The present research investigated a segment of the micro-arthropod populations residing within nests of Messor arenarius ants in the Negev Desert of Israel. The total frequencies of micro-arthropods in the chaff of th...The present research investigated a segment of the micro-arthropod populations residing within nests of Messor arenarius ants in the Negev Desert of Israel. The total frequencies of micro-arthropods in the chaff of those ants’ nests were found to be higher than in the surrounding soil of the same nests. Acari (mites) were observed to be more abundant during the spring season, whereas their presence decreased during the summer months. Springtails (Collembola) were found to follow the Acari pattern, commonly found within the nests of those ants during spring but were absent during summer. Psocoptera order inhabiting soil habitats were infrequently encountered during spring, but their prevalence increased significantly during summer, particularly within the chaff of the ants’ nests, suggesting that chaff is their primary food source in the Negev Desert. Our research suggests that shifts in seasonality have important consequences on the distribution of soil invertebrate communities with implications on nutrient cycling.展开更多
Adenine nucleotide translocator(ANT)is a mitochondrial protein involved in the exchange of ADP and ATP across the mitochondrial inner membrane.It plays a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism by facilitating the ...Adenine nucleotide translocator(ANT)is a mitochondrial protein involved in the exchange of ADP and ATP across the mitochondrial inner membrane.It plays a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism by facilitating the transport of ATP synthesized within the mitochondria to the cytoplasm.The isoform ANT1 predominately expresses in cardiac and skeletal muscles.Mutations or dysregulation in ANT1 have been implicated in various mitochondrial disorders and neuromuscular diseases.We aimed to examine whether ANT1 deletion may affect mitochondrial redox state in our established ANT1-de-cient mice.Hearts and quadriceps resected from age-matched wild type(WT)and ANT1-de-cient mice were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen.The Chance redox scanner was utilized to perform 3D optical redox imaging.Each sample underwent scanning across 3–5 sections.Global averaging analysis showed no signi-cant differences in the redox indices(NADH,flavin adenine dinucleotide containing-flavoproteins Fp,and the redox ratio Fp/(NADH+Fp)between WT and ANT1-de-cient groups.However,quadriceps had higher Fp than hearts in both groups(p¼0:0004 and 0.01,respectively).Furthermore,the quadriceps were also more oxidized(a higher redox ratio)than hearts in WT group(p¼0:004).NADH levels were similar in all cases.Our data suggest that under non-stressful physical condition,the ANT1-de-cient muscle cells were in the same mitochondrial state as WT ones and that the signi-cant difference in the mitochondrial redox state between quadriceps and hearts found in WT might be diminished in ANT1-de-cient ones.Redox imaging of muscles under physical stress can be conducted in future.展开更多
This study proposes a hybridization of two efficient algorithm’s Multi-objective Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(MOALO)which is a multi-objective enhanced version of the Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(ALO)and the Genetic ...This study proposes a hybridization of two efficient algorithm’s Multi-objective Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(MOALO)which is a multi-objective enhanced version of the Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(ALO)and the Genetic Algorithm(GA).MOALO version has been employed to address those problems containing many objectives and an archive has been employed for retaining the non-dominated solutions.The uniqueness of the hybrid is that the operators like mutation and crossover of GA are employed in the archive to update the solutions and later those solutions go through the process of MOALO.A first-time hybrid of these algorithms is employed to solve multi-objective problems.The hybrid algorithm overcomes the limitation of ALO of getting caught in the local optimum and the requirement of more computational effort to converge GA.To evaluate the hybridized algorithm’s performance,a set of constrained,unconstrained test problems and engineering design problems were employed and compared with five well-known computational algorithms-MOALO,Multi-objective Crystal Structure Algorithm(MOCryStAl),Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),Multi-objective Multiverse Optimization Algorithm(MOMVO),Multi-objective Salp Swarm Algorithm(MSSA).The outcomes of five performance metrics are statistically analyzed and the most efficient Pareto fronts comparison has been obtained.The proposed hybrid surpasses MOALO based on the results of hypervolume(HV),Spread,and Spacing.So primary objective of developing this hybrid approach has been achieved successfully.The proposed approach demonstrates superior performance on the test functions,showcasing robust convergence and comprehensive coverage that surpasses other existing algorithms.展开更多
Wireless Sensor Networks(WSNs)are a collection of sensor nodes distributed in space and connected through wireless communication.The sensor nodes gather and store data about the real world around them.However,the node...Wireless Sensor Networks(WSNs)are a collection of sensor nodes distributed in space and connected through wireless communication.The sensor nodes gather and store data about the real world around them.However,the nodes that are dependent on batteries will ultimately suffer an energy loss with time,which affects the lifetime of the network.This research proposes to achieve its primary goal by reducing energy consumption and increasing the network’s lifetime and stability.The present technique employs the hybrid Mayfly Optimization Algorithm-Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization(MFOA-EACO),where the Mayfly Optimization Algorithm(MFOA)is used to select the best cluster head(CH)from a set of nodes,and the Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization(EACO)technique is used to determine an optimal route between the cluster head and base station.The performance evaluation of our suggested hybrid approach is based on many parameters,including the number of active and dead nodes,node degree,distance,and energy usage.Our objective is to integrate MFOA-EACO to enhance energy efficiency and extend the network life of the WSN in the future.The proposed method outcomes proved to be better than traditional approaches such as Hybrid Squirrel-Flying Fox Optimization Algorithm(HSFLBOA),Hybrid Social Reindeer Optimization and Differential Evolution-Firefly Algorithm(HSRODE-FFA),Social Spider Distance Sensitive-Iterative Antlion Butterfly Cockroach Algorithm(SADSS-IABCA),and Energy Efficient Clustering Hierarchy Strategy-Improved Social Spider Algorithm Differential Evolution(EECHS-ISSADE).展开更多
Marine container terminal(MCT)plays a key role in the marine intelligent transportation system and international logistics system.However,the efficiency of resource scheduling significantly influences the operation pe...Marine container terminal(MCT)plays a key role in the marine intelligent transportation system and international logistics system.However,the efficiency of resource scheduling significantly influences the operation performance of MCT.To solve the practical resource scheduling problem(RSP)in MCT efficiently,this paper has contributions to both the problem model and the algorithm design.Firstly,in the problem model,different from most of the existing studies that only consider scheduling part of the resources in MCT,we propose a unified mathematical model for formulating an integrated RSP.The new integrated RSP model allocates and schedules multiple MCT resources simultaneously by taking the total cost minimization as the objective.Secondly,in the algorithm design,a pre-selection-based ant colony system(PACS)approach is proposed based on graphic structure solution representation and a pre-selection strategy.On the one hand,as the RSP can be formulated as the shortest path problem on the directed complete graph,the graphic structure is proposed to represent the solution encoding to consider multiple constraints and multiple factors of the RSP,which effectively avoids the generation of infeasible solutions.On the other hand,the pre-selection strategy aims to reduce the computational burden of PACS and to fast obtain a higher-quality solution.To evaluate the performance of the proposed novel PACS in solving the new integrated RSP model,a set of test cases with different sizes is conducted.Experimental results and comparisons show the effectiveness and efficiency of the PACS algorithm,which can significantly outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms.展开更多
Ants of artificial colony are able to generate good solutions to the famous traveling salesman problem (TSP). We propose an artificial ants algorithm for solving the minimum ratio TSP, which is more general than the s...Ants of artificial colony are able to generate good solutions to the famous traveling salesman problem (TSP). We propose an artificial ants algorithm for solving the minimum ratio TSP, which is more general than the standard TSP in combinatorial optimization area. In the minimum ratio TSP, another criterion concerning each edge is added, that is, the traveling salesman can have a benefit if he travels from one city to another. The objective is to minimize the ratio between total costs or distances and total benefits. The idea of this type of optimization is in some sense quite similar to that of traditional cost-benefit analysis in management science. Computational results substantiate the solution quality and efficiency of the algorithm.展开更多
In this paper, we have conducted a literature review on the recent developments and publications involving the vehicle routing problem and its variants, namely vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) and the...In this paper, we have conducted a literature review on the recent developments and publications involving the vehicle routing problem and its variants, namely vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) and the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) and also their variants. The VRP is classified as an NP-hard problem. Hence, the use of exact optimization methods may be difficult to solve these problems in acceptable CPU times, when the problem involves real-world data sets that are very large. The vehicle routing problem comes under combinatorial problem. Hence, to get solutions in determining routes which are realistic and very close to the optimal solution, we use heuristics and meta-heuristics. In this paper we discuss the various exact methods and the heuristics and meta-heuristics used to solve the VRP and its variants.展开更多
Livestock ranching is one of the main productive activities in arid regions of the world.Grazing produces changes in animal as well as plant communities(e.g.richness,abundance and species dominance relationships).Ants...Livestock ranching is one of the main productive activities in arid regions of the world.Grazing produces changes in animal as well as plant communities(e.g.richness,abundance and species dominance relationships).Ants are good biological indicators due to the environmental fidelity of some of their community parameters.We described the functional structure of the ant community in the central Monte of Mendoza,Argentina,and examined the effect of grazing using richness,diversity and the functional group scheme.We used pitfall traps to sample ants at a reserve with 30-year cattle exclusion and at an adjacent ranch.Eleven of the 27 recorded species showed significant differences in their abundance and two species were absent at the ranch.While richness and diversity did not reflect these differences,functional groups did.Hot Climate Specialists were more abundant at the ranch while Cryptic Species and Generalized Myrmicinae increased at the reserve.This study supports the utility of the functional group scheme to study the effects of grazing disturbance in ant communities of arid regions.展开更多
Ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) play an important role in seed bank, seedling establishment andplant composition of arid ecosystems. Thus, knowing plant-ant interaction provides useful information formanagers to design...Ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) play an important role in seed bank, seedling establishment andplant composition of arid ecosystems. Thus, knowing plant-ant interaction provides useful information formanagers to design restoration and conservation plans. In this study, the roles of desert harvester ants (Messorintermedius and Messor melancholicus) and scavenger ants (Cataglyphis nodus and Lepisiota semenovi) on plantcommunities were investigated in arid ecosystems of southeastern Iran. Two vegetation types weredistinguished in the study area and the nest density of ant species was determined. Furthermore, plantcomposition and soil seed bank were estimated at different distances from the ant nests. Results showed thatthe density of M. intermedius and M. melancholicus nests was higher in dwarf shrub-shrub vegetation type and thedensity of C. nodus and L. semenovi nests was higher in dwarf shrub vegetation type. The harvester and scavengerants had enhanced the seed bank to 55% and 70%, respectively. Therefore, the role of scavenger ants on theplant communities' seed bank was greater than that of harvester ants. Although the scavenger ants were moreinfluential on the annuals and the invasive plant species, the radius impact of the harvester ants on theperennials was greater, i.e., a positive interaction existed between the perennial plants and the harvester ants. C.nodus and L. semenovi played an important role in enhancing the ecosystem's potential for restoration throughestablishment of pioneer species in early stage of succession. The activity of M. intermedius is crucial for thedevelopment and maintenance of climax plant communities in arid ecosystems through assisting the plantspecies' establishment in late stage of succession. It is essential to preserve the diversity of these key ant speciesfor the maintenance and sustainability of shrubs in arid ecosystems.展开更多
2-tridecanone is a major constitute of defensive secretion in tawny crazy ants, Nylanderia fulva that is an ant species reported to be able to displace red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta in the field. 2-tridec...2-tridecanone is a major constitute of defensive secretion in tawny crazy ants, Nylanderia fulva that is an ant species reported to be able to displace red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta in the field. 2-tridecanone was proven to be toxic to S. invicta. Although 2-tridecanone is commercially available, utilization of this naturally occurring compound in fire ant management has received little attention. In this study, toxicity and efficacy of two 2-tridecanone formulations were assessed against S. invicta. Two emulsifiable concentrates were prepared using 2-tridecanone as an active ingredient, vegetable oil as a solvent and polyoxyethylene tridecyl ether as a surfactant. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) was used as a synergist in one formulation. Both formulations showed significant toxicity in laboratory bioassays. In a field trial, at application rate of 5.28 mL/L and 14 days after mound drench treatment, 100% control was achieved for formulation with PBO and 90% control for the formulation without PBO. In conclusion, both formulations had significant efficacy against S. invicta. Due to the low mammalian toxicity of 2-tridecanone, no involvement of hazardous synthetic organic solvents, no phytotoxicity at applied concentrations, and relatively low cost, both formulations are promising alternatives to commercial insecticide products for fire ant mound drench. The outstanding efficacy of both formulations observed in this study warrants further research on their efficacy against other pest insects.展开更多
Total lipid contents,lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of hot-air dried edible black ants(Polyrhachis vicina Roger) from Wenzhou and Guizhou,China,and edible red ant(Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius) from T...Total lipid contents,lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of hot-air dried edible black ants(Polyrhachis vicina Roger) from Wenzhou and Guizhou,China,and edible red ant(Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius) from Thailand were determined.The major lipid components were triacylglycerol(43.4-79.4% of total lipid),followed by phospholipids(6.1-21.5%),diacylglycerol(6.1-18.1%) and cholesterol ester(4.9-13.5%) while free fatty acids(1.8-2.9%) and sterol(0.5-0.8%) were the minor components.Oleic acid(C18:1) was the most predominant fatty acid,accounting for 3 407.8,9 098.8 and 3 790.1 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Followed by palmitic acid(C16:0),922.9,2 523.3 and 1 511.8 mg 100 g-1;linoleic acid(C18:2n-6),133.7,305.2 and 506.4 mg 100 g-1;α-linolenic acid(C18:3n-3),35.1,138.0 and 52.5 mg 100 g-1;eicosapentaenoic acid(C20:5n-3) was 19.1,15.0 and 20.0 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Docosapentaenoic acid(C22:5n-3) was only found in black ants,7.0 and 7.3 mg 100 g-1 for Wenzhou and Guizhou ants,respectively.The edible black and red ants were shown to be a good source of unsaturated fatty acid.展开更多
The compositions of two kinds of ants (Formica cunicu Laria and Polyrhachis vicina Roger) were determined with modern apparatuses. The result was that content of crude protein, fat, vitamin E, formic acid were 43.95%,...The compositions of two kinds of ants (Formica cunicu Laria and Polyrhachis vicina Roger) were determined with modern apparatuses. The result was that content of crude protein, fat, vitamin E, formic acid were 43.95%, 22.90%, 15.61 mg / Kg, 4.2% respectively forFormica cunicu Laria, and 42.56%, 21 .90%, 131 .2 mg / Kg, 3.8% respectively for Polyrhachlk vicina Roger.展开更多
NP-hard combinational optimization problem is not solved very well until now. One enhanced ants system based on ants system is advanced after analysis of the deficiencies of existing ants systems. Some improvements ar...NP-hard combinational optimization problem is not solved very well until now. One enhanced ants system based on ants system is advanced after analysis of the deficiencies of existing ants systems. Some improvements are made in state transfer rule and local modification rule. Furthermore, the enhanced ants system can solve NP-hard combinational optimization problem with restraints and condition path. The successful application of TSP problem and transportation net problem indicates that the proposed system has stronger function and higher efficiency than the original system.展开更多
文摘The present research investigated a segment of the micro-arthropod populations residing within nests of Messor arenarius ants in the Negev Desert of Israel. The total frequencies of micro-arthropods in the chaff of those ants’ nests were found to be higher than in the surrounding soil of the same nests. Acari (mites) were observed to be more abundant during the spring season, whereas their presence decreased during the summer months. Springtails (Collembola) were found to follow the Acari pattern, commonly found within the nests of those ants during spring but were absent during summer. Psocoptera order inhabiting soil habitats were infrequently encountered during spring, but their prevalence increased significantly during summer, particularly within the chaff of the ants’ nests, suggesting that chaff is their primary food source in the Negev Desert. Our research suggests that shifts in seasonality have important consequences on the distribution of soil invertebrate communities with implications on nutrient cycling.
基金supported in part by NIH Grant CA191207 and CA277037(L.Z.Li)AG078814 and CA259635(D.Wallace)and DOD Grant W81XWH2210561(D.Wallace).
文摘Adenine nucleotide translocator(ANT)is a mitochondrial protein involved in the exchange of ADP and ATP across the mitochondrial inner membrane.It plays a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism by facilitating the transport of ATP synthesized within the mitochondria to the cytoplasm.The isoform ANT1 predominately expresses in cardiac and skeletal muscles.Mutations or dysregulation in ANT1 have been implicated in various mitochondrial disorders and neuromuscular diseases.We aimed to examine whether ANT1 deletion may affect mitochondrial redox state in our established ANT1-de-cient mice.Hearts and quadriceps resected from age-matched wild type(WT)and ANT1-de-cient mice were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen.The Chance redox scanner was utilized to perform 3D optical redox imaging.Each sample underwent scanning across 3–5 sections.Global averaging analysis showed no signi-cant differences in the redox indices(NADH,flavin adenine dinucleotide containing-flavoproteins Fp,and the redox ratio Fp/(NADH+Fp)between WT and ANT1-de-cient groups.However,quadriceps had higher Fp than hearts in both groups(p¼0:0004 and 0.01,respectively).Furthermore,the quadriceps were also more oxidized(a higher redox ratio)than hearts in WT group(p¼0:004).NADH levels were similar in all cases.Our data suggest that under non-stressful physical condition,the ANT1-de-cient muscle cells were in the same mitochondrial state as WT ones and that the signi-cant difference in the mitochondrial redox state between quadriceps and hearts found in WT might be diminished in ANT1-de-cient ones.Redox imaging of muscles under physical stress can be conducted in future.
基金supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)Grant funded by the Korea government(MSIT)(No.RS-2023-00218176)the Soonchunhyang University Research Fund.
文摘This study proposes a hybridization of two efficient algorithm’s Multi-objective Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(MOALO)which is a multi-objective enhanced version of the Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(ALO)and the Genetic Algorithm(GA).MOALO version has been employed to address those problems containing many objectives and an archive has been employed for retaining the non-dominated solutions.The uniqueness of the hybrid is that the operators like mutation and crossover of GA are employed in the archive to update the solutions and later those solutions go through the process of MOALO.A first-time hybrid of these algorithms is employed to solve multi-objective problems.The hybrid algorithm overcomes the limitation of ALO of getting caught in the local optimum and the requirement of more computational effort to converge GA.To evaluate the hybridized algorithm’s performance,a set of constrained,unconstrained test problems and engineering design problems were employed and compared with five well-known computational algorithms-MOALO,Multi-objective Crystal Structure Algorithm(MOCryStAl),Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),Multi-objective Multiverse Optimization Algorithm(MOMVO),Multi-objective Salp Swarm Algorithm(MSSA).The outcomes of five performance metrics are statistically analyzed and the most efficient Pareto fronts comparison has been obtained.The proposed hybrid surpasses MOALO based on the results of hypervolume(HV),Spread,and Spacing.So primary objective of developing this hybrid approach has been achieved successfully.The proposed approach demonstrates superior performance on the test functions,showcasing robust convergence and comprehensive coverage that surpasses other existing algorithms.
文摘Wireless Sensor Networks(WSNs)are a collection of sensor nodes distributed in space and connected through wireless communication.The sensor nodes gather and store data about the real world around them.However,the nodes that are dependent on batteries will ultimately suffer an energy loss with time,which affects the lifetime of the network.This research proposes to achieve its primary goal by reducing energy consumption and increasing the network’s lifetime and stability.The present technique employs the hybrid Mayfly Optimization Algorithm-Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization(MFOA-EACO),where the Mayfly Optimization Algorithm(MFOA)is used to select the best cluster head(CH)from a set of nodes,and the Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization(EACO)technique is used to determine an optimal route between the cluster head and base station.The performance evaluation of our suggested hybrid approach is based on many parameters,including the number of active and dead nodes,node degree,distance,and energy usage.Our objective is to integrate MFOA-EACO to enhance energy efficiency and extend the network life of the WSN in the future.The proposed method outcomes proved to be better than traditional approaches such as Hybrid Squirrel-Flying Fox Optimization Algorithm(HSFLBOA),Hybrid Social Reindeer Optimization and Differential Evolution-Firefly Algorithm(HSRODE-FFA),Social Spider Distance Sensitive-Iterative Antlion Butterfly Cockroach Algorithm(SADSS-IABCA),and Energy Efficient Clustering Hierarchy Strategy-Improved Social Spider Algorithm Differential Evolution(EECHS-ISSADE).
基金This research was supported in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant 2022YFB3305303in part by the National Natural Science Foundations of China(NSFC)under Grant 62106055+1 种基金in part by the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation under Grant 2022A1515011825in part by the Guangzhou Science and Technology Planning Project under Grants 2023A04J0388 and 2023A03J0662.
文摘Marine container terminal(MCT)plays a key role in the marine intelligent transportation system and international logistics system.However,the efficiency of resource scheduling significantly influences the operation performance of MCT.To solve the practical resource scheduling problem(RSP)in MCT efficiently,this paper has contributions to both the problem model and the algorithm design.Firstly,in the problem model,different from most of the existing studies that only consider scheduling part of the resources in MCT,we propose a unified mathematical model for formulating an integrated RSP.The new integrated RSP model allocates and schedules multiple MCT resources simultaneously by taking the total cost minimization as the objective.Secondly,in the algorithm design,a pre-selection-based ant colony system(PACS)approach is proposed based on graphic structure solution representation and a pre-selection strategy.On the one hand,as the RSP can be formulated as the shortest path problem on the directed complete graph,the graphic structure is proposed to represent the solution encoding to consider multiple constraints and multiple factors of the RSP,which effectively avoids the generation of infeasible solutions.On the other hand,the pre-selection strategy aims to reduce the computational burden of PACS and to fast obtain a higher-quality solution.To evaluate the performance of the proposed novel PACS in solving the new integrated RSP model,a set of test cases with different sizes is conducted.Experimental results and comparisons show the effectiveness and efficiency of the PACS algorithm,which can significantly outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms.
基金This project was supported by the Shanghai Education Development Foundation (No.2000SG30).
文摘Ants of artificial colony are able to generate good solutions to the famous traveling salesman problem (TSP). We propose an artificial ants algorithm for solving the minimum ratio TSP, which is more general than the standard TSP in combinatorial optimization area. In the minimum ratio TSP, another criterion concerning each edge is added, that is, the traveling salesman can have a benefit if he travels from one city to another. The objective is to minimize the ratio between total costs or distances and total benefits. The idea of this type of optimization is in some sense quite similar to that of traditional cost-benefit analysis in management science. Computational results substantiate the solution quality and efficiency of the algorithm.
文摘In this paper, we have conducted a literature review on the recent developments and publications involving the vehicle routing problem and its variants, namely vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) and the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) and also their variants. The VRP is classified as an NP-hard problem. Hence, the use of exact optimization methods may be difficult to solve these problems in acceptable CPU times, when the problem involves real-world data sets that are very large. The vehicle routing problem comes under combinatorial problem. Hence, to get solutions in determining routes which are realistic and very close to the optimal solution, we use heuristics and meta-heuristics. In this paper we discuss the various exact methods and the heuristics and meta-heuristics used to solve the VRP and its variants.
基金partially funded by a grant from the National Council of Research (Argentina) Number 4678 for the project"Insect Biodiversity of the Monte"
文摘Livestock ranching is one of the main productive activities in arid regions of the world.Grazing produces changes in animal as well as plant communities(e.g.richness,abundance and species dominance relationships).Ants are good biological indicators due to the environmental fidelity of some of their community parameters.We described the functional structure of the ant community in the central Monte of Mendoza,Argentina,and examined the effect of grazing using richness,diversity and the functional group scheme.We used pitfall traps to sample ants at a reserve with 30-year cattle exclusion and at an adjacent ranch.Eleven of the 27 recorded species showed significant differences in their abundance and two species were absent at the ranch.While richness and diversity did not reflect these differences,functional groups did.Hot Climate Specialists were more abundant at the ranch while Cryptic Species and Generalized Myrmicinae increased at the reserve.This study supports the utility of the functional group scheme to study the effects of grazing disturbance in ant communities of arid regions.
文摘Ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) play an important role in seed bank, seedling establishment andplant composition of arid ecosystems. Thus, knowing plant-ant interaction provides useful information formanagers to design restoration and conservation plans. In this study, the roles of desert harvester ants (Messorintermedius and Messor melancholicus) and scavenger ants (Cataglyphis nodus and Lepisiota semenovi) on plantcommunities were investigated in arid ecosystems of southeastern Iran. Two vegetation types weredistinguished in the study area and the nest density of ant species was determined. Furthermore, plantcomposition and soil seed bank were estimated at different distances from the ant nests. Results showed thatthe density of M. intermedius and M. melancholicus nests was higher in dwarf shrub-shrub vegetation type and thedensity of C. nodus and L. semenovi nests was higher in dwarf shrub vegetation type. The harvester and scavengerants had enhanced the seed bank to 55% and 70%, respectively. Therefore, the role of scavenger ants on theplant communities' seed bank was greater than that of harvester ants. Although the scavenger ants were moreinfluential on the annuals and the invasive plant species, the radius impact of the harvester ants on theperennials was greater, i.e., a positive interaction existed between the perennial plants and the harvester ants. C.nodus and L. semenovi played an important role in enhancing the ecosystem's potential for restoration throughestablishment of pioneer species in early stage of succession. The activity of M. intermedius is crucial for thedevelopment and maintenance of climax plant communities in arid ecosystems through assisting the plantspecies' establishment in late stage of succession. It is essential to preserve the diversity of these key ant speciesfor the maintenance and sustainability of shrubs in arid ecosystems.
文摘2-tridecanone is a major constitute of defensive secretion in tawny crazy ants, Nylanderia fulva that is an ant species reported to be able to displace red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta in the field. 2-tridecanone was proven to be toxic to S. invicta. Although 2-tridecanone is commercially available, utilization of this naturally occurring compound in fire ant management has received little attention. In this study, toxicity and efficacy of two 2-tridecanone formulations were assessed against S. invicta. Two emulsifiable concentrates were prepared using 2-tridecanone as an active ingredient, vegetable oil as a solvent and polyoxyethylene tridecyl ether as a surfactant. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) was used as a synergist in one formulation. Both formulations showed significant toxicity in laboratory bioassays. In a field trial, at application rate of 5.28 mL/L and 14 days after mound drench treatment, 100% control was achieved for formulation with PBO and 90% control for the formulation without PBO. In conclusion, both formulations had significant efficacy against S. invicta. Due to the low mammalian toxicity of 2-tridecanone, no involvement of hazardous synthetic organic solvents, no phytotoxicity at applied concentrations, and relatively low cost, both formulations are promising alternatives to commercial insecticide products for fire ant mound drench. The outstanding efficacy of both formulations observed in this study warrants further research on their efficacy against other pest insects.
文摘Total lipid contents,lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of hot-air dried edible black ants(Polyrhachis vicina Roger) from Wenzhou and Guizhou,China,and edible red ant(Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius) from Thailand were determined.The major lipid components were triacylglycerol(43.4-79.4% of total lipid),followed by phospholipids(6.1-21.5%),diacylglycerol(6.1-18.1%) and cholesterol ester(4.9-13.5%) while free fatty acids(1.8-2.9%) and sterol(0.5-0.8%) were the minor components.Oleic acid(C18:1) was the most predominant fatty acid,accounting for 3 407.8,9 098.8 and 3 790.1 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Followed by palmitic acid(C16:0),922.9,2 523.3 and 1 511.8 mg 100 g-1;linoleic acid(C18:2n-6),133.7,305.2 and 506.4 mg 100 g-1;α-linolenic acid(C18:3n-3),35.1,138.0 and 52.5 mg 100 g-1;eicosapentaenoic acid(C20:5n-3) was 19.1,15.0 and 20.0 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Docosapentaenoic acid(C22:5n-3) was only found in black ants,7.0 and 7.3 mg 100 g-1 for Wenzhou and Guizhou ants,respectively.The edible black and red ants were shown to be a good source of unsaturated fatty acid.
文摘The compositions of two kinds of ants (Formica cunicu Laria and Polyrhachis vicina Roger) were determined with modern apparatuses. The result was that content of crude protein, fat, vitamin E, formic acid were 43.95%, 22.90%, 15.61 mg / Kg, 4.2% respectively forFormica cunicu Laria, and 42.56%, 21 .90%, 131 .2 mg / Kg, 3.8% respectively for Polyrhachlk vicina Roger.
基金This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of Shangdong Province (Y98F12093) .
文摘NP-hard combinational optimization problem is not solved very well until now. One enhanced ants system based on ants system is advanced after analysis of the deficiencies of existing ants systems. Some improvements are made in state transfer rule and local modification rule. Furthermore, the enhanced ants system can solve NP-hard combinational optimization problem with restraints and condition path. The successful application of TSP problem and transportation net problem indicates that the proposed system has stronger function and higher efficiency than the original system.