Beetle colony optimization algorithm-based node clustering scheme for efficient data dissemination in vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are the ultimate solution for preventing road accidents, which result in the loss of precious human life worldwide. In this context, effective communication between the vehicular nodes is essential due to the varying network topology and high vehicular mobility inherent with VANETs. Cluster-based routing is identified to be a significant approach for achieving efficient routing and improving communication proficiency in VANETs. In this paper, a beetle colony optimization algorithm–based clustering scheme (BCOACS) is proposed for generating optimized clusters for facilitating reliable data dissemination. This BCOACS algorithm includes two vital strategies such as beetle antenna search (BAS) and swarm intelligence for attaining inter-cluster and intra-cluster communications. In specific, BAS strategy that includes random search attributed toward gradient direction is used for intra-cluster communication without using the complete amount of gradient information. On the other hand, a swarm intelligence strategy that encompasses a collective approach of self-organized and decentralized agents is used for inter-cluster communication with the view to minimize the load on each cluster head (CH) and to extend the clusters' lifetime. The simulation outcomes of the proposed BCOACS scheme confirmed improved performance in optimizing the number of constructed clusters independent of the increase in the network grid size, transmission range, and number of vehicular nodes in the network compared to the benchmarked approaches. The results also confirmed that the proposed BCOACS scheme achieved a maximized throughput of 13.42%, with reduced delay and protocol overhead of 18.96% and 19.45%, better than the benchmarked schemes used for investigation.     

Toxicity and repellency of dimethoate,pirimiphos-methyl and deltamethrin against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) using different exposure methods

Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, is one of the major pests of cereal grains and their products. Infestation of raw food products by T. castaneum can be tackled by use of insecticides which offer a rapid and effective control method for different insect pests. In the present study, toxicity and repellency of three widely used insecticides was assessed on adult red flour beetles to investigate how a flour substrate affects the results of the standard laboratory toxicity and repellency test methods. The red flour beetles were exposed to the organophosphates dimethoate and pirimiphos-methyl and the pyrethroid deltamethrin, following the original and two modified residual film methods (toxicity assessment) and by the area preference method to assess repellency. Since the conditions of exposure (glass and filter paper surfaces as exposure substrates) in the original methods are quite different compared to the exposure carried out in stored-product protection, methods were modified to include flour as an exposure substrate. The results showed that according to the LC₅₀ values, toxicity of the investigated insecticides could be arranged in the following order: pirimiphos-methyl > dimethoate > deltamethrin. Also, both mortality and repellency were dependent on the exposure methods, i.e. presence and treatment of flour substrate. Mortality was significantly reduced in comparison to the original method. Repellency was recorded when beetles were exposed to deltamethrin using flour as a substrate, whereas using the filter paper surface (original method) repellency was not obtained. The results of the present study clearly indicate that there is an influence of substrate on the susceptibility of T. castaneum to insecticides and that the efficacy of different insecticides is affected by exposure substrate.     

Different diets affecting biology and digestive physiology of the Khapra beetle,Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

The Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is a serious pest of grain and other stored products through the world. In this research, effect of five host diets including barley, rice, rye, wheat and walnut was studied on some of biological traits, nutritional indices and digestive enzymatic activity of T. granarium at 33 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. The Khapra beetle larvae reared on walnut had the highest number of larval instar and longest duration of larval and pupal stages (91.30 ± 0.4 days). The heaviest pupal weight of T. granarium was on rye (4.22 ± 0.01 mg) and the lightest weight was on rice (3.99 ± 0.01 mg) and walnut (4.00 ± 0.01 mg). The highest realized fecundity and fertility were recorded for the females reared on rye (45.88 ± 1.08 eggs/female and 69.39 ± 0.68%, respectively) and wheat (49.02 ± 1.55 eggs/female and 67.54 ± 0.69%, respectively), and the lowest ones were observed for the females came from larvae fed walnut (15.45 ± 0.71 eggs/female and 34.55 ± 0.82%, respectively). Also, the results showed that T. granarium larvae reared on walnut had the lowest values of the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (7.67 ± 0.04%) and relative growth rate (0.044 ± 0.0002 mg/mg/day). The lowest midgut amylolytic (0.044 ± 0.0005 and 0.047 ± 0.0005 mU/individual, respectively) and proteolytic (0.015 ± 0.0004 and 0.016 ± 0.0001 mU/individual, respectively) activity of the sixth instar was detected on walnut and rice. The highest inhibition of amylase (53.37 ± 0.75%) and protease activity (48.54 ± 0.96%) was estimated by incubating midgut extracts from the last instars with wheat and barley proteinaceous extracts, respectively. The results indicated that walnut was the most unsuitable diet for feeding and development of T. granarium.     

基于天牛须搜索的花朵授粉算法

针对花朵授粉算法后期收敛速度慢,寻优精度低的缺点,提出了一种基于天牛须搜索的花朵授粉算法（BASFPA）。算法首先在全局寻优阶段采用天牛须搜索加快收敛,其次在局部寻优阶段加入变异策略帮助算法跳出局部最优。实验使用6个常用优化函数进行测试,结果表明BASFPA在低维和高维下收敛速度和精度均高于其他算法,达到相同精度所需的迭代次数均小于其他算法,证明天牛须搜索对FPA算法的改进是合理的。     

采用智能算法参数整定的磁流变减摆自抗扰控制

为了提高飞机起飞和降落过程中的稳定性及安全性,采用磁流变阻尼器进行飞机前轮摆振控制。本文描绘了改进的Bouc-wen模型磁流变阻尼器的力学特性,并将之用于一个三自由度的飞机前起落架模型中,而后为此设计了减摆自抗扰控制器(active disturbance rejection control, ADRC);然后采用混沌分数阶天牛群算法整定优化自抗扰控制器的参数。最后,仿真结果显示经智能算法优化参数后的减摆自抗扰控制器能够较好地控制摆振现象,并且其性能具有一定的鲁棒性。     

Influence of temperature and application rate on efficacy of a diatomaceous earth formulation against Tribolium castaneum adults

Unsanitary storage bins can harbor grain-infesting insects, including the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). In a previous study involving heat treatment of empty bins, temperatures in the range of 50–55 °C for 2–4 h were effective in completely killing stored-product insects. Previous research in flour mills showed improved efficacy in killing stored-product insects by using diatomaceous earth (DE) dusts at temperatures below 50 °C. In the current study, the efficacy of a diatomaceous earth formulation (DiaFil^® 610) applied to concrete arenas, to simulate floor of empty bins, was examined at three application rates (0, 2.5 and 5.0 g/m²) to control T. castaneum adults at five constant temperatures (28, 36, 42, 44, and 46 °C). Ten adults of T. castaneum were placed on individual untreated and DE-treated concrete arenas for 4, 8, 12, and 24 h at each of the five temperatures. The efficacy of DE against T. castaneum adults increased with an increase in temperature and exposure time. Generally more adults died at 5.0 g/m² when compared with 2.5 g/m². In 2.5 and 5.0 g/m² DE treatments, exposure for 12 h at a temperature of 42 °C resulted in 73–77% mortality of adults with 100% mortality observed after 24 h. At 44 and 46 °C, 100% mortality of adults was observed after 24 h of exposure at both DE rates. At these two temperatures, the high mortality in untreated arenas (controls) at 8, 12, and 24 h exposures ranged from 27 to 100% confounding the true effects of DE. Our results suggest that combined use of DE and temperatures below 50 °C can be used as an integrated approach for controlling insects in empty bins prior to storage of newly-harvested grain.     

Assessing canopy mortality during a mountain pine beetle outbreak using GeoEye-1 high spatial resolution satellite data

Continuing, severe outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) across western North America have resulted in widespread mortality of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Multiple studies have used high spatial resolution satellite data to map areas of beetle kill; these studies have largely focused on mapping red canopy cover associated with recent tree mortality and have not examined mapping gray canopy cover that occurs after red needles have dropped. The work presented here examines the use of newly available GeoEye-1 data for mapping both red and gray canopy area in southeastern Wyoming lodgepole pine forest. A 0.5 m spatial resolution, pan-sharpened GeoEye-1 image was used to classify areas of green, red, and gray canopy cover. Reference data were collected at twelve 500 m² field plots. Shadow-normalized green, red, and gray canopy area from classified GeoEye-1 data closely agreed with field-estimated green, red, and gray canopy area. Mean absolute error in canopy cover for the twelve sample plots was 8.3% for the green class, 5.4% for the red class, and 7.2% for the gray class. When all twelve plots were aggregated, remotely sensed estimates of green, red, and gray cover were within 1.7% of the field-estimated cover. Our results demonstrate that high spatial resolution spaceborne multispectral data are a promising tool for mapping canopy mortality caused by mountain pine beetle outbreaks.     

Effects ofSolanum glycoalkaloids on chemosensilla in the Colorado potato beetle

Steroidal glycoalkaloids, found in species of the Solanaceae, elicit bursting activity in galeal and tarsal chemosensilla of adult Colorado potato beetles. The effect has an average latency of 6–12 sec, depending on the sensillum/alkaloid combination. A 20-sec alkaloid treatment is often suffficient to render galeal sensilla unresponsive to gamma-aminobutyric acid, normally an effective stimulant. The alkaloids have similar effects on galeal sensilla of larval Colorado potato beetles and on labellar chemosensilla of the blowfly. It is concluded that these compounds act independently of any specialized chemoreceptor in the Colorado potato beetle, and that association of the Colorado potato beetle with solanaceous plants has not led to evolution of a specific receptor forSolanum glycoalkaloids.     

Defensive secretion of the carabid beetlePasimachus subsulcatus

The defensive secretion of the carabid beetlePasimachus subsulcatus is a concentrated solution (up to 90%) of carboxylic acids, amounting to about 1% of body mass. It contains three major components (methacrylic, tiglic, and angelic acids) and four minor components (isobutyric, 2-methyl-butyric, isovaleric, and senecioic acids). In the single population of this large flightless beetle that was examined, the relative ratio of acidic components was remarkably constant from individual to individual.Report No. 87 of the series Defense Mechanisms of Arthropods; No. 86 is Dussourd, D., et al.,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 85, 5992 (1988).     

Antennal fine morphology of the threatened beetle Osmoderma eremita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), revealed by scanning electron microscopy

The aim of this study was to characterize the antennal morphology of Osmoderma eremita, a threatened scarab beetle inhabiting tree hollows. O. eremita males produce a sex pheromone, (R)‐(+)‐γ‐decalactone, responsible mainly for the attraction of females but also other males. Gross and fine morphology of microstructures including sensilla, microsculpture and pores were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The antenna of O. eremita showed the typical lamellicorn shape of scarab beetles, with a basal scape, a pedicel, a funicle composed of five antennomeres and a club composed of three lamellae. Six different subtypes of sensilla chaetica (Ch.1 ? 6), Böhm sensilla (Bo), one subtype of sensilla basiconica (Ba.1), two subtypes of sensilla coeloconica (Co.1 ? 2), two subtypes of sensilla placodea (Pl.1 ? 2), pores and peculiar folds were described. The two sexes did not show any significant differences in the occurrence and number of the sensilla placodea, known to be responsible for the pheromone reception. Instead, some sexual differences were found on the occurrence and topology of three different microstructures: (1) one subtype of sensillum chaeticum (Ch.2) occurring on the pedicel only in males; (2) a characteristic pore occurring on the funicle only in males; (3) a peculiar fold occurring on different antennomeres of the funicle in the two sexes, on the fourth in males and on the fifth in females. A comparison between sensilla of O. eremita and those of other Scarabaeoidea is provided. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:178–191, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.