The fractal dimension approach in posture: a comparison between Down and Prader–Willi syndrome patients

The suitability of new dynamic system analysis was investigated to compare postural control in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and Down syndrome (DS) patients. Time-domain, frequency-domain parameters and fractal dimension (FD) of centre of pressure (CoP) were computed in maintaining normal standing on a force platform in 20 DS and 13 PWS patients, compared to 26 obese (obese control group, OCG) and 20 healthy individuals (healthy control group, HCG). DS and PWS showed greater displacements along both directions and longer sway path (SP) parameter than HCG and OCG, with statistical differences between PWS and DS for anteroposterior displacement and SP. DS used higher frequency strategy when compared to PWS, OCG and HCG. Both DS and PWS were characterised by greater values of FD than OCG and HCG, with higher values in DS. The analyses in frequency domain and of the dynamic nature of CoP suggest that DS patients are characterised by a more complex and irregular signal than PWS patients.     

涪陵磨盘沟自然保护区桫椤种群分布格局的分形特征

利用分形理论中的计盒维数探讨了重庆市涪陵磨盘沟桫椤种群的分形特征。结果表明,桫椤种群的分布格局具有分形特征。桫椤种群在不同海拔高度分布格局的计盒维数各不相同,与生境密切相关。在6个不同植物群落中,桫椤种群的计盒维数大小依次为黄牛奶树淡竹叶>黄杞水麻>盐肤木腹水草>血桐芒>白栎扁穗莎草>毛叶木姜子火炭木。计盒维数定量地反映了该自然保护区桫椤种群占据生态空间的能力,随机型的桫椤种群对空间占有能力比聚集型的低。     

山东泰山地区景观结构变化及其分形分析

将泰山风景区划分为 8个区域 11个基本景观类型 ,包括松林、栎林、刺槐林、侧柏林、针阔叶混交林、经济林、灌丛、裸岩、荒地、水体、建筑。在此基础上 ,利用 3S技术和分形理论对各个景观要素进行了分析 ,并讨论了景观特性及其变化的分形性质。结果表明 :(1)分维值的大小反映了景观斑块面积、斑块数量和平均斑块面积等因素的相互作用 ,在一定尺度下分维的大小反映了区域内景观斑块的不规则程度和复杂程度 ,斑块越不规则、越复杂 ,其分维越大 ,反之亦然。在泰山地区 ,自 1986年至 2 0 0 1年 ,刺槐林一直保持着较高的分维值 ,其它景观类型的分维值则差别不大 ,而针阔叶混交林的分维值变化较大 ;(2 )森林景观受多种因子的影响 ,在高海拔区域主要受垂直地带性规律影响为主 ,在旅游区主要受人类活动的影响为主 ,15 a来各个区域分形维数的总体变化趋势相似 ;(3)大部分区域在 2 0 0 1年的景观多样性、破碎度高于 1986年的 ,而景观优势度则略为下降     

泾河流域分县景观格局特征及相关性

景观生态主要是研究生态系统的空间格局。因而很有必要对空间格局进行数量化的分析,在此基础上进行科学管理。应用斑块数、斑块面积、斑块密度、优势度、聚集度和分维数计算了泾河流域31个县景观格局的特征,首次以景观特征值为基础,将研究区域各县景观进行分类,并对不同类型的景观特征及相关性进行分析。结果表明,近年来流域破碎化程度有所增加,各景观指数值在研究区域之间变异很大。优势度和聚集度比较高的区域土地利用较单一,常常是以农用地为主导如咸阳、泾阳和乾县,或以农地和草地共同主导如环县。而优势度和聚集度较低的区域,土地利用较多样化,农地、林地和草地面积比例相近,如泾源、平凉、陇县、宁县和旬邑,这些县位于黄土丘陵沟壑区和黄土高塬沟壑区。高优势度、高聚集度和低分维数的区域为陕西省咸阳市,为泾河流域冲积平原区,土地利用以大面积的农用地为主导。景观指数的相关分析表明,3种主要的土地利用面积比例之间存在极显著负相关,林地面积和优势度、聚集度有极显著负相关,而草地面积和分维数存在极显著正相关,分维数高的县位于泾河流域中游的黄土高原沟壑区,分维数低的县位于下游河谷阶地和关中平原和黄土高原交界处。这种相关性表明了自然地貌及人类活动对景观的影响和干扰作用。     

干旱半干旱地区人工固沙灌木林生态系统演变特征

应用实验生态学方法分析了沙坡头地区栽植于1956、1964、1981、1987年的无灌溉人工植被固沙群落浅层土壤分形特征、植被盖度、物种特征、生物量、土壤水分、土壤微生物,以及群落土壤物理和土壤养分特征,并与流动沙丘进行比较。结果表明,在干旱半干旱的草原化荒漠地区,首先利用半隐蔽式草方格沙障对流动沙丘进行固定,然后栽植灌木柠条、花棒等和半灌木油蒿,经过40多年的稳定演变,该区域逐渐形成由矮灌木与草本植物覆盖,以及隐花植物与微生物土壤结皮复合的固定沙丘景观。在人工植被固沙防护体系稳定演变过程中,浅表层土壤的细粒化和养分富集化特征,微生物土壤结皮与亚表层土壤厚度,以及浅表层土壤体积含水率均随固沙年限的延长趋于显著增加。而土壤微生物数量、植被盖度、植物种数等生物群落学属性在固沙年限达40a左右时,已趋于最大,尔后呈缓慢下降趋势。随着固沙年限的增加,灌木树种不断衰退减少,当固沙年限逾17a之后,群落生物量增至峰值后略有下降。土壤分形维数与土壤粘粒含量呈显著正相关关系,流动沙丘被人工植被固定年代越久远,浅表层(0~3cm)土壤粘粒含量(4.50%)越高,其分形维数越大(D=2.4083),表明人工植被固沙防护体系浅表层土壤结构变得越紧实,流动沙丘(D=2.0484)在人工植被的固定作用下,发生逆转的趋势越显著,沙丘日趋固定。     

Changes of the morphometric indices and fractal dimension of the spinal cord neurons during ontogenesis of the cherry salmon Oncorhynchus masou

For the quantitative characteristics of the morphology of two groups of spinal cord neurons in the cherry salmon at the early stages of ontogenesis, the fractal dimension and some more traditional morphometric indices, such as the total length of neuronal branches, the number of terminal branches and branchpoints, and the cell area, are determined. The values of the morphometric indices and the fractal dimension of the bivariate neuronal pattern are shown to increase in the course of ontogenesis from the first to the second year of fish life. The correlation between the main morphometric value and the fractal dimension is found, and their correspondence to the morphometric modifications of the dendrite tree in the neurons investigated during ontogenesis is detected.     

川西亚高山针叶林土壤颗粒的分形特征

分形理论为土壤等复杂体系的定量化研究提供了一种有效工具。本文以12个川西亚高山针叶林土壤颗粒组成数据为基础,运用分形模型研究了亚高山针叶林土壤颗粒的分形维数。结果表明,12个川西亚高山针叶林表层土壤颗粒的分形维数D为2.5209~2.7978。通过逐步多元回归分析,土壤颗粒分形维数仅与<0.001 mm颗粒含量的相关系数达极显著。土壤颗粒分形维数与土壤有机质含量、全氮含量和pH相关性不显著,然而土壤有机质含量与全氮含量呈极显著正相关。本研究探讨了利用土壤颗粒粒径分布的分形维数来定量表征川西亚高山针叶林土壤的特征。     

Resistance to ship-induced waves of benthic invertebrates in various littoral habitats

1. Ship‐induced waves disturb benthic invertebrate assemblages colonizing littoral zones of lakes and rivers. However, the impact of ship‐induced waves on invertebrates has rarely been quantified, and the influencing factors have not been addressed. 2. In an experimental wave tank, five benthic invertebrate species, Bithynia tentaculata, Calopteryx splendens, Dikerogammarus villosus, Gammarus roeseli and Laccophilus hyalinus, were exposed to waves of increasing shear stress (0.43–2.19 N m^?2). Mean number of detached individuals was recorded for five littoral habitats [coarse woody debris (CWD), reeds, sand, stones and tree roots], representing different levels of structural complexity as quantified by their fractal dimensions (FD). 3. Results showed that detachment of invertebrates was significantly related to shear stress in all habitats except tree roots. Detachments averaged for the five species were significantly lower in habitats with a high degree of structural complexity, decreasing in the habitat sequence: sand, CWD, stones, reeds and tree roots. 4. Consistent with their different morphologies and methods of attachment to substrates, the five species displayed differences in their response to hydraulic stress that were dependent on habitat. 5. The increasing sheltering effect of structural habitat complexity was mirrored by increasing dissipation of the kinetic energy of waves; i.e. the FD of the habitat was positively correlated with shear stress reduction due to the flow resistance of the habitat. 6. Network habitats such as tree roots provided the best sheltering conditions against hydraulic disturbance, because they combined good refuge availability for all studied invertebrate species and maximal dissipation of kinetic wave energy. Consequently, persistent anthropogenic impacts, such as lakeshore modification or long‐term exposure to ship‐induced waves, which cause disappearance of complex littoral habitats such as tree roots or dense reed belts, will drastically increase the adverse effects of boating and ship traffic on littoral invertebrate assemblages.     

Spatial distribution of leaf form and the self-thinning exponent are affected by the sensitivity of the response to abscisic acid in anArabidopsis thaliana population

The spatial distribution of leaves is related to the exponent of the self-thinning relationship in plant populations. In this study, we evaluated the fractal dimension of rosette leaves of wild-type (WT)Arabidopsis thaliana and of an abscisic acid (ABA) -insensitive mutant (abi2-1) to test a model of the spatial distribution of leaf form in anArabidopsis population based on subdivision of a cube surrounding the leaf into uniform boxes and to investigate ABA’s affect on this model of the leaf. The values of the self-thinning exponent were -1.31 and -1.45 for WT andabi2-1. The mean dimensions of the box used to model the spatial distribution of leaf form, estimated using our model, were 2.08 and 2.03, respectively. By assuming that the box dimension equals the fractal dimension within the populations, the predicted self-thinning exponent equaled -1.40 for WT and -1.49 forabi2-1. When exogenous ABA was applied to both genotypes, the self-thinning exponent became -1.26 and -1.43 for WT andabi2-1, and the exponents predicted using the dimensions of the box were -1.37 and -1.46, respectively. The empirically predicted exponent equaled that predicted using the dimensions of the box (95% confidence interval). Empirical prediction of the spatial pattern using the two genotypes with and without ABA showed that ABA influenced the spatial form of the rosette leaves. Therefore, sensitivity to ABA can affect self-thinning through genetically determined changes in leaf form and its spatial distribution.