A real-time feedback system stabilises the regulation of worker reproduction under various colony sizes.

Social insects demonstrate adaptive behaviour for a given colony size. Remarkably, most species do this even without visual information in a dark environment. However, how they achieve this is yet unknown. Based on individual trait expression, an agent-based simulation was used to identify an explicit mechanism for understanding colony size dependent behaviour. Through repeated physical contact between the queen and individual workers, individual colony members monitor the physiological states of others, reflecting such contact information in their physiology and behaviour. Feedback between the sensing of physiological states and the corresponding behaviour patterns leads to self-organisation with colonies shifting according to their size. We showed (1) the queen can exhibit adaptive behaviour patterns for the increase in colony size while density per space remains unchanged, and (2) such physical constraints can underlie the adaptive switching of colony stages from successful patrol behaviour to unsuccessful patrol behaviour, which leads to constant ovary development (production of reproductive castes). The feedback loops embedded in the queen between the perception of internal states of the workers and behavioural patterns can explain the adaptive behaviour as a function of colony size.

Nano to micro particle size distribution measurement in the fluid by interactive force apparatus for fine particle processing.

The direct measurement of fine particles size distribution of dispersions or coagulations in liquid is important for water purification, fine particles separation for recycling and mineral processing, as well as the new material production. The nano to micro particle size is usually measured by light scattering method; however, it is difficult to measure at high concentration of suspension. Here, a novel dynamical method by using the interactive force measurement between particles in liquid under electric field is used for measuring distribution of fine particle. Three types of nano to submicron particles, that is well-dispersed nano particles, coagulated nano particles and settled submicron particles, have been measured by interactive force measurement method. The particle size distributions are compered with the size distributions of dried particles measured by TEM or SEM. The well-dispersed nano particle size distribution by interactive force measurement is influenced by the nano size surfactant micelles. The size distribution of coagulated nano particles in water is larger than the result by TEM. On the other hand, the submicron nickel particle size distribution is similar with the one analyzed by SEM.