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Selected AbstractsAnalysis of resequencing in downloadsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 8 2003Yoav Nebat Abstract Recent studies indicate that out-of-order arrival of data packets during downloads of resources is not pathological network behaviour (ACM/IEEE Trans. Networking 1999; 7(6):789). Though this situation is most intuitive when packets of the same resource arrive in parallel from several sources, it turns out that this phenomenon may also occur in the single source scenario. Knowledge regarding the expected reordering needed is important both for being able to decide on the size of the resequencing buffer needed, and to estimate the burstiness in arrival of data to the application. In this study we present a method to calculate the resequencing buffer occupancy probabilities for the single source scenario, and a study of the resequencing buffer occupancy for the two source scenario, where arrival from each of the sources is in order. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Spatial Distribution and Coexistence Patterns of Caddisfly Larvae (Trichoptera) in a Hungarian StreamINTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Dénes Schmera Abstract It is well known that stream macroinvertebrates usually show aggregated spatial distributions caused by extrinsic factors and interactions among species and individuals. In the present study, the spatial distribution of caddisfly assemblages and coexistence patterns of larval caddisfly species (Insecta: Trichoptera) were measured in a Hungarian stream reach at three different spatial scales. Caddisfly assemblages showed aggregated, random and regular distributions as measured by the variance-mean relationship of species richness as sampling area increased from 0.0225 m2 to 0.2025 m2. The observed coexistence patterns indicated interactions (lower diversity of unique species combinations than expected by chance) among species for aggregated distributions. These interactions among species proved to be positive associations particularly among species belonging to the same functional feeding group. The positive associations and the aggregated distribution of caddisflies supported the hypothesis that microhabitat patches (patchy microhabitat-macroinvertebrate model) and/or positive biological interactions among species using the same resource (hypothesis of facilitation) have a deterministic effect on the spatial distribution of caddisfly assemblages. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Two Job Cyclic Scheduling With Incompatibility ConstraintsINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2001Piero Persi The present paper deals with the problem of scheduling several repeated occurrences of two jobs over a finite or infinite time horizon in order to maximize the yielded profit. The constraints of the problem are the incompatibilities between some pairs of tasks which require a same resource. [source] Short-term assessment of dung beetle response to carbosulfan treatment against desert locust in SudanJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 8 2009H. Eriksson Abstract The beneficial role of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is well known. Potential risks to these beetles from the widespread use of insecticides against the desert locust, a significant plant pest in Africa, the Near East and South West Asia, have not been studied previously. Short-term responses of dung beetles to carbamate carbosulfan (Marshal®, ultra low-volume formulation, 100 g active ingredient ha,1) were assessed during desert locust control operations at five sites within two major biotopes: Acacia tortilis shrubland and cultivated wetland; on the Red Sea Coast of Sudan. The study took place during January,February 2004. At each site, fresh dung from Zebu cows was placed in areas targeted for desert locust control. Dung pats were placed in plots in two areas and left for 24 h, before and after insecticide application. Beetles were extracted by floatation. There was a significant decrease in abundance between the pre- and post-spray period in treated areas for the Scarabaeinae species Onthophagus margaritifer (a dark colour morph). In contrast, it was found that Aphodius lucidus and beetles at the subfamily level of Aphodiinae increased in numbers after insecticide treatment. Mortality and sublethal impacts as well as a repellent effect of the insecticide may explain the decrease in Onthophagus margaritifer, while the increase in Aphodiinae beetles could be an indirect response to lower numbers of Scarabaeinae beetles in competing for the same resource. These organisms and the applied methodology may be useful for environmental monitoring of desert locust control, thus further studies are suggested. The assessment also revealed a marked difference between the two biotopes with high abundance and species richness of dung beetles in A. tortilis shrubland, while these measures were low in the cultivated wetland. Five new species of dung beetles for Sudan were found in this study. [source] DIEL RHYTHM OF ALGAL PHOSPHATE UPTAKE RATES IN P-LIMITED CYCLOSTATS AND SIMULATION OF ITS EFFECT ON GROWTH AND COMPETITION1JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Chi-Yong Ahn Oscillations in the phosphate (Pi) uptake rates for three species of green algae were examined in a P-limited cyclostat. For Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda and Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck, the Pi uptake rates increased during the daytime and decreased at night. In contrast, Chlamydomonas sp. exhibited the opposite uptake pattern. Cell densities also oscillated under a light:dark cycle, dividing at a species-specific timing rather than continuously. In general, the cell densities exhibited an inverse relationship with the Pi uptake rates. A competition experiment between A. convolutus and C. vulgaris in a P-limited cyclostat resulted in the dominance of C. vulgaris, regardless of the relative initial cell concentrations. Chlorella vulgaris also dominated in a mixed culture with Chlamydomonas sp., irrespective of the initial seeding ratio and dilution rate. However, Chlamydomonas sp. and A. convolutus coexisted in the competition experiment with gradual decrease of Chlamydomonas sp. when equally inoculated. Mathematical expressions of the oscillations in the Pi uptake rate and species-specific cell division gate were used to develop a simulation model based on the Droop equation. The simulation results for each of the species conformed reasonably well to the experimental data. The results of the competition experiments also matched the competition simulation predictions quite well, although the experimental competition was generally more delayed than the simulations. In conclusion, the model simulation that incorporated the effect of diel rhythms in nutrient uptake clearly demonstrated that species diversity could be enhanced by different oscillation patterns in resource uptake, even under the condition of limitation by the same resource. [source] Optimal switchover times between two activities utilizing the same resourceNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002M. Karakul Abstract The "gold-mining" decision problem is concerned with the efficient utilization of a delicate mining equipment working in a number of different mines. Richard Bellman was the first to consider this type of a problem. The solution found by Bellman for the finite-horizon, continuous-time version of the problem with two mines is not overly realistic since he assumed that fractional parts of the same mining equipment could be used in different mines and this fraction could change instantaneously. In this paper, we provide some extensions to this model in order to produce more operational and realistic solutions. Our first model is concerned with developing an operational policy where the equipment may be switched from one mine to the other at most once during a finite horizon. In the next extension we incorporate a cost component in the objective function and assume that the horizon length is not fixed but it is the second decision variable. Structural properties of the optimal solutions are obtained using nonlinear programming. Each model and its solution is illustrated with a numerical example. The models developed here may have potential applications in other areas including production of items requiring the same machine or choosing a sequence of activities requiring the same resource. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 186,203, 2002; DOI 10.1002/nav.10008 [source] When density dependence is not instantaneous: theoretical developments and management implicationsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2008Irja I. Ratikainen Abstract Most organisms live in changing environments or do not use the same resources at different stages of their lives or in different seasons. As a result, density dependence will affect populations differently at different times. Such sequential density dependence generates markedly different population responses compared to the unrealistic assumption that all events occur simultaneously. Various field studies have also shown that the conditions that individuals experience during one period can influence success and per capita vital rates during the following period. These carry-over effects further complicate any general principles and increase the diversity of possible population dynamics. In this review, we describe how studies of sequential density dependence have diverged in directions that are both taxon-specific and have non-overlapping terminology, despite very similar underlying problems. By exploring and highlighting these similarities, we aim to improve communication between fields, clarify common misunderstandings, and provide a framework for improving conservation and management practices, including sustainable harvesting theory. [source] Possible role of reactive chlorine in microbial antagonism and organic matter chlorination in terrestrial environmentsENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Per Bengtson Summary Several studies have demonstrated that extensive formation of organically bound chlorine occurs both in soil and in decaying plant material. Previous studies suggest that enzymatic formation of reactive chlorine outside cells is a major source. However, the ecological role of microbial-induced extracellular chlorination processes remains unclear. In the present paper, we assess whether or not the literature supports the hypothesis that extracellular chlorination is involved in direct antagonism against competitors for the same resources. Our review shows that it is by no means rare that biotic processes create conditions that render biocidal concentrations of reactive chlorine compounds, which suggest that extracellular production of reactive chlorine may have an important role in antagonistic microbial interactions. To test the validity, we searched the UniprotPK database for microorganisms that are known to produce haloperoxidases. It appeared that many of the identified haloperoxidases from terrestrial environments are originating from organisms that are associated with living plants or decomposing plant material. The results of the in silico screening were supported by various field and laboratory studies on natural chlorination. Hence, the ability to produce reactive chlorine seems to be especially common in environments that are known for antibiotic-mediated competition for resources (interference competition). Yet, the ability to produce haloperoxidases is also recorded, for example, for plant endosymbionts and parasites, and there is little or no empirical evidence that suggests that these organisms are antagonistic. [source] Energetic trade-off between maintenance costs and flight capacity in the sand cricket (Gryllus firmus)FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008R. F. Nespolo Summary 1Energetic trade-offs are those compromises that appear when the energy budget of an individual's life history closely matches or exceeds the net available energy in the environment in a given moment. In these situations, two or more functions can compete and organisms face physiological decisions in order to survive and reproduce. 2In insects, one of the most costly investments is flight capacity, which increases dispersal capacity but is energetically expensive. Adult sand crickets (Gryllus firmus) can vary drastically in this capacity, being macropterous or micropterous depending on whether they exhibit flight-capable wings. However, this binary phenotype has a continuous subjacent determinant in the macropterous morph which is the mass of the muscles that power flight, the dorso-longitudinal muscles (DLM). 3Using respirometric measurements, we studied a potential trade-off between body parts, the mass of the DLM and energy metabolism (including both maximum and average metabolism). By recording the metabolic rate of c. 180 crickets and then dissecting and weighing their body parts, we took advantage of the correlational structure to infer associations between energetic and morphological variables. We found that the residual mass of the DLM shows a quadratic relationship with residual resting and average metabolism: at low DLM mass there is a negative relationship, which becomes positive at higher DLM mass. 4We suggest that this pattern of covariance is a consequence of the negative correlation between DLM mass and gonad mass, and the relative contribution of functional vs. non-functional DLM. Then, by using energetics and a combination of multivariate and correlational statistics we were able to show how two important life-history functions (i.e. Dispersal and fecundity) compete for the same resources in an insect species. [source] Species-specific limitation of vole population growth by least weasel predation: facilitation of coexistence?OIKOS, Issue 1 2008Elina Koivisto Interspecific competition is usually understood as different species competing directly with each other for limited resources. However, predators can alter such competitive interactions substantially. Predation can promote the coexistence of species in a situation where it would otherwise be impossible, for example if a tradeoff between the competitive abilities and predation resistance of the prey species exists. The field vole Microtus agrestis and the sibling vole M. rossiaemeridionalis are sympatric grassland species, which compete for the same resources. At the population level sibling voles are suggested to be superior competitors to field voles, yet more vulnerable to predation. We tested the effects of predation on the two species in 0.5 ha outdoor enclosures by exposing vole populations to radio-collared freely-hunting least weasels Mustela nivalis nivalis for three weeks. Lethal and non-lethal impacts of predation limited population densities of both species during and after the experimental period, but the effect was more pronounced in sibling voles in which population densities decreased markedly during the treatment period and even after that. Field vole population densities remained stable under weasel predation, while densities increased in controls. Survival in both species was lower in treatment populations compared to controls, but the effect tended to be more pronounced in sibling voles and in females of both species. The average mass of adults in both species declined in the treatment populations. These results suggest that predation by least weasels can limit vole populations locally, even during favourable summer conditions, and have extended negative effects on the dynamics of vole populations. In addition, predation alleviated interspecific competition between the vole species and is, therefore, a potential factor enabling the coexistence of them. [source] Selection on Arctic charr generated by competition from brown troutOIKOS, Issue 3 2003Torbjørn Forseth We experimentally explored population- and individual-level effects on Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) resulting from resource competition with its common European competitor, the brown trout (Salmo trutta). At the population level, we compared performance of the two species in their natural sympatric state with that of Arctic charr in allopatry. At the individual level, we established selection gradients for morphological traits of Arctic charr in allopatric and in sympatric conditions. We found evidence for interspecific competition likely by interference at the population level when comparing differences in average performance between treatments. The growth and feeding rates did not differ significantly between allopatric and sympatric Arctic charr despite lower charr densities (substitutive design) in sympatric enclosures indicating that inter- and intraspecific competition are of similar strength. The two species showed distinct niche segregation in sympatry, and brown trout grew faster than Arctic charr. Arctic charr did not expand their niche in allopatry, indicating that the two species compete to a limited degree for the same resources and that interference may suppress the growth of charr in sympatric enclosures. At the individual level, however, we found directional selection in sympatric enclosures against individual Arctic charr with large head and long fins and against individuals feeding on zoobenthos rather than zooplankton indicating competition for common resources (possibly exploitative) between trout and these charr individuals. In allopatric enclosures these relations were not significant. Diets were correlated to the morphology supporting selection against the benthic-feeding type, i.e. individuals with morphology and feeding behaviour most similar to their competitor, the benthic feeding brown trout. Thus, this study lends support to the hypothesis that Arctic charr have evolved in competition with brown trout, and through ecological character displacement adapted to their present niche. [source] |