Honeybee rebel workers invest less in risky foraging than normal workers

AbstractIn eusocial insect colonies, workers have individual preferences for performing particular tasks. Previous research suggests that these preferences might be associated with worker reproductive potential; however, different studies have yielded inconsistent results. This study constitutes the first comparison of foraging preferences between genetically similar normal and rebel honeybee workers, which present different reproductive potential. We found that rebels, which have a higher reproductive potential than normal workers, displayed a delayed onset of foraging and a stronger tendency to collect nectar compared with normal workers. These results support the hypothesis that workers with high reproductive potential invest more in their own egg laying and avoid risky tasks such as foraging. In contrast, the results do not support the hypothesis that reproductive workers initiate foraging earlier in life than normal workers and specialize in pollen foraging.</jats:p

Committee membership makes Representatives better lawmakers, benefitting Congress as a whole

The US House of Representatives has more than 20 committees which divide up lawmaking and encourage lawmakers to specialize. Committee members are also more likely to promote legislation in their committee's areas. Kristina Miler finds that specialization promotes legislating; committees are successful in compelling even otherwise uninterested legislators to be more active. In light of these findings, she argues that ..

When House members become Senators their politics adapt tobe more acceptable to their new more diverse constituency

Few politicians represent one constituency for the entirety of their political life. Many graduate from the House of Representatives to the Senate, a move which also usually involves a massive increase in the number of constituents that they represent. Do these shifts then affect how legislators act and the kinds of laws they support. In new research which examines the legislative behavior of House members who move up into the Senate, Kristina Miler finds when a new senator is elected by a state that is more liberal than their former House district their voting behavior does become more liberal

Moribund ants do not call for help

When an antlion captures a foraging ant, the victim’s nestmates may display rescue behaviour. This study tested the hypothesis that the expression of rescue behaviour depends on the life expectancy of the captured ant. This hypothesis predicts that the expression of rescue behaviour will be less frequent when the captured ant has a lower life expectancy than when it has a higher life expectancy because such a response would be adaptive at the colony level. Indeed, significant differences were found in the frequency of rescue behaviours in response to antlion victims with differing life expectancies. In agreement with prediction, victims with lower life expectancies were rescued less frequently, and those rescues had a longer latency and shorter duration. There was also a qualitative difference in the behaviour of rescuers to victims from the low and high life expectancy groups. Several explanations for these findings are proposed

Elder Exploitation Through Predatory Marriage

The paper exposes a pattern of exploitation wherein financially motivated caregivers manipulate elders into marrying them to access and, subsequently, to inherit their estate. The article presents, analyzes and defines a case of predatory marriage. Further, it critically considers suggestions proposed by Canadian scholars and provides an alternative remedy, developed through comparative study of Canadian, Californian and German law. Through the paper, the author intends to inspire further, fruitful debate

Relationship marketing challenges in the health care organizations

This article is the presentation of relationship challenges in the health care organizations in Poland. This article presents the main aspects of relationship marketing in relation to medicinal plants. The aim of the article is critical to look at the challenges faced by marketing management in the clinics focus was on the challenges of managing the relationship. It identified the main areas of the challenges facing responsible for the implementation and management of relationship marketing in health care organizations

Methods for increasing the thermal conductivity of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2006."June 2006."Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-33).A two-part study was conducted to determine methods for producing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene with high thermal conductivity by way of polymer chain orientation. The first portion of this report surveys current research involving polyethylene chain orientation and manufacturing. This section includes analysis of shish-kebab morphology, past polymer thermal studies, self-reinforcement studies, manufacturing techniques, and experimental techniques for low thermal conductivity materials. The second portion reviews the results of an experiment conducted to test the feasibility of stretched thermoforming of UHMW-polyethylene. Sheets of UHMWPE were stretched and tested for anisotropy in thermal conductivity. For samples with draw ratios of X 10, anisotropy in thermal conductivity was observed to increase. These results show potential for future development of this proposed methodology.by Josef L. Miler.S.B