The Waggle Dance as an Intended Flight: A Cognitive Perspective

The notion of the waggle dance simulating a flight towards a goal in a walking pattern has been proposed in the context of evolutionary considerations. Behavioral components, like its arousing effect on the social community, the attention of hive mates induced by this behavior, the direction of the waggle run relative to the sun azimuth or to gravity, as well as the number of waggles per run, have been tentatively related to peculiar behavioral patterns in both solitary and social insect species and are thought to reflect phylogenetic pre-adaptations. Here, I ask whether these thoughts can be substantiated from a functional perspective. Communication in the waggle dance is a group phenomenon involving the dancer and the followers that perform partially overlapping movements encoding and decoding the message respectively. It is thus assumed that the dancer and follower perform close cognitive processes. This provides us with access to these cognitive processes during dance communication because the follower can be tested in its flight performance when it becomes a recruit. I argue that the dance message and the landscape experience are processed in the same navigational memory, allowing the bee to fly novel direct routes, a property understood as an indication of a cognitive map

Phenomenal regression to the real object in physical and virtual worlds

© 2014, Springer-Verlag London. In this paper, we investigate a new approach to comparing physical and virtual size and depth percepts that captures the involuntary responses of participants to different stimuli in their field of view, rather than relying on their skill at judging size, reaching or directed walking. We show, via an effect first observed in the 1930s, that participants asked to equate the perspective projections of disc objects at different distances make a systematic error that is both individual in its extent and comparable in the particular physical and virtual setting we have tested. Prior work has shown that this systematic error is difficult to correct, even when participants are knowledgeable of its likelihood of occurring. In fact, in the real world, the error only reduces as the available cues to depth are artificially reduced. This makes the effect we describe a potentially powerful, intrinsic measure of VE quality that ultimately may contribute to our understanding of VE depth compression phenomena

Manejo Integrado de Plagas para el control de Varroa destructor y sus implicaciones para las colonias de Apis mellifera

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest management system that, in the socioeconomic context of farming systems, the associated environment and the population dynamics of the pest species, utilizes all suitable techniques in a compatible manner as possible to maintain the pest population levels below those causing economic injury. This article covers the principal aspects of the interaction between Apis mellifera and Varroa destructor and it describes the classical control forms applied to reduce the mite negative impact on colonies. Some examples of IPM activities that have been done to control this parasite in the southeast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina have shown good results. Several products worldwide have shown good effectiveness as well. Nevertheless, there are certain risks and hazards inherent to their use, such as: their negative impact on human health, resistance phenomena, loss of beneficial insects and native fauna, environmental pollution and drug residues in the hive products harmful for human consumption. The development of acaricide resistance in V. destructor populations and the possibility of incorporating contaminants in colonies by means of this type of treatment have promoted the addition of new molecules to minimize these disadvantages. The application of organic acids, essential oils and their components have become a worthwhile alternative. It can be concluded that to achieve an integrated management of V. destructor entails a change of mind for beekeepers and the active participation of all actors involved in the beekeeping sector to promote scientific activities aimed to discovering and developing new tools to be incorporated in an IPM Program against V. destructor.El Manejo Integrado de Plagas (MIP) es un sistema de manejo que en el contexto socioeconómico de los sistemas agrícolas, asociado al ambiente y a la dinámica poblacional de las especies plaga, utiliza las técnicas apropiadas de una manera compatible para mantener, las poblaciones de la plaga por debajo de los niveles que causan daño económico. Este artículo cubre los principales aspectos de la interacción entre Apis mellifera y Varroa destructor y describe las formas clásicas de control aplicadas para reducir el impacto del ácaro en las colonias. Algunos ejemplos de las actividades de manejo integrado de plagas realizadas para controlar este parásito en el Sureste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, mostraron buenos resultados. Existen algunos productos acaricidas de síntesis en el mundo, que presentaron buena efectividad. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de resistencia a los acaricidas en poblaciones de V. destructor y la posibilidad de incorporación de contaminantes en las colonias por este tipo de tratamientos, se han transformado en cuestiones de gravedad. Esto ha promovido la búsqueda de nuevas moléculas para minimizar estas desventajas. Ácidos orgánicos, aceites esenciales y sus componentes se han convertido en una valiosa alternativa. El éxito de la implementación de herramientas para el Manejo Integrado de Varroa involucra un cambio de mentalidad en los apicultores y la participación activa de todos los actores del sector apícola, para promover actividades científicas que ayuden a desarrollar nuevas alternativas para ser incorporadas en Programas Regionales de Manejo Integrado de esta parasitosis.Fil: Ruffinengo, Sergio Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Producción Animal. Cátedra de Apicultura; ArgentinaFil: Maggi, Matías Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Artrópodos; ArgentinaFil: Marcangeli, Jorge Augusto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Artrópodos; ArgentinaFil: Eguaras, Martin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología. Laboratorio de Artrópodos; ArgentinaFil: Principal, Judith. Universidad Centroccidental “Lisandro Alvarado”. Lara; VenezuelaFil: Barrios, Carlos. Universidad Centroccidental “Lisandro Alvarado”. Lara; VenezuelaFil: de Piano, Fiorella Giselle. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Giullia, Mitton. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

A virtual workspace for hybrid multidimensional scaling algorithms

In visualising multidimensional data, it is well known that different types of algorithms to process them. Data sets might be distinguished according to volume, variable types and distribution, and each of these characteristics imposes constraints upon the choice of applicable algorithms for their visualization. Previous work has shown that a hybrid algorithmic approach can be successful in addressing the impact of data volume on the feasibility of multidimensional scaling (MDS). This suggests that hybrid combinations of appropriate algorithms might also successfully address other characteristics of data. This paper presents a system and framework in which a user can easily explore hybrid algorithms and the data flowing through them. Visual programming and a novel algorithmic architecture let the user semi-automatically define data flows and the co-ordination of multiple views

A visual workspace for constructing hybrid MDS algorithms and coordinating multiple views

Data can be distinguished according to volume, variable types and distribution, and each of these characteristics imposes constraints upon the choice of applicable algorithms for their visualisation. This has led to an abundance of often disparate algorithmic techniques. Previous work has shown that a hybrid algorithmic approach can be successful in addressing the impact of data volume on the feasibility of multidimensional scaling (MDS). This paper presents a system and framework in which a user can easily explore algorithms as well as their hybrid conjunctions and the data flowing through them. Visual programming and a novel algorithmic architecture let the user semi-automatically define data flows and the co-ordination of multiple views of algorithmic and visualisation components. We propose that our approach has two main benefits: significant improvements in run times of MDS algorithms can be achieved, and intermediate views of the data and the visualisation program structure can provide greater insight and control over the visualisation process

Becoming plant and posthumanism in Jeff Noon's Pollen (1995)

This article examines Jeff Noon’s cyberpunk novel Pollen (1995), arguing for its innovative treatment of spatial and species identities. In addition to the challenging representations of gender and feminism identified by Val Gough, there are other kinds of decentering enacted, notably in the novel’s speculative treatment of “becoming plant” and the location of the action in the North of England