In this thesis, I introduce two new algorithms: Ant Brood Clustering-Intelligent Ants (ABC-INTE) and Ant Brood Clustering-Polymorphic Ants (ABC-POLY) for the graph clustering problem. ABC-INTE uses techniques such as hopping ants, relaxed drop function, ants with memories, stagnation control, and addition of k-means cluster retrieval process, as an improvement of the basic ABC-KLS algorithm. ABC-POLY uses two types of ants, inspired by the division of labour between the major and minor ants in Pheidole genus, as an improvement of ABC-INTE. For comparison purpose, I also implement MMAS, an ACO clustering algorithm. When tested on the benchmark networks, ABC-POLY outperforms or achieves the same modularity values as MMAS and ABC-INTE on 7 out of 10 networks and is robust against different graphs. In practice, the speed of ABC-POLY is at least 10 times faster than MMAS, making it a scalable algorithm compared to MMAS. ABC-POLY also outputs a direct visual representation of the natural clusters on the graph that is appealing to human observation. This thesis opens an interesting research topic to apply polymorphic ants for graph clustering in the ABC-POLY algorithm. The distributive and self-organization nature of ABC-POLY makes it a candidate for analyzing clusters in more complex and dynamic graphs. / May 2016

So, Wai Yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 244-270). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.vi / Table of contents --- p.viii / List of figures --- p.xii / List of tables --- p.xiv / List of plates --- p.xvii / List of appendices --- p.xviii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- General Information of Hong Kong Climate and Vegetation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Grasslands in Hong Kong --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Shrublands in Hong Kong --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Woodlands in Hong Kong --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Plantations in Hong Kong --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2 --- Quarries and Landfills in Hong Kong --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Quarries in Hong Kong --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Landfills in Hong Kong --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3 --- Ants as Bioindicators --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- The Use of Bioindicators --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- The Use of Ants as Bioindicators --- p.19 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Ant Functional Groups --- p.21 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Ants in Hong Kong --- p.22 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research Objectives --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Ant Communities in Natural and Semi-natural Habitats in Hong Kong --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Abiotic Factors --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1.1.1 --- Habitat complexity --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1.1.2 --- Elevation --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1.3 --- Soil properties --- p.27 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Biotic Factors --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Interaction with plants --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Interaction among ants --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Interaction with other fauna --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Objectives --- p.33 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.34 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Study Sites --- p.34 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Ant Sampling --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Pitfall trapping --- p.42 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Litter extraction --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Visual search --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- Baiting --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Ant Examination --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Other Samplings --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Soil sampling --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Vegetation measurements --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Data Analysis --- p.47 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Vegetation and Soil Properties --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- "Species Diversity, Abundance and Frequency of Occurrence" --- p.63 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Ant Community --- p.72 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Ant Species Analysis --- p.75 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Functional Group Analysis --- p.78 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Correlation of Ant Community with Vegetation and Soil Properties --- p.81 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.84 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Ant Species Richness in Different Habitats --- p.84 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Relationship of Ant Community and Vegetation and Soil Properties --- p.89 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Indicator Species --- p.91 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Changes in Community Structure --- p.92 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Ant Functional Groups --- p.93 / Chapter 2.5 --- Conclusions --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Ant Community on Rehabilitated Lands in Hong Kong --- p.97 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.97 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- "Restoration, Rehabilitation and Reallocation" --- p.97 / Chapter 3.1.1.1 --- Restoration --- p.97 / Chapter 3.1.1.2 --- Rehabilitation --- p.97 / Chapter 3.1.1.3 --- Reallocation --- p.98 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Ants as Biodiversity Indicators and Ecological Indicators of Disturbed Lands --- p.99 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Factors Affecting Ant Community Structure on Rehabilitated Lands during Succession --- p.102 / Chapter 3.1.3.1 --- Dominance-controlled and founder-controlled model --- p.103 / Chapter 3.1.3.2 --- Time since last disturbance --- p.104 / Chapter 3.1.3.3 --- Proximity to undisturbed sites --- p.104 / Chapter 3.1.3.4 --- Habitat created --- p.105 / Chapter 3.1.3.5 --- Presence of invasive and weed species --- p.105 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Objectives --- p.106 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.107 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Study Sites --- p.107 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Ant Sampling --- p.111 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Other Samplings --- p.116 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Soil sampling --- p.116 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Vegetation measurements --- p.116 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Data Analysis --- p.116 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.119 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Vegetation and Soil Properties --- p.119 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- "Species Diversity, Abundance and Frequency of Occurrence" --- p.140 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Ant Community --- p.153 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Ant Species Analysis --- p.159 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Functional Groups --- p.161 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- "Correlation of Ant Communities with Vegetation, Soil Properties and Rehabilitation Age" --- p.162 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.167 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Patterns of Ant Richness on Rehabilitated Quarries and Landfills --- p.169 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Ant Communities on Rehabilitated Quarries and Landfills --- p.173 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Species Analysis --- p.176 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Functional Groups --- p.177 / Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusions --- p.178 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Ant Community Study-A Cost Effectiveness Analysis --- p.180 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.180 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Ant Sampling Methods --- p.181 / Chapter 4.1.1.1 --- Pitfall trapping --- p.181 / Chapter 4.1.1.2 --- Litter extraction by Winkler sack or Berlese funnel --- p.183 / Chapter 4.1.1.3 --- Baiting --- p.184 / Chapter 4.1.1.4 --- Direct sampling/Visual search --- p.185 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Increasing the Cost Effectiveness of Inventory --- p.185 / Chapter 4.1.2.1 --- Simplifying ant identification --- p.186 / Chapter 4.1.2.2 --- Other simplification methods --- p.187 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Objectives --- p.188 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.188 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Study Sites --- p.188 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Ant Sampling --- p.189 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Pitfall trapping --- p.190 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Litter extraction --- p.190 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Visual search (direct sampling) --- p.191 / Chapter 4.2.2.4 --- Baiting --- p.191 / Chapter 4.2.2.5 --- Ant examination --- p.192 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Data Analysis --- p.192 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.193 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Genus and Species Richness --- p.194 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Ant Community Structure --- p.204 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.212 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusions --- p.224 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- General Conclusions --- p.225 / Chapter 5.1 --- Ant Fauna on Natural Habitats --- p.225 / Chapter 5.2 --- Ant Fauna on Man-made Habitats --- p.227 / Chapter 5.3 --- Simplification of Ant Sampling --- p.229 / Chapter 5.4 --- Ants as Bioindicators --- p.230 / Chapter 5.5 --- Further Studies --- p.232 / Appendices --- p.233 / References --- p.244

La ricerca s’inserisce nel quadro delle attività promosse dall’Università del Salento all’interno del Progetto “Lecce Sotterranea”, un’iniziativa nata nel 2000 che mira a sviluppare a Lecce le moderne prospettive dell’Archeologia Urbana. La stretta collaborazione avviata fra Università, Comune e Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Puglia ha portato negli anni 2000-2009 alla realizzazione di numerosi scavi archeologici all’interno del centro storico. Questi interventi hanno evidenziato la ricchezza stratigrafica del sottosuolo leccese portando alla luce nuovi e significativi elementi per la ricostruzione della topografia della città e delle trasformazioni che ne hanno definito la fisionomia attuale. Il lavoro di ricerca è basato principalmente sull’analisi e lo studio di dati ancora inediti che, sommati ai numerosi ritrovamenti effettuati a partire dalla fine dell’Ottocento, spesso occasionali o avulsi dal contesto di provenienza, hanno permesso di pervenire ad una lettura diacronica delle fasi della città di Lecce compresa tra l’Età del Ferro e l’Età moderna. Il progetto di ricerca ha previsto lo studio analitico e contestuale di tutte le evidenze rinvenute fino ad oggi. Sono stati presi in esame, inoltre, tutti i cantieri urbani attivati nell’ambito del Progetto Lecce Sotterranea illustrando i dati emersi secondo una suddivisione in periodi e fasi cronologiche. L’utilizzo della tecnologia GIS ha permesso di gestire agevolmente la grande mole di dati recuperata negli ultimi anni e di creare una base cartografica informatizzata diacronica che comprende la sistematica localizzazione di tutte le evidenze acquisite fino ad oggi. Questa cartografia costituisce una griglia critica sulla quale posizionare ed elaborare tutti gli scavi futuri. All’interno della Piattaforma GIS di Lecce confluisce il GIS di scavo di Palazzo Vernazza, un grande archivio dati facilmente interrogabile ed in futuro consultabile attraverso il web. Sono stati individuati complessivamente IX periodi più ampi, corrispondenti alle grandi trasformazioni che hanno interessato l’area di indagine che coprono un arco cronologico che va dall’Età del Ferro a quella moderna. L’analisi contestuale di tutti i dati editi e di quelli inediti ha permesso una organica rilettura della ricostruzione urbanistica e topografica della città, permettendo di cogliere le sue trasformazioni, le continuità e le cesure avvenute durante i secoli che hanno contribuito a modellare il paesaggio urbano attuale. Il recupero di tutta la documentazione edita e di tutti i dati pregressi ha consentito, inoltre, la realizzazione di una Carta Archeologica dei rinvenimenti per la città di Lecce, al momento inesistente. Il dato grafico, rappresentato attraverso una simbologia che permette di visualizzarne il grado di affidabilità, è corredato da schede descrittive che compendiano le informazioni visualizzate nella Carta. La cartografia archeologica della città permetterà una corretta valutazione delle sue risorse archeologiche e sarà utilizzabile oltre che in ambito scientifico (ricerche archeologiche e storiche) anche in quello amministrativo (programmazione degli interventi, protezione del patrimonio). / Urban archaeology Lecce

Analisi di due siti di lavorazione metallurgica in altrettanti centri urbani della Cisalpina romana, Milano e Verona, contestualizzandoli nel complesso delle conoscenze già acquisite relative alle attività di lavorazione dei metalli nelle due città, a loro volta inserite nella più vasta problematica delle città dell’Italia Settentrionale.

The problem of scheduling a parallel program presented by a weighted directed acyclic graph (DAG) to the set of homogeneous processors for minimizing the completion time of the program has been extensively studied as academic optimization problem which occurs in optimizing the execution time of parallel algorithm with parallel computer.In this paper, we propose an application of the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) to a multiprocessor scheduling problem (MPSP). In the MPSP, no preemption is allowed and each operation demands a setup time on the machines. The problem seeks to compose a schedule that minimizes the total completion time.We therefore rely on heuristics to find solutions since solution methods are not feasible for most problems as such. This novel heuristic searching approach to the multiprocessor based on the ACO algorithm a collection of agents cooperate to effectively explore the search space.A computational experiment is conducted on a suit of benchmark application. By comparing our algorithm result obtained to that of previous heuristic algorithm, it is evince that the ACO algorithm exhibits competitive performance with small error ratio.

Despite a long history of investigations on protective ant-plant interactions, since the late 19century (Thomas Belt 1874), a comprehensive quantitative understanding of the adaptations that facilitate these associations between plants and ants and the differential importance of these adaptations in predicting the benefits and costs to each partner and in shedding light on the evolutionary trajectories of this ecologically widespread interaction is yet to be realized. In the present study we have experimentally shown that the identity of the ant species (T. albipes), the abundance of this ant species and the composition of EFN produced by floral buds and young leaves of H. brunonis plant populations contribute to facilitating protection of floral bud inflorescences and young leaves of H. brunonis populations in a particular site. Of all the 16 ant species that inhabit the domatia of H. brunonis at several sites, the plant has found its protective ant partner only in the dolichoderine ant T. albipes and that too, only in the southernmost site In our experimental set up of three populations of H. brunonis at three different latitudes, where each site is separated from another site by at least 200 km, we have shown that only the southernmost population (Solaikolli) in protected by the ant species T. albipes. Although T. albipes is found in two of the three populations used in the present study (Sampaji and Solaikolli), it is present in a relatively larger abundance both within the domatia of H. brunonis and in the terrestrial stratum only in the southernmost site Solaikolli and is hence able to protect the EFN producing structures of H. brunonis at this site. In comparison, T. albipes is found in low abundance both in the domatia and in the terrestrial stratum in the site Sampaji and does not protect EFN producing plant parts of H. brunonis at this site. We have also experimentally shown that the young leaves of H. brunonis at this southernmost site Solaikolli are protected to a greater extent than the floral bud inflorescences, since T. albipes preferentially utilized EFN produced by young leaves compared to EFN produced by floral buds at this site. Moreover, we have also shown that the floral buds of H. brunonis in the northernmost site are unprotected for two reasons: i. the absence of the protective ant species T.albipes at this site. ii. The EPN produced by some of floral buds at this site is differentially utilized to a much lower extent than floral buds from other sites due to EFN from Agumbe being > 400-fold more viscous than the EFN produced by floral buds at the other two sites (sampaji and Solaikolli) (at 30º C). Although previous studies have independently shown that the identity of the ant partner (Janzen 1966, Schemske 1980, Horvitz and Schemske 1984, Heads 1986, Oliveira et al. 1987a, b; Jaffe et al. 1989, RicoGray and Thien 1989, Davidson et al. 1991) and the abundance of the protective ant species (Koptur 1984, Rocha and Bergallo 1992, Di Giusto et al. 2001) are important in predicting the protective outcome of the interaction between a plant species and its interacting ants, few studies have examined these two factors along with an examination of the EFN volume and composition (Inouye and Inouye 1980, Rudgers and Gardener 2004) and differential utilization of these qualitatively different EFNs produced by different populations of the same ant plant. Humboldtia brunonis and its interacting ant species provides a unique system to address questions about the evolution of ecological specialization and the evolution of preadapted plant traits that facilitate interactions between plants and ants (especially domatia), due to its unique polymorphism for the presence of caulinary domatia and its widespread abundance in the low-elevation wet-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--North Carolina State University, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 21, 2004). Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Luiz Carlos Forti / Banca: Carlos Frederico Wilcken / Banca: Ana Paula Protti de Andrade Crusciol / Banca: Aldenise Alves Moreira / Banca: Sandra Verza da Silva / Resumo: As formigas cortadeiras são consideradas pragas importantes para diversas plantas cultivadas, o que exige constante controle. No entanto, a mortalidade natural de colônias iniciais de Atta spp é alta, alcançando até 100%, no primeiro ano de fundação. Dentre vários fatores os micro-organismos patógenos são apontados como um dos responsáveis por tal mortalidade. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo: (1) estudar a morfogênese dos ninhos iniciais em função do tempo de fundação essas espécies; (2) avaliar a taxa de mortalidade de rainhas de Atta bisphaerica e Atta sexdens rubropilosa, durante os primeiros meses de fundação; (3) isolamento e caracterização dos fungos entomopatogênicos de ocorrência natural em rainhas; (4) realizar bioensaios para avaliar a patogenicidade desses isolados em operárias de Atta sexdens rubropilosa e (5) formulação e aplicação de iscas à base de isolados de fungos entomopatogênicos, em colônias de Atta sexdens rubropilosa, visando possibilidades de aplicação prática. Para tal, foram coletadas rainhas recém-fecundadas ou provenientes de escavações dos ninhos incipientes marcados no período da revoada. As escavações ocorreram aos 20, 45, 90, 135, 180 e 225 dias de idade do ninho em 2007, e aos 20, 45 e 90 dias em 2008, e aos 60 dias em 2009. Foram obtidos os seguintes resultados: (1) as dimensões da câmara-recém fundada aumentam com o tempo de fundação; (2) altas taxas de mortalidade para A. bisphaerica e A. sexdens rubropilosa; (3) rainhas de Atta spp. podem ser parasitadas por diversos fungos, dentre eles Beauveria bassiana, Isaria lilacinus, Isaria fumosorosea e Aspergillus flavus; (4) todos os isolados são patogênicos e os mais virulentos BBOT11, BBOT12 de B. bassiana e IBOT33 de I. lilacinus; e (5) iscas formuladas com fungos são atrativas, carregadas e incorporadas por operárias de A. sexdens rubropilosa, contudo não causam / Abstract: The leaf-cutting ants are pests for several important crop plants, which requires constant control. However, the natural mortality of Atta spp colonies is high, reaching 100% in the first year of foundation. Among many factors the pathogenic microorganisms are noted as one of those responsible for such mortality. Thus, this study aimed to: (1) study the morphogenesis of early nests depending on the time of foundation of these species; (2) assess the death rate of the queens of Atta bisphaerica and Atta sexdens rubropilosa during the first months of the foundation, through excavations in newly founded nests; (3) isolation and characterization of entomopathogenic fungi found in queens; (4) perform bioassays to assess the pathogenicity of these isolates in Atta sexdens rubropilosa and (5) formulation and application of baits based on entomopathogenic fungi isolated in colonies of Atta sexdens rubropilosa, seeking opportunities for practical application. To this end, we collected newly fertilized queens or from excavations of incipient nests marked during the time of nuptial flight. The excavations were performed at 20, 45, 90, 135, 180 and 225 days of nest age in 2007, and at 20, 45 and 90 days in 2008. The results were: (1) the dimensions of the incipient chamber increases with time of the foundation; (2) high rates of mortality for Atta bisphaerica and Atta sexdens rubropilosa; (3) queens of Atta spp. can be parasitized by several fungi, including Beauveria bassiana, Isaria lilacinus, Isaria fumosorosea and Aspergillus flavus; (4) all strains are pathogenic and the most virulent BBOT11, BBOT12 of B. bassiana and IBOT33 of I. lilacinus; and (5) baits made with fungi are attractive, loaded and incorporated by workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa, yet not cause mortality of the colony / Doutor

This thesis deals with the implementation of the metaheuristic algorithms into the Drools Planner. The Drools Planner is an open source tool for solving optimization problems. This work describes design and implementation of Ant colony optimization metaheuristics in the Drools Planner. Evaluation of the algorithm results is done by Drools Planner benchmark with different kinds of optimization problems.

This research deals with the study of current pastoral seasonal settlement patterns in the uplands of Val di Fiemme (Trentino province), in order to create a quantitative locational model for predicting archaeological pastoral site locations. In fact, few archaeological sites related to pastoral economy are known in the Alps, and this lack of data affects the interpretation of the ancient pastoral strategies. A predictive model could be useful to identify new sites and to optimize archaeological surveys in mountain environments. However, inductive predictive modelling is considered a field with many unresolved theoretical problems. Ethnoarchaeology of pastoralism seems to be a good method to provide a behavioural framework for predictive modelling, and the interaction with quantitative approaches may be worthwhile to improve the ethnoarchaeological methods and theory as well. The ethnoarcheological research is divided into two parts: a “desk ethnoarchaeology†, the spatial analysis of the relationship between current pastoral/dairying sites (malghe) and mountain environment of Val di Fiemme, in order to create an inductive predictive model; and a “field ethnoarchaeology†, the study of the relationship between modern shepherds/dairymen and environment, in order to understand their locational strategies. The interaction between the first and the second part has enabled the interpretation of the settlement pattern of modern malghe in Val di Fiemme. It has hence been assumed that the model can predict the location of modern and ancient dairying sites, as the malghe are mainly related to milking, milk-processing and cheese storing activities. The final step has been the archaeological evaluation. The predictive model doesn’t predict the location of Mesolithic hunting sites in the uplands of Val di Fiemme. It predicts instead the location of some dry-stone enclosures in the upland valleys of Ortisé (Mezzana, Val di Sole, TN), while it doesn’t predict the location of rock-shelters in the same area. It has therefore been assumed that enclosures were linked to dairying economy and rock-shelters to simple (“dry†) pastoralism. Further qualitative tests of the model have been carried out in different areas of the Alpine arc. These results allow two different application of the model: a “predictive†application, aimed at finding new pastoral sites in the uplands, and an “interpretative†application, aimed at discriminating hunting sites and simple pastoral sites from dairying sites. Furthermore, this model has suggested that the interaction between predictive modelling and ethnoarchaeology is useful to tackle the theoretical and methodological problems of these fields of research.