A fractal model for the characterization of mycelial morphology

A new technique based on a fractal model has been developed for the quantification of the macroscopic morophology of mycelia. The morphological structuring is treated as a fractal object, and the fractal dimension, determined by an ultrasonic scattering procedure developed for the purpose, serves as a quantitative morphological index. Experimental observations reported earlier and simulations of mycelial growth, carried out using a probabilistic-geometric growth model developed for the purpose, both validate the applicability of the fractal model. In experiments with three different species, the fractal dimensions of pelletous structures were found to be in the range 1.45-2.0 and those of filamentous structures were in the range 1.9-2.7, with values around 2.0 representing mixed morphologies. Fractal dimensions calculated from simulated mycelia are in rough agreement with these ranges. The fractal dimension is also found to be relatively insensitive to the biomass concentration, as seen by dilution of the original broths. The relation between morphology and filtration properties of the broths has also been studied. The fractal dimension shows a strong correlation with the index of cake compressibility and with the Kozeny constant, two filtration parameters that are known to be morphology dependent. This technique could thus be used to develop correlations between the morphology, represented by the fractal dimension, and important morphology-dependent process variables. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Screening and molecular dynamics simulation of compounds inhibiting MurB enzyme of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An in-silico approach

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is becoming more and more resistant to drugs and it is a common problem, making current antimicrobials ineffective and highlighting the need for new TB drugs. One of the promising targets for treating MTB is MurB enzymes. This study aimed to identify potential inhibitors of MurB enzymes in M. tuberculosis, as drug resistance among MTB is a significant problem. Attempts are being made to conduct a virtual screening of 30,417 compounds, and thirty-two compounds were chosen for further analysis based on their binding conformations. The selected compounds were assessed for their drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, and physiochemical characteristics, and seven compounds with binding energy lower than flavin (FAD) were identified. Further, molecular dynamics simulation analysis of these seven compounds found that four of them, namely DB12983, DB15688, ZINC084726167, and ZINC254071113 formed stable complexes with the MurB binding site, exhibiting promising inhibitory activity. These compounds have not been mentioned in any other study, indicating their novelty. The study suggests that these four compounds could be promising candidates for treating MTB, but their effectiveness needs to be validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Overall, the findings of this study provide new insight into potential drug targets and candidates for combating drug-resistant MTB.     

Significant increase in natural disturbance impacts on European forests since 1950

Over the last decades, the natural disturbance is increasingly putting pressure on European forests. Shifts in disturbance regimes may compromise forest functioning and the continuous provisioning of ecosystem services to society, including their climate change mitigation potential. Although forests are central to many European policies, we lack the long-term empirical data needed for thoroughly understanding disturbance dynamics, modeling them, and developing adaptive management strategies. Here, we present a unique database of >170,000 records of ground-based natural disturbance observations in European forests from 1950 to 2019. Reported data confirm a significant increase in forest disturbance in 34 European countries, causing on an average of 43.8 million m³ of disturbed timber volume per year over the 70-year study period. This value is likely a conservative estimate due to under-reporting, especially of small-scale disturbances. We used machine learning techniques for assessing the magnitude of unreported disturbances, which are estimated to be between 8.6 and 18.3 million m³/year. In the last 20 years, disturbances on average accounted for 16% of the mean annual harvest in Europe. Wind was the most important disturbance agent over the study period (46% of total damage), followed by fire (24%) and bark beetles (17%). Bark beetle disturbance doubled its share of the total damage in the last 20 years. Forest disturbances can profoundly impact ecosystem services (e.g., climate change mitigation), affect regional forest resource provisioning and consequently disrupt long-term management planning objectives and timber markets. We conclude that adaptation to changing disturbance regimes must be placed at the core of the European forest management and policy debate. Furthermore, a coherent and homogeneous monitoring system of natural disturbances is urgently needed in Europe, to better observe and respond to the ongoing changes in forest disturbance regimes.     

The unexpected long period of elevated CH4 emissions from an inundated fen meadow ended only with the occurrence of cattail (Typha latifolia)

Drainage and agricultural use transform natural peatlands from a net carbon (C) sink to a net C source. Rewetting of peatlands, despite of high methane (CH₄) emissions, holds the potential to mitigate climate change by greatly reducing CO₂ emissions. However, the time span for this transition is unknown because most studies are limited to a few years. Especially, nonpermanent open water areas often created after rewetting, are highly productive. Here, we present 14 consecutive years of CH₄ flux measurements following rewetting of a formerly long-term drained peatland in the Peene valley. Measurements were made at two rewetted sites (non-inundated vs. inundated) using manual chambers. During the study period, significant differences in measured CH₄ emissions occurred. In general, these differences overlapped with stages of ecosystem transition from a cultivated grassland to a polytrophic lake dominated by emergent helophytes, but could also be additionally explained by other variables. This transition started with a rapid vegetation shift from dying cultivated grasses to open water floating and submerged hydrophytes and significantly increased CH₄ emissions. Since 2008, helophytes have gradually spread from the shoreline into the open water area, especially in drier years. This process was periodically delayed by exceptional inundation and eventually resulted in the inundated site being covered by emergent helophytes. While the period between 2009 and 2015 showed exceptionally high CH₄ emissions, these decreased significantly after cattail and other emergent helophytes became dominant at the inundated site. Therefore, CH₄ emissions declined only after 10 years of transition following rewetting, potentially reaching a new steady state. Overall, this study highlights the importance of an integrative approach to understand the shallow lakes CH₄ biogeochemistry, encompassing the entire area with its mosaic of different vegetation forms. This should be ideally done through a study design including proper measurement site allocation as well as long-term measurements.     

Defining null expectations for animal site fidelity

Site fidelity—the tendency to return to previously visited locations—is widespread across taxa. Returns may be driven by several mechanisms, including memory, habitat selection, or chance; however, pattern-based definitions group different generating mechanisms under the same label of ‘site fidelity’, often assuming memory as the main driver. We propose an operational definition of site fidelity as patterns of return that deviate from a null expectation derived from a memory-free movement model. First, using agent-based simulations, we show that without memory, intrinsic movement characteristics and extrinsic landscape characteristics are key determinants of return patterns and that even random movements may generate substantial probabilities of return. Second, we illustrate how to implement our framework empirically to establish ecologically meaningful, system-specific null expectations for site fidelity. Our approach provides a conceptual and operational framework to test hypotheses on site fidelity across systems and scales.     

Longitudinal growth of head circumference in Punjabi infants in Chandigarh (India)

One hundred and fifty four (86 male and 68 female) Punjabi infants residing in Chandigarh (India) were longitudinally measured for head circumference at monthly age intervals during first year of life. The general pattern of growth of head circumference was characterised by initial sharp rise followed by slow gain during second half of infancy. Beyond birth male infants, possessed higher and statistically significant mean values than their female counterparts. The pattern-wise similarity between growth curves plotted for Punjabi and Western infants, may be attributed to protective effects of breast feeding. Head circumference velocity showed rapid deceleration immediately after birth up to about 4 months, thereafter, it declined slowly. Sex differences in monthly growth rates were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) at a few of the age intervals during first year of life.     

Mechanisms of group-hunting in vertebrates

Group-hunting is ubiquitous across animal taxa and has received considerable attention in the context of its functions. By contrast much less is known about the mechanisms by which grouping predators hunt their prey. This is primarily due to a lack of experimental manipulation alongside logistical difficulties quantifying the behaviour of multiple predators at high spatiotemporal resolution as they search, select, and capture wild prey. However, the use of new remote-sensing technologies and a broadening of the focal taxa beyond apex predators provides researchers with a great opportunity to discern accurately how multiple predators hunt together and not just whether doing so provides hunters with a per capita benefit. We incorporate many ideas from collective behaviour and locomotion throughout this review to make testable predictions for future researchers and pay particular attention to the role that computer simulation can play in a feedback loop with empirical data collection. Our review of the literature showed that the breadth of predator:prey size ratios among the taxa that can be considered to hunt as a group is very large (<10⁰ to >10²). We therefore synthesised the literature with respect to these predator:prey ratios and found that they promoted different hunting mechanisms. Additionally, these different hunting mechanisms are also related to particular stages of the hunt (search, selection, capture) and thus we structure our review in accordance with these two factors (stage of the hunt and predator:prey size ratio). We identify several novel group-hunting mechanisms which are largely untested, particularly under field conditions, and we also highlight a range of potential study organisms that are amenable to experimental testing of these mechanisms in connection with tracking technology. We believe that a combination of new hypotheses, study systems and methodological approaches should help push the field of group-hunting in new directions.     

宁夏银川平原沙化土地不同人工林土壤质量评价

沙化土地土壤贫瘠、生产力低,人工植被恢复是重要的土壤改良措施。为研究宁夏银川平原沙地不同人工林栽植对土壤的影响,以银川腹部沙地银川植物园沙化土壤恢复区的2017年3月种植的文冠果(Xanthoceras sorbifolium)和欧李(Cerasus humilis)人工林地为研究对象,以邻近的长期撂荒地为对照,对土壤质量进行了研究。2020年7—8月采集土样并测定了土壤物理、化学、生物学等20个指标作为土壤质量评价的总数据集,方差分析筛选出差异显著性的9个指标作为重要数据集指标,采用主成分分析法和Norm值建立土壤质量评价指标最小数据集(MDS),利用线性和非线性两种评分方法计算土壤质量指数(SQI)。结果表明：与长期撂荒地相比,银川平原沙化土壤恢复区人工文冠果、欧李林地的土壤理化性质较好,土壤砂粒百分比减少、粉粒和黏粒百分比有所增加,pH降低;有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾等主要养分指标提高,蔗糖酶、脲酶、纤维素酶等主要生物酶活性也高于撂荒地,筛选出的研究区土壤质量评价MDS指标为土壤粉粒百分比和全磷。2种评价方法下,文冠果和欧李人工恢复林地的SQI高于撂荒地,但提高不显著(P>0...     

韧性城市研究综述——基于城市复杂系统视角

在全球气候变化与持续城市化的背景下,增强城市韧性是提升城市应急管理能力,实现城市系统可持续发展的重要途径。明确城市韧性的内涵、核心要素及相互作用机理,开展城市系统韧性测度与城市系统模拟,对提升变化环境下城市系统恢复力与韧性水平,缓解变化环境对城市系统运行稳定性冲击压力具有重要意义。基于文献与资料分析,全面解析韧性城市核心概念与各国韧性城市建设、管理与研究实践。此外,研究从城市复杂系统视角探究变化环境对城市系统影响机制、测度方法与系统模拟路径。研究为韧性城市理论、方法与实证研究提供了参考,并为我国韧性城市建设实践提供决策依据与政策建议。