Hummingbirds have a unique way of hover- ing. However, only a few published papers have gone into details of the corresponding three-dimensional vortex struc- tures and transient aerodynamic forces. In order to deepen...Hummingbirds have a unique way of hover- ing. However, only a few published papers have gone into details of the corresponding three-dimensional vortex struc- tures and transient aerodynamic forces. In order to deepen the understanding in these two realms, this article presents an integrated computational fluid dynamics study on the hovering aerodynamics of a rufous hummingbird. The original morphological and kinematic data came from a former researcher＇s experiments. We found that conical and sta- ble leading-edge vortices （LEVs） with spanwise flow inside their cores existed on the hovering hummingbird＇s wing surfaces. When the LEVs and other near-field vortices were all shed into the wake after stroke reversals, periodically shed bilateral vortex rings were formed. In addition, a strong downwash was present throughout the flapping cycle. Time histories of lift and drag were also obtained. Combining the three-dimensional flow field and time history of lift, we believe that high lift mechanisms （i.e., rotational circulation and wake capture） which take place at stroke reversals in insect flight was not evident here. For mean lift throughout a whole cycle, it is calculated to be 3.60 g （104.0 % of the weight support）. The downstroke and upstroke provide 64.2 % and 35.8 % of the weight support, respectively.展开更多
Objective To investigate whether the presence of structured CagA proteins in Western- and Eastern-type Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） induces different incidences of gastric diseases. Methods CagA and phosphorylatd...Objective To investigate whether the presence of structured CagA proteins in Western- and Eastern-type Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） induces different incidences of gastric diseases. Methods CagA and phosphorylatd CagA were expressed in AGS gastric epithelial cells infected with wild type and mutant strains. The ability of individual CagA was determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blot assay. Morphological changes of these cells were observed under microscope to evaluate the appearance of elongation hummingbird phenotype. Results The sizes of CagA proteins in different strains were different, and no phosphorylated CagA proteins were detected in wild-type strains. Meanwhile, the kinetics of CagA status in AGS infected with H. pylori was detected. The molecular weight of phosphorylated CagA with the same size of CagA proteins in H. pylori was different in infections with different wild-type strains. CagA and phosphorylated CagA increased in a time-dependent manner after the infection. The hummingbird phenotype with H. pylori for time-course was observed under microscope. Instead of HPK5 strain, the wild-type 26695 strain induced hummingbird phenotype in a time-dependent manner. Conclusion Translocation and phosphorylation of CagA are necessary, but not sufficient, for the induction of hummingbird phenotype in AGS cells.展开更多
This study introduces and evaluates a novel artificial hummingbird algorithm-optimised boosted tree(AHAboosted)model for predicting the dynamic modulus(E*)of hot mix asphalt concrete.Using a substantial dataset from N...This study introduces and evaluates a novel artificial hummingbird algorithm-optimised boosted tree(AHAboosted)model for predicting the dynamic modulus(E*)of hot mix asphalt concrete.Using a substantial dataset from NCHRP Report-547,the model was trained and rigorously tested.Performance metrics,specifically RMSE,MAE,and R2,were employed to assess the model's predictive accuracy,robustness,and generalisability.When benchmarked against well-established models like support vector machines(SVM)and gaussian process regression(GPR),the AHA-boosted model demonstrated enhanced performance.It achieved R2 values of 0.997 in training and 0.974 in testing,using the traditional Witczak NCHRP 1-40D model inputs.Incorporating features such as test temperature,frequency,and asphalt content led to a 1.23%increase in the test R2,signifying an improvement in the model's accuracy.The study also explored feature importance and sensitivity through SHAP and permutation importance plots,highlighting binder complex modulus|G*|as a key predictor.Although the AHA-boosted model shows promise,a slight decrease in R2 from training to testing indicates a need for further validation.Overall,this study confirms the AHA-boosted model as a highly accurate and robust tool for predicting the dynamic modulus of hot mix asphalt concrete,making it a valuable asset for pavement engineering.展开更多
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that inflicts irreversible damage on humans.Some experimental data regarding Parkinson’s patients are redundant and irrelevant,posing significant challenges for di...Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that inflicts irreversible damage on humans.Some experimental data regarding Parkinson’s patients are redundant and irrelevant,posing significant challenges for disease detection.Therefore,there is a need to devise an effective method for the selective extraction of disease-specific information,ensuring both accuracy and the utilization of fewer features.In this paper,a Binary Hybrid Artificial Hummingbird and Flower Pollination Algorithm(FPA),called BFAHA,is proposed to solve the problem of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis based on speech signals.First,combining FPA with Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm(AHA)can take advantage of the strong global exploration ability possessed by FPA to improve the disadvantages of AHA,such as premature convergence and easy falling into local optimum.Second,the Hemming distance is used to determine the difference between the other individuals in the population and the optimal individual after each iteration,if the difference is too significant,the cross-mutation strategy in the genetic algorithm(GA)is used to induce the population individuals to keep approaching the optimal individual in the random search process to speed up finding the optimal solution.Finally,an S-shaped function converts the improved algorithm into a binary version to suit the characteristics of the feature selection(FS)tasks.In this paper,10 high-dimensional datasets from UCI and the ASU are used to test the performance of BFAHA and apply it to Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.Compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms,BFAHA shows excellent competitiveness in both the test datasets and the classification problem,indicating that the algorithm proposed in this study has apparent advantages in the field of feature selection.展开更多
BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)persistently colonizes the human gastric mucosa in more than 50%of the global population,leading to various gastroduodenal diseases ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric car...BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)persistently colonizes the human gastric mucosa in more than 50%of the global population,leading to various gastroduodenal diseases ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric carcinoma.Cytotoxin-associated gene A(CagA)protein,an important oncoprotein,has highly polymorphic Glu-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Ala segments at the carboxyl terminus,which play crucial roles in pathogenesis.Our previous study revealed a significant association between amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894 and gastric cancer.AIM To investigate the impact of amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894 on CagA function.METHODS We selected a representative HZT strain from a gastric cancer patient with amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894.The cagA gene was amplified and mutated into cagA-NT and cagA-NE(sequence characteristics of strains from nongastric cancer patients),cloned and inserted into pAdtrack-CMV,and then transfected into AGS cells.The expression of cagA and its mutants was examined using realtime polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting,cell elongation via cell counting,F-actin cytoskeleton visualization using fluorescence staining,and interleukin-8(IL-8)secretion via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS The results revealed that pAdtrack/cagA induced a more pronounced hummingbird phenotype than pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE(40.88±3.10 vs 32.50±3.17,P<0.001 and 40.88±3.10 vs 32.17±3.00,P<0.001)at 12 hours after transfection.At 24 hours,pAdtrack/cagA-NE induced significantly fewer hummingbird phenotypes than pAdtrack/cagA and pAdtrack/cagA-NT(46.02±2.12 vs 53.90±2.10,P<0.001 and 46.02±2.12 vs 51.15±3.74,P<0.001).The total amount of F-actin caused by pAdtrack/cagA was significantly lower than that caused by pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE(27.54±17.37 vs 41.51±11.90,P<0.001 and 27.54±17.37 vs 41.39±14.22,P<0.001)at 12 hours after transfection.Additionally,pAdtrack/cagA induced higher IL-8 secretion than pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE at different tim展开更多
Efficient speed controllers for dynamic driving tasks in autonomous vehicles are crucial for ensuring safety and reliability.This study proposes a novel approach for designing a fractional order proportional-integral-...Efficient speed controllers for dynamic driving tasks in autonomous vehicles are crucial for ensuring safety and reliability.This study proposes a novel approach for designing a fractional order proportional-integral-derivative(FOPID)controller that utilizes a modified elite opposition-based artificial hummingbird algorithm(m-AHA)for optimal parameter tuning.Our approach outperforms existing optimization techniques on benchmark functions,and we demonstrate its effectiveness in controlling cruise control systems with increased flexibility and precision.Our study contributes to the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology by introducing a novel and efficient method for FOPID controller design that can enhance the driving experience while ensuring safety and reliability.We highlight the significance of our findings by demonstrating how our approach can improve the performance,safety,and reliability of autonomous vehicles.This study’s contributions are particularly relevant in the context of the growing demand for autonomous vehicles and the need for advanced control techniques to ensure their safe operation.Our research provides a promising avenue for further research and development in this area.展开更多
Fog Computing(FC)provides processing and storage resources at the edge of the Internet of Things(IoT).By doing so,FC can help reduce latency and improve reliability of IoT networks.The energy consumption of servers an...Fog Computing(FC)provides processing and storage resources at the edge of the Internet of Things(IoT).By doing so,FC can help reduce latency and improve reliability of IoT networks.The energy consumption of servers and computing resources is one of the factors that directly affect conservation costs in fog environments.Energy consumption can be reduced by efficacious scheduling methods so that tasks are offloaded on the best possible resources.To deal with this problem,a binary model based on the combination of the Krill Herd Algorithm(KHA)and the Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm(AHA)is introduced as Binary KHA-AHA(BAHA-KHA).KHA is used to improve AHA.Also,the BAHA-KHA local optimal problem for task scheduling in FC environments is solved using the dynamic voltage and frequency scaling(DVFS)method.The Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time(HEFT)method is used to discover the order of task flow execution.The goal of the BAHA-KHA model is to minimize the number of resources,the communication between dependent tasks,and reduce energy consumption.In this paper,the FC environment is considered to address the workflow scheduling issue to reduce energy consumption and minimize makespan on fog resources.The results were tested on five different workflows(Montage,CyberShake,LIGO,SIPHT,and Epigenomics).The evaluations show that the BAHA-KHA model has the best performance in comparison with the AHA,KHA,PSO and GA algorithms.The BAHA-KHA model has reduced the makespan rate by about 18%and the energy consumption by about 24%in comparison with GA.This is a preview of subscription content,log in via an institution to check access.展开更多
Multi-component signals contain multiple signal parts expressed in the same physical modality. One way to identify individual components is if they are produced by different physical mechanisms. Here, I studied the me...Multi-component signals contain multiple signal parts expressed in the same physical modality. One way to identify individual components is if they are produced by different physical mechanisms. Here, I studied the mechanisms generating acoustic signals in the courtship displays of the Calliope hummingbird Stellula calliope. Display dives consisted of three synchronized sound elements, a high-frequency tone （hfl）, a low frequency tone （lft）, and atonal sound pulses （asp）, which were then followed by a frequency-modulated fall. Manipulating any of the rectrices （tail-feathers） of wild males impaired production of the lft and asp but not the hfl or fall, which are apparently vocal. I tested the sound production capabilities of the rectrices in a wind tunnel. Single rectrices could generate the lft but not the asp, whereas multiple rectrices tested together produced sounds sitlfilar to the asp when they fluttered and collided with their neighbors percussively, representing a previously unknown mechanism of sound production. During the shuttle display, a trill is generated by the wings during pulses in which the wingbeat frequency is elevated to 95 Hz, 40% higher than the typical hovering wingbeat frequency. The Calliope hummingbird courtship displays include sounds produced by three independent mechanisms, and thus include a minimum of three acoustic signal components. These acoustic mechanisms have different constraints and thus potentially contain different messages. Producing multiple acoustic signals via multiple mechanisms may be a way to escape the constraints present in any single mechanism .展开更多
In nature hummingbirds face floral resources whose availability, quality and quantity can vary spatially and temporally. Thus, they must constantly make foraging decisions about which patches, plants and flowers to vi...In nature hummingbirds face floral resources whose availability, quality and quantity can vary spatially and temporally. Thus, they must constantly make foraging decisions about which patches, plants and flowers to visit, partly as a function of the nectar reward. The uncertainty of these decisions would possibly be reduced if an individual could remember locations or use visual cues to avoid revisiting recently depleted flowers. In the present study, we carried out field experiments with white-eared hummingbirds Hylocharis leucotis, to evaluate their use of locations or visual cues when foraging on natural flowers Penstemon roseus. We evaluated the use of spatial memory by observing birds while they were foraging between two plants and within a single plant. Our results showed that hummingbirds prefer to use location when foraging in two plants, but they also use visual cues to efficiently locate unvisited rewarded flowers when they feed on a single plant. However, in absence of visual cues, in both experiments birds mainly used the location of previously visited flowers to make subsequent visits. Our data suggest that hummingbirds are capable of learning and employing this flexibility depending on the faced environmental conditions and the information acquired in previous visits [Current Zoology 57 （4）： 468-476, 2011].展开更多
基金financially supported by the Supporting Foundation of the Ministry of Education (Grant 62501040303)the Pre-research Fund (Grants 9140A26020313JW03371, 9140A260204 14JW03412)the New Century Excellent Talents Support Program from the Ministry of Education of China (Grant NCET-10-0583)
文摘Hummingbirds have a unique way of hover- ing. However, only a few published papers have gone into details of the corresponding three-dimensional vortex struc- tures and transient aerodynamic forces. In order to deepen the understanding in these two realms, this article presents an integrated computational fluid dynamics study on the hovering aerodynamics of a rufous hummingbird. The original morphological and kinematic data came from a former researcher＇s experiments. We found that conical and sta- ble leading-edge vortices （LEVs） with spanwise flow inside their cores existed on the hovering hummingbird＇s wing surfaces. When the LEVs and other near-field vortices were all shed into the wake after stroke reversals, periodically shed bilateral vortex rings were formed. In addition, a strong downwash was present throughout the flapping cycle. Time histories of lift and drag were also obtained. Combining the three-dimensional flow field and time history of lift, we believe that high lift mechanisms （i.e., rotational circulation and wake capture） which take place at stroke reversals in insect flight was not evident here. For mean lift throughout a whole cycle, it is calculated to be 3.60 g （104.0 % of the weight support）. The downstroke and upstroke provide 64.2 % and 35.8 % of the weight support, respectively.
基金supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 20070420277)
文摘Objective To investigate whether the presence of structured CagA proteins in Western- and Eastern-type Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） induces different incidences of gastric diseases. Methods CagA and phosphorylatd CagA were expressed in AGS gastric epithelial cells infected with wild type and mutant strains. The ability of individual CagA was determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blot assay. Morphological changes of these cells were observed under microscope to evaluate the appearance of elongation hummingbird phenotype. Results The sizes of CagA proteins in different strains were different, and no phosphorylated CagA proteins were detected in wild-type strains. Meanwhile, the kinetics of CagA status in AGS infected with H. pylori was detected. The molecular weight of phosphorylated CagA with the same size of CagA proteins in H. pylori was different in infections with different wild-type strains. CagA and phosphorylated CagA increased in a time-dependent manner after the infection. The hummingbird phenotype with H. pylori for time-course was observed under microscope. Instead of HPK5 strain, the wild-type 26695 strain induced hummingbird phenotype in a time-dependent manner. Conclusion Translocation and phosphorylation of CagA are necessary, but not sufficient, for the induction of hummingbird phenotype in AGS cells.
文摘This study introduces and evaluates a novel artificial hummingbird algorithm-optimised boosted tree(AHAboosted)model for predicting the dynamic modulus(E*)of hot mix asphalt concrete.Using a substantial dataset from NCHRP Report-547,the model was trained and rigorously tested.Performance metrics,specifically RMSE,MAE,and R2,were employed to assess the model's predictive accuracy,robustness,and generalisability.When benchmarked against well-established models like support vector machines(SVM)and gaussian process regression(GPR),the AHA-boosted model demonstrated enhanced performance.It achieved R2 values of 0.997 in training and 0.974 in testing,using the traditional Witczak NCHRP 1-40D model inputs.Incorporating features such as test temperature,frequency,and asphalt content led to a 1.23%increase in the test R2,signifying an improvement in the model's accuracy.The study also explored feature importance and sensitivity through SHAP and permutation importance plots,highlighting binder complex modulus|G*|as a key predictor.Although the AHA-boosted model shows promise,a slight decrease in R2 from training to testing indicates a need for further validation.Overall,this study confirms the AHA-boosted model as a highly accurate and robust tool for predicting the dynamic modulus of hot mix asphalt concrete,making it a valuable asset for pavement engineering.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.U21A20464,62066005the Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education under Grant No.YCSW2023259.
文摘Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that inflicts irreversible damage on humans.Some experimental data regarding Parkinson’s patients are redundant and irrelevant,posing significant challenges for disease detection.Therefore,there is a need to devise an effective method for the selective extraction of disease-specific information,ensuring both accuracy and the utilization of fewer features.In this paper,a Binary Hybrid Artificial Hummingbird and Flower Pollination Algorithm(FPA),called BFAHA,is proposed to solve the problem of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis based on speech signals.First,combining FPA with Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm(AHA)can take advantage of the strong global exploration ability possessed by FPA to improve the disadvantages of AHA,such as premature convergence and easy falling into local optimum.Second,the Hemming distance is used to determine the difference between the other individuals in the population and the optimal individual after each iteration,if the difference is too significant,the cross-mutation strategy in the genetic algorithm(GA)is used to induce the population individuals to keep approaching the optimal individual in the random search process to speed up finding the optimal solution.Finally,an S-shaped function converts the improved algorithm into a binary version to suit the characteristics of the feature selection(FS)tasks.In this paper,10 high-dimensional datasets from UCI and the ASU are used to test the performance of BFAHA and apply it to Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.Compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms,BFAHA shows excellent competitiveness in both the test datasets and the classification problem,indicating that the algorithm proposed in this study has apparent advantages in the field of feature selection.
基金Supported by the Shandong Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Plan Project,No.202202080452.
文摘BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)persistently colonizes the human gastric mucosa in more than 50%of the global population,leading to various gastroduodenal diseases ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric carcinoma.Cytotoxin-associated gene A(CagA)protein,an important oncoprotein,has highly polymorphic Glu-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Ala segments at the carboxyl terminus,which play crucial roles in pathogenesis.Our previous study revealed a significant association between amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894 and gastric cancer.AIM To investigate the impact of amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894 on CagA function.METHODS We selected a representative HZT strain from a gastric cancer patient with amino acid deletions at positions 893 and 894.The cagA gene was amplified and mutated into cagA-NT and cagA-NE(sequence characteristics of strains from nongastric cancer patients),cloned and inserted into pAdtrack-CMV,and then transfected into AGS cells.The expression of cagA and its mutants was examined using realtime polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting,cell elongation via cell counting,F-actin cytoskeleton visualization using fluorescence staining,and interleukin-8(IL-8)secretion via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS The results revealed that pAdtrack/cagA induced a more pronounced hummingbird phenotype than pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE(40.88±3.10 vs 32.50±3.17,P<0.001 and 40.88±3.10 vs 32.17±3.00,P<0.001)at 12 hours after transfection.At 24 hours,pAdtrack/cagA-NE induced significantly fewer hummingbird phenotypes than pAdtrack/cagA and pAdtrack/cagA-NT(46.02±2.12 vs 53.90±2.10,P<0.001 and 46.02±2.12 vs 51.15±3.74,P<0.001).The total amount of F-actin caused by pAdtrack/cagA was significantly lower than that caused by pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE(27.54±17.37 vs 41.51±11.90,P<0.001 and 27.54±17.37 vs 41.39±14.22,P<0.001)at 12 hours after transfection.Additionally,pAdtrack/cagA induced higher IL-8 secretion than pAdtrack/cagA-NT and pAdtrack/cagA-NE at different tim
文摘Efficient speed controllers for dynamic driving tasks in autonomous vehicles are crucial for ensuring safety and reliability.This study proposes a novel approach for designing a fractional order proportional-integral-derivative(FOPID)controller that utilizes a modified elite opposition-based artificial hummingbird algorithm(m-AHA)for optimal parameter tuning.Our approach outperforms existing optimization techniques on benchmark functions,and we demonstrate its effectiveness in controlling cruise control systems with increased flexibility and precision.Our study contributes to the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology by introducing a novel and efficient method for FOPID controller design that can enhance the driving experience while ensuring safety and reliability.We highlight the significance of our findings by demonstrating how our approach can improve the performance,safety,and reliability of autonomous vehicles.This study’s contributions are particularly relevant in the context of the growing demand for autonomous vehicles and the need for advanced control techniques to ensure their safe operation.Our research provides a promising avenue for further research and development in this area.
文摘Fog Computing(FC)provides processing and storage resources at the edge of the Internet of Things(IoT).By doing so,FC can help reduce latency and improve reliability of IoT networks.The energy consumption of servers and computing resources is one of the factors that directly affect conservation costs in fog environments.Energy consumption can be reduced by efficacious scheduling methods so that tasks are offloaded on the best possible resources.To deal with this problem,a binary model based on the combination of the Krill Herd Algorithm(KHA)and the Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm(AHA)is introduced as Binary KHA-AHA(BAHA-KHA).KHA is used to improve AHA.Also,the BAHA-KHA local optimal problem for task scheduling in FC environments is solved using the dynamic voltage and frequency scaling(DVFS)method.The Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time(HEFT)method is used to discover the order of task flow execution.The goal of the BAHA-KHA model is to minimize the number of resources,the communication between dependent tasks,and reduce energy consumption.In this paper,the FC environment is considered to address the workflow scheduling issue to reduce energy consumption and minimize makespan on fog resources.The results were tested on five different workflows(Montage,CyberShake,LIGO,SIPHT,and Epigenomics).The evaluations show that the BAHA-KHA model has the best performance in comparison with the AHA,KHA,PSO and GA algorithms.The BAHA-KHA model has reduced the makespan rate by about 18%and the energy consumption by about 24%in comparison with GA.This is a preview of subscription content,log in via an institution to check access.
基金Acknowledgments I thank S. Weinstein, A. Varma, and T. Feo for assistance in the field L. Benedict and T. Libby for use of equipment, J. Brown for accommodations, and G. Weston-Murphy for assistance with the wind tunnel. Walter Nussbaumer kindly allowed use of a photo. The manuscript was improved by comments from T. Feo and two anonymous reviewers. The research was supported by the MVZ and National Science Foundation IOS-090353 to R. Prum.
文摘Multi-component signals contain multiple signal parts expressed in the same physical modality. One way to identify individual components is if they are produced by different physical mechanisms. Here, I studied the mechanisms generating acoustic signals in the courtship displays of the Calliope hummingbird Stellula calliope. Display dives consisted of three synchronized sound elements, a high-frequency tone （hfl）, a low frequency tone （lft）, and atonal sound pulses （asp）, which were then followed by a frequency-modulated fall. Manipulating any of the rectrices （tail-feathers） of wild males impaired production of the lft and asp but not the hfl or fall, which are apparently vocal. I tested the sound production capabilities of the rectrices in a wind tunnel. Single rectrices could generate the lft but not the asp, whereas multiple rectrices tested together produced sounds sitlfilar to the asp when they fluttered and collided with their neighbors percussively, representing a previously unknown mechanism of sound production. During the shuttle display, a trill is generated by the wings during pulses in which the wingbeat frequency is elevated to 95 Hz, 40% higher than the typical hovering wingbeat frequency. The Calliope hummingbird courtship displays include sounds produced by three independent mechanisms, and thus include a minimum of three acoustic signal components. These acoustic mechanisms have different constraints and thus potentially contain different messages. Producing multiple acoustic signals via multiple mechanisms may be a way to escape the constraints present in any single mechanism .
文摘In nature hummingbirds face floral resources whose availability, quality and quantity can vary spatially and temporally. Thus, they must constantly make foraging decisions about which patches, plants and flowers to visit, partly as a function of the nectar reward. The uncertainty of these decisions would possibly be reduced if an individual could remember locations or use visual cues to avoid revisiting recently depleted flowers. In the present study, we carried out field experiments with white-eared hummingbirds Hylocharis leucotis, to evaluate their use of locations or visual cues when foraging on natural flowers Penstemon roseus. We evaluated the use of spatial memory by observing birds while they were foraging between two plants and within a single plant. Our results showed that hummingbirds prefer to use location when foraging in two plants, but they also use visual cues to efficiently locate unvisited rewarded flowers when they feed on a single plant. However, in absence of visual cues, in both experiments birds mainly used the location of previously visited flowers to make subsequent visits. Our data suggest that hummingbirds are capable of learning and employing this flexibility depending on the faced environmental conditions and the information acquired in previous visits [Current Zoology 57 （4）： 468-476, 2011].
