern perspectives that indicate that, although the sophistication of receivers provides some continuity between nonhuman primate and human cognition, this continuity is not unique to functionally referential signals. In fact, because functionally referential signals are, by definition, produced only in specific contexts, receivers are less dependent on the integration of contextual cues with signal features to determine an appropriate response. The processing of functionally referential signals is therefore likely to entail simpler cognitive operations than does that of less context-specific signals. While studies of functional reference have been important in highlighting the relatively sophisticated processes that underlie receiver behavior, we believe that the continued focus on context-specific calls detracts from the potentially more complex processes underlying responses to more unspecific calls. In this sense, we argue that the concept of functional reference, while historically important for the field, has outlived its usefulness and become a red herring in the pursuit of the links between primate communication and human language

Preaching: where we\u27re going

This article follows upon an earlier article (\u27Preaching: where we\u27ve been\u27, Consensus 8,3-11 Ja 82). Developments in communication, technology, hermeneutics and myth directed preaching to understand itself as \u27event\u27 and therefore to shape itself as \u27story\u27. The narrative form can carry the varied and contradictory realities and mysteries of life as no rational \u27system\u27 can, and is true to the prime genre of the Bible. While the work of keener definition remains to be done, narrative preaching demonstrates the power to give people a better \u27story to live by\u27

Emergency Air Protection: A Survey of Smog Alarm Systems

As Central and Eastern Europe looks to its future, it is faced with a legacy of environmental pollution from its recent past. Three main environmental tasks confront the region: to reduce the burden of pollutants, to revitalize the environment, and to prevent future pollution by implementing "clean technologies." Unfortunately, the funds are not available for taking on all of these huge tasks at once, at least not in an effective way. For this reason it is of utmost importance to set near-term priorities for environmental protection. Faced with a difficult decision, perhaps we must choose the protection of human health as a number one near-term priority. This paper describes one approach to protecting human health from pollutants which can also be accomplished in the coming years; the authors aim to provide an overview of smog alarm systems to experts and citizens in Central and Eastern European cities so that they can consider the option of building such systems in their own cities. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first review of its kind, and it is hoped that it will lead to a closer examination of this practical and effective control strategy

Comprehensive Fire and Life Safety Analysis of Building 186, Construction Innovation Center, at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

The report summarizes the analysis of the existing fire protection features and systems installed in the Construction Innovation Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The center is divided into three individual buildings (Buildings A, B and C) and are connected at each floor by an exterior balcony. The analysis includes two different approaches. A prescriptive analysis approach has been used to examine if the installed fire protection features and systems compliance with the latest edition of the codes and standards in California. This approach includes an evaluation of the fire structure protection, means of egress, fire alarm & communication, and fire-suppression system of the center. A performance–based analysis approach has also been used to assess whether the building occupants will egress the center before conditions become untenable. Fire Dynamics Simulator and Pathfinder, two computer software programs, have been used to determine the available and required safe egress time. A fire scenario has been selected for Buildings A and B to assess its tenability conditions. Building C was not selected as part of the tenability analysis due to time constraint and low existing ignition sources

Zur Biologie des nicht identifizierten invasiven Weberknechtes Leibunum sp. (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Since about the year 2000 an unidentified, introduced harvestman of the genus Leiobunum has been rapidly invading Europe. The published records are from the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A population of Leiobunum sp. in the Netherlands was studied frequently during the day and night. Its life cycle, hunting strategy, diet and accompanying harvestman species were recorded, and mating, male-male fights and ovipositing behaviour studied, as well as the spider species preying on this Leiobunum species. Food items were collected, indicating that its food consists of a wide range of live as well as dead invertebrates including spent spider prey scavenged for at ground level. Vegetable matter like berries, as well as bird droppings were also consumed. The mating strategy is very complex. A male guards an egg depositing female and he defends her against other advancing males, resulting in male-male fights. The guarding male frequently mates. Also courtship behaviour has been observed, including nuptial feeding with a fluid, probably originating from the accessory penal glands and delivered by the male into the female’s stomotheca via sacs located on the distal part of the penis truncus. Eggs are deposited in holes and crevices of walls.Seit dem Jahr 2000 breitet sich eine eingeschleppte und bislang nicht identifizierte Weberknechtart der Gattung Leiobunum rasch in West- und Mitteleuropa aus. Die publizierten Funde stammen aus den Niederlanden, Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Während regelmäßiger, vorwiegend nächtlich durchgeführter Beobachtungen einer großen niederländischen Population, wurden Lebenszyklus, Jagdverhalten, Nahrung, begleitende Weberknechtarten, sich von diesen Weberknechten ernährende Spinnen, sowie Paarungsverhalten und Eiablage studiert. Die Weberknechte sind nachtaktiv und halten sich tagsüber meist in großen Ansammlungen vorwiegend an Mauern und Hauswänden auf. Leiobunum sp. ernährt sich räuberisch von verschiedensten kleinen Insekten. Einen weiteren beträchtlichen Anteil an seiner Nahrung bilden tote Insekten und andere wirbellose Tiere, sowie von Spinnen aus ihren Netzen entfernte Beutetiere, die von den Weberknechten am Boden gesammelt werden. Auch Vogelkot und pflanzliches Material wie z. B. Beeren werden verzehrt. Als äußerst kompliziert erwies sich das Paarungsverhalten. Bei der Eiablage bewacht das Männchen das Weibchen und verteidigt es gegen jedes weitere sich nähernde Männchen. Während dieser Bewachung kommt es mehrmals zur Paarung. Das Männchen scheint dem Weibchen dabei regelmäßig als Brautgeschenk eine Flüssigkeit darzubieten, die innerhalb der häutigen Membrane im distalen Teil des Penistruncus gespeichert ist. Die Eier werden in Spalten von vertikalen Strukturen abgelegt