Search results for "Attraction"

From attraction to repulsion : anion–π interactions between bromide and fluorinated phenyl groups

2011

Anion–π interactions in crystals of fluorobenzyl ammonium salts depend on the degree of fluorination at the aromatics.

Floral volatiles in a sapromyiophilous plant and their importance in attracting house fly pollinators

2015

Floral scent in sapromyiophilous plants often consists of complex blends with not only fetid (e.g., sulfides) but also sweet (e.g., terpenoids) volatile organic compounds and a recent study suggests that both groups of compounds are involved in pollinator attraction. However, little is known about the number and identity of compounds involved in pollinator attraction in these deceptive plants that mimic breeding sites of fly pollinators. In the present paper, we studied flower volatiles of sapromyiophilous Periploca laevigata and their capability to elicit biological responses in one of the pollinator species, Musca domestica. Floral volatiles were collected by dynamic headspace and analyse…

Volatiles from Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) host plants influence olfactory responses of the parasitoid Therophilus javanus (Hymenoptera, …

2019

Plants damaged by herbivores are known to release odors attracting parasitoids. However, there is currently no information how leguminous plants damaged by the pod borer Maruca vitrata attract the exotic larval parasitoid Therophilus javanus, which was imported into Benin from the putative area of origin of the pod borer in tropical Asia for assessing its potential as a biological control agent. In this study, we used Y-tube olfactometer bioassays to investigate T. javanus response towards odors emitted by four M. vitrata-damaged host plants: cowpea Vigna unguiculata, the most important cultivated host, and the naturally occurring legumes Lonchocarpus sericeus, Sesbania rostrata and Tephros…

Male steroid hormones and female preference for male body odor

2006

It has been suggested that human scent works as a signal in mate selection, but the empirical evidence is scarce. Here, we examined whether women’s olfactory preferences for a man’s scent could be correlated with his testosterone, estradiol, or cortisol concentrations, and whether these preferences change along with the menstrual cycle. In line with previous studies, women in their most fertile period gave the highest attractiveness ratings to all men. However, the intensity ratings by women at different menstrual phases did not significantly differ statistically. Interestingly, we found that cortisol concentration in saliva correlated positively with the attractiveness but not with the int…

Internal consistency predicts attractiveness in biological motion walkers

2016

Abstract Why do some people appear attractive to us while others don't? Evolutionary psychology states that sexual attractiveness has evolved to assess the reproductive qualities of a potential mate. Past research in the field has identified a number of traits that can be linked directly to qualities such as immuno-competence, developmental stability, and fertility. The current study is motivated by the hypothesis that attractiveness is determined not just by individual, independent traits, but also by whether their pattern is internally consistent. Exploiting the domain of biological motion, we manipulated internal consistency between anthropometry and kinematics of a moving body. In two e…

Attractors/Basin of Attraction

2020

It is a controversial issue to decide who first coined the term “attractor”. According to Peter Tsatsanis, the editor of the English version of Prédire n’est pas expliquer, it was René Thom who first introduced such a term. It is necessary, however, to remember that Thom thought that it was first introduced by the American mathe- matician Steven Smale, “although Smale says it was Thom that coined the neolo- gism “attractor”“(Tsatsanis 2010: 63–64 n. 20). From this point of view, Bob Williams expressed a more cautious opinion by saying that “the word “attractor” was invented by these guys, Thom and Smale” (Cucker and Wong 2000: 183). But other mathematicians are of the opinion that the term …

Learning what (not) to do: testing rejection and copying of simulated heterospecific behavioural traits

2011

Animals can copy behaviour of heterospecifics (interspecific social learning), but it is not known whether social-learning strategies postulated for conspecific contexts, such as selectively copying individuals (or behaviours) that are more successful or common than the observer, apply here. A recent study found evidence for biased interspecific acquisition of nest site feature preference depending on observed fitness of the demonstrator (clutch size). We experimentally tested whether migratory pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, females, given a choice between two novel alternative behavioural traits of nest site feature choice, copy or reject the experimentally induced choice exhibited b…

Foreign direct investment attraction in the Baltic States

2014

This paper considers the importance of macroeconomic factors as well as investment climate for foreign direct invest­ ment attraction in the Baltic states. It reviews some of the indicators for measuring the investment climate and their usefulness as indicators of strength of FDI attraction and uses the results of econometric analysis to consider relative importance of various macroeconomic factors. The results suggest that perceptions of corruption and fiscal policy are some of the more important drivers of FDI attraction. The paper also considers several measures that could improve foreign direct investment attraction in the Baltic States such as expanding the protection of property right…

2014

Since the beginning of the last century, the number of biological invasions has continuously increased worldwide. Due to their environmental and economical consequences, invasive species are now a major concern. Social wasps are particularly efficient invaders because of their distinctive biology and behavior. Among them, the yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, is a keen hunter of domestic honeybees. Its recent introduction to Europe may induce important beekeeping, pollination, and biodiversity problems. Hornets use olfactory cues for the long-range detection of food sources, in this case the location of honeybee colonies, but the exact nature of these cues remains unknown. Here, we stud…

Odorants of Capsicum spp. Dried Fruits as Candidate Attractants for Lasioderma serricorne F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

2021

The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) is an important food storage pest affecting the tobacco industry and is increasingly impacting museums and herbaria. Monitoring methods make use of pheromone traps which can be implemented using chili fruit powder. The objective of this study was to assess the response of L. serricorne to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from different chili powders in order to identify the main semiochemicals involved in this attraction. Volatiles emitted by Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens, and C. chinense dried fruit powders were tested in an olfactometer and collected and analyzed using SPME and GC-MS. Results indicated that C. an…