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【Objective】Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith is an important invasive pest that poses a great threat to food security in China. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene family transcription factors play important roles in insect growth and development. Therefore, they may be candidate target genes for RNAi pesticides. In order to determine the relevant targets of S. frugiperda bHLH genes, the information of S. frugiperda bHLH gene family members was identified and analyzed.【Method】Based on the genome-wide data, the physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, conserved protein domain, phylogenetic evolution, gene chromosome localization and tertiary protein structure prediction of the bHLH gene family members in S. frugiperda were analyzed.【Result】A total of 56 bHLH genes were identified in the genome of S. frugiperda, encoding 54 different protein sequences. The number of amino acids of SfbHLH transcription factors was 84-2557, the isoelectric point was 4.88-10.76, and the relative molecular weight was 9 751.19-285 517.20. The members of the bHLH gene family were divided into six groups from A to F, with 25, 9, 10, 1, 10 and 1 genes encoding 24, 9, 10, 1, 9 and 1 different protein sequences, respectively. Members of the same group had similar types of motif, and most bHLH domains of the same group were grouped together within the same branch in phylogenetic analysis, indicating that they were conserved in evolution. Group A member HLH4C (Sfru006728.1) and Group B member guanylate cyclase Gyc76C (Sfru012226.1) were predicted to contain not only bHLH, but also the conserved domain of genes related to guanylate metabolism, and they had more complex tertiary structure than other genes in the same group. It was speculated that both of them may be derived from the duplication and overlap of guanylate metabolism genes and bHLH genes in evolution, and may have unknown complex physiological functions.【Conclusion】The 56 bHLH gene family members of S. frugiperda were identified and analyzed to obtain their sequence, physicochemical properties, subcellular location, structure and evolution information, which is helpful to further study the functions of the bHLH transcription factor family members and screen the RNAi pesticide targets of S. frugiperda.

In this study, a novel methodology for the fabrication of gradient porous structures is introduced, predicated upon the phase evolution characteristics of immiscible polymer blends. Initially, a comprehensive flow-phase field dynamics model is developed. This model couples the principles of phase field theory and the dynamics of fluid flow to the two-phase evolution process, facilitating a numerical simulation of the phase evolution. Subsequently, the phase field parameters of model are determined and combined with the temperature field, thereby enabling a targeted and controlled fabrication of gradient porous structures. Finally, the efficacy and practical applicability of the proposed methodology are substantiated through the construction of illustrative examples. This approach, as delineated herein, provides a robust framework for the efficient design and realization of intricate, interconnected gradient porous structures with potential applications in various scientific and engineering domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the near-naturalization process of Pinus tabulaeformis plantations in Baxianshan National Nature Reserve was divided into three stages depending on the proportion of P. tabulaeformis present, resulting in the following categories: the P. tabulaeformis forest stage, the mixed forest stage, and the near-natural forest stage. Natural secondary forests were selected as a control. We assessed alterations in the soil's fungal functional structures from three aspects: functional mode, vegetative mode, and growth mode, and their responses to vegetation and soil factors were also explored. The results showed that ectomycorrhizal, saprophytic, and plant pathogen types were dominant in the functional mode, and plant pathogens were most abundant in the P. tabulaeformis forest stage. Meanwhile, ectomycorrhizal fungi were the least abundant in the near-natural forest stage. In the vegetative mode, saprophytic, pathophysiological, and symbiotic types were dominant, and pathophysiological types were the most abundant in the P. tabulaeformis forest stage. In the growth mode, microfungi dominated, and the abundance of clavarioid decreased with near-naturalization. The degree of variation in functional structure in the three dimensions increased with near-naturalization, but the structure of natural secondary forests converged. The species composition of tree layer obviously affected the abundance and functional structure of fungi in the three modes, among which Quercus mongolia and Carpinus hornbeam were the most significant. The soil's pH and nitrate content significantly affected the structure of the functional mode, and the soil's dry matter content and C/N ratio significantly affected the structure of the vegetative mode. In this study, we explored the interaction between the plant community and soil ecological system during the near-naturalization process of plantations in terms of soil fungi functions, further clarifying the role of soil functions in the succession of plant communities and providing a new perspective on the in-depth exploration of ecosystem interactions during the succession of plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Guangdong Agricultural Sciences is the property of South China Agricultural University, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background The geographic patterns of plant diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) have been widely studied, but few studies have focused on wetland plants. This study quantified the geographic patterns of wetland plant diversity in the QTP through a comprehensive analysis of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional indices. Methods Based on a large number of floras, monographs, specimens and field survey data, we constructed a comprehensive dataset of 1,958 wetland plant species in the QTP. Species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), functional diversity (FD), net relatedness index (NRI) and net functional relatedness index (NFRI) were used to assess the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of wetland plants. We explored the relationships between the diversity indices and four categories of environmental variables (i.e. energy-water, climate seasonality, topography and human activities). We used four diversity indices, namely endemic species richness, weighted endemism, phylogenetic endemism and functional endemism, together with the categorical analysis of neo- and paleo-endemism (CANAPE), to identify the endemic centers of wetland plants in the QTP. Results SR, PD and FD were highly consistent and showed a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest, decreasing with increasing elevation. The phylogenetic structure of wetland plant assemblages in most parts of the plateau is mainly clustered. The functional structure of wetland plant assemblages in the southeast of the plateau is overdispersed, while the functional structure of wetland plant assemblages in other areas is clustered. Energy-water and climate seasonality were the two most important categories of variables affecting wetland plant diversity. Environmental variables had a greater effect on the functional structure of wetland plants than on the phylogenetic structure. This study identified seven endemic centres, mainly in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. Conclusions Climate and topography are the main factors determining the geographic distribution of wetland plant diversity at large scales. The majority of grid cells in the QTP with significant phylogenetic endemism were mixed and super-endemism. At large scales, compared to climate and topography, human activities may not have a negative impact on wetland plant diversity in the QTP.

Researchers adopt keywords to signify the core content of papers, and the spatial distribution of these keywords within the paper can provide insight into researchers' adoption behavior patterns. In this study, the primary purpose was to investigate how keyword adoption patterns affect academic papers' perceived value. First, we collected 5,739 papers from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) to extract the first-level subtitles for statistically characterizing the functional structure of papers in the Library and Information Science (LIS) field. Second, we introduce a balance degree indicator to measure the keywords' spatial distribution. Next, we identify researchers' keyword adoption behavior patterns based on the keyword spatial distribution in the functional structure. Finally, we investigate the effect of keyword adoption behavior patterns on paper impact. The findings of our study reveal that: (1) In the Library and Information Science field, the balance degree values exhibit a normal distribution and are verified to be valid. (2) Depending on the keyword distribution across the four segments, the keyword adoption behaviors of researchers can be categorized into 24 distinct types. (3) The balance degree is positively correlated with both the citation and download count, and notably, the keyword spatial distribution of the Introduction and Results & Discussion sections have a significant effect on a paper's impact. These findings have significant implications for keyword selection and the early prediction of a paper's citation and download frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work detailed here has been to assess the influence of the spatial locations of small towns on their functional structure. Relevant analysis involves 7 regions of Poland, with a total of 91 small towns representing two types of location category, i.e. within metropolitan areas or with a peripheral location. More specifically, research carried out used two means achieving functional classification, using either structural/hierarchical or morphological/functional analysis. Results emerged as confirming initial assumptions on the socio-economic functions small urban localities play as a reflection of their locations. In general, towns in metropolitan locations serve functions beyond purely local ones and display a specialised economic structure within which residential and industrial functions prevail. In turn, the functional structure of towns in peripheral locations emerges as highly diversified, with the role in supplying local functions also proving more significant in this case. Overall, the differences between the so-called metropolitan and peripheral small towns are seen to arise more from their level in the hierarchy than from economic structure as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure and functional characteristics of zooplankton and feeding of the most abundant nekton species (pollock, herring and salmons) are analyzed using the data of ecosystem survey in the western Bering Sea in 2020 and compared with the structural indices for 2015−2019. The main patterns of composition and distribution of zooplankton and production of organic matter by zooplankton are determined. High values and turnover rate of production are noted for the non-predatory zooplankton (mainly copepods and euphausiids) in the eastern Anadyr Bay, the area at Cape Navarin, the shelf of Koryak coast, and the continental slope of Olyutorsky Bay. High production of predatory zooplankton (mainly hyperiids) is found on the slope of Karaginsky Bay, presumably because of these species transport from the southern areas with later stage of the seasonal succession. In autumn 2020, walleye pollock and pacific herring consumed from 15 to 55 % of the copepod, euphausiid and hyperiid production. This level of consumption did not affect their food supply because of very high turnover rate of these taxonomic groups of plankton. In the deep-water areas, salmons did not use more than 3 % of their food resource. Thus, the survey data indicate a good food supply for the most abundant nekton species in the western Bering Sea in the fall season.

Rural area of megacities is characterized by strong connection with the urban functions and the high diversification. The function evolution can be used to determine the function positioning for the multiple value and high-quality development of rural areas. Taking the rural areas in the periphery of Beijing as a typical case, this study aims to construct an evaluation index system of rural functional intensity suitable for the long-term sequence measurement, according to the connotation and classification of rural function. Then, Nelson classification was selected to measure and identify the functional intensity and functional structure in the different rural areas from 2000 to 2020. A summary was given on the evolution and formation path of the functional structure in the rural areas. The research results were as follows: 1) There were the significant regional differences in the functional intensity of rural areas in the periphery of megacities. Diversified forms were found in the functional combination. There was also the trend from the single-dominant dominant function to multi-dominant dominant function in the functional structure. The rural multi-function was evaluated as the basis for the classification of rural functional structure. The rural regional functional structure was represented by the differences in the path formation of rural regional functions. 2) According to the number and differentiation of dominant functions, the evolution of functional structure in the rural area on the edge of megacity was summarized into three development paths: "function strengthening and upgrading path", "function adjustment and transformation path" and " Functional comprehensive improvement path". Among them, there was the relatively simple functional structure of the exurb districts and counties far from the central urban area. The functional structure evolution was attributed to the functional strengthening and upgrading path. The path of functional adjustment and transformation was mainly taken, due to the instability of core functions. The functional comprehensive and perfect path was also taken as the optimization direction of the functional structure in the plain areas with the better development in the suburbs. 3) The agricultural safeguard function with the strength was the main initial function before the multiple transformation and differentiation of the functional structure of most rural areas on the edge of megacities. The life service function was strengthened in the primary measure, in order to promote the functional diversification and high-quality development of the rural area on the edge of megacity under the current urban-rural integration goal; 4) The evolution of dominant functions and functional structures showed that the development of different rural regions was defined to guide the formulation of their functional positioning, in order to promote the diversified functions and rural regional functional structure, as well as the determination of the development direction. The functional structure and the evolution path was introduced to determine the differentiated functional positioning. The typical regional cases were enriched the research perspective of the rural regional multi-function theory. The finding can provide the promising idea for the functional structure evolution and positioning in the development path decision-making of rural areas outside megacities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method has been proposed for determining the structure of complex biological and physical systems from their electromagnetic fields. The method is based on spectral analysis of multichannel time series. Optimization of the Fourier transform is achieved by integrating long-term time series. Fine tuning to a given frequency is also possible to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. When analyzing a detailed multichannel spectrum, the signal is reconstructed at each frequency and the inverse problem is solved for the resulting field map. Using the model of one elementary source allows one to correctly solve the inverse problem by exhaustive search. The set of found elementary sources for all frequencies represents the functional structure of the complex system being studied. The method was verified on computer and physical models, after which it was successfully applied in various biological problems. The separation of the encephalogram into a signal from the brain and physiological noise was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional tomography method, based on the spectral analysis of multichannel time series of long duration, has been used to study the distribution of electrical sources in the human body. The spontaneous activity of various organs and tissues has been studied. The spatial distribution and directions of elementary sources of alpha rhythm in the brain have been examined. Spontaneous brain activity has been studied in mental disorders. Using a cardiogram, the functional structure of the heart has been found, and using myography data, working skeletal muscles have been reconstructed. The spatial distribution of moving magnetic nanoparticles was also found. The coincidence of the results with the anatomical and physical structure of the complex systems being studied confirms the high promise of the proposed method in various fundamental and applied problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The resistance of Plutella xylostella to chemical insecticides is increasing year by year, which makes RNAi (RNA interference) pesticides widely concerned. The P. xylostella SR have phagocytic and pathogenclearing abilities in cellular immunity, rendering them a promising target for RNAi pesticides. This study explores alternative targets for such pesticides by investigating the SR gene family in P. xylostella.【Method】Based on the P. xylostella genome, we comprehensively analyzed the physicochemical properties, transmembrane structure, phylogenetic evolution, secondary and tertiary structure prediction, conserved protein motifs and phosphorylation site prediction of SR gene family.【Result】The SR gene family of P. xylostella has 12 CD36 protein sequences with similar physicochemical properties and functional structures, all of which contain multiple hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions as well as two transmembrane helical regions. Their secondary and tertiary structures feature irregular coiling with the highest serine content in the phosphorylation site. A total of six species, including P. xylostella, Bombyx mori, Anopheles gambiae, Drosophila melanogaster, Manduca sexta and Tribolium castaneum contained 117 CD36 protein sequences that were classified into five distinct branches on the evolutionary tree. Genes with similar structures were grouped together within the same branch, indicating a high conservation throughout evolution. CD36px4 and CD36px5 exhibit more intricate tertiary structures. The motif 19 and motif 20 are exclusive to CD36px4, suggesting their potential involvement in species evolution. With a staggering 143 phosphorylation sites, CD36px4 may play a crucial role in the phagocytosis and clearance of apoptotic cells.【Conclusion】The 12 SRs identified are transmembrane proteins with abundant phosphorylation sites, predicted to participate in various physiological processes such as intracellular and extracellular material transport, signal transduction, energy metabolism, and apoptosis regulation. They also possess the functions of mediating phagocytosis and clearance of cellular debris. These receptors represent a promising target for RNAi-based pesticides. The results have provided a crucial foundation for the screening of RNAi pesticide targets.

IntroductionFunctional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub-Mediterranean ecotones.MethodsWe set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM.Results and discussionThe first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability.ConclusionWe observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional composition.

The prospects for ecologization of technological paradigm of development in the sector of mineral resources are studied and substantiated with regard to the requirements and constraints, and based on the equal possibilities for the biosphere and technosphere. The notion of the nature-like technologies is structured subject to the coincidence of missions of the content-rich components in the natural and geotechnical systems. The methodology of the homeostatic transformation of the biological system functions into the structure of a cluster on the convergent mining technologies is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional traits of river fish assemblages have rarely been studied in the Eastern Mediterranean region. A dataset of 254 Greek electrofished near-natural sites (427 samples) was analyzed to explore native fish functional structure across three spatial scales: (a) among six ecoregions, (b) within a single ecoregion, and (c) in a river basin. Overall, 76 native fish species were assigned eight functional categories, involving 24 different traits. Bipartite networks were used to interpret spatial patterns of species trait data. Two major trait assemblage types were detected in all three spatial scales: the upland type, dominated by insectivorous, benthic, rheophilic, intolerant species, and the lowland type, incorporating omnivorous, limnophilic, phytophilic, and tolerant species. In order to provide further insights between traits and key environmental variables, redundancy analysis (RDA) was employed. The RDA depicted a strong upstream–downstream environmental gradient. Upland and lowland assemblage types form two distinct functional zones along the upstream and downstream river stretches, respectively. Yet, no consistent boundary criteria seem to exist between them. Notably, within a region of high fish assemblage heterogeneity such as the Eastern Mediterranean, functional patterns follow well-established phenomena along the upstream–downstream longitudinal profile of temperate lotic waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current studies have shown that the taxonomic structures of ecologically important microbial communities are altered by antibiotic exposure, but the resulting effects on functional potentials and subsequent biogeochemical processes are poorly understood. However, this knowledge is indispensable for developing an accurate projection of nutrient dynamics in the future. Using metagenomic analyses, here we explored the responses of taxonomical and functional structures of a sediment microbial community, and their links with key biogeochemical processes to increasing antibiotic pollution from the pristine inlet to the outfall sites along an aquaculture discharge channel. We identified sharply contrasting sedimentary microbial communities and functional traits along increasing antibiotic pollution. Functional structures exhibited steeper distance-decay relationships than taxonomical structures along both the antibiotic distance and physicochemical distance, revealing higher functional sensitivity. Sediment enzyme activities were significantly and positively coupled with the relative abundances of their coding genes, thus the abundances of genes were indicative of functional potentials. The nitrogen cycling pathways were commonly inhibited by antibiotics, but not for the first step of nitrification, which could synergistically mitigate nitrous oxide emission. However, antibiotic pollution stimulated methanogens and inhibited methanotrophs, thereby promoting methane efflux. Furthermore, microbes could adapt to antibiotic pollution through enriched potential of sulfate uptake. Antibiotics indirectly affected taxonomic structures through alterations in network topological features, which in turn affected sediment functional structures and biogeochemical processes. Notably, only 13 antibiotics concentration-discriminatory genes contributed an overall 95.9% accuracy in diagnosing in situ antibiotic concentrations, in which just two indicators were antibiotic resistance genes. Our study comprehensively integrates sediment compositional and functional traits, biotic interactions, and enzymatic activities, thus generating a better understanding about ecological consequences of increasing antibiotics pollution. Key points: • Contrasting functional traits respond to increasing antibiotic pollution. • Antibiotics pollution stimulates CH4efflux, while mitigating N2O emission and may drive an adaptive response of enriched sulfate uptake. • Indicator genes contribute 95.9% accuracy in diagnosing antibiotic concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Understanding how historical and ecological (species interactions) factors affect species and shape community structure is a fundamental goal in ecology. However, these two components are difficult to disentangle and are often confounded. We address the influence of these factors in governing the structure of bird assemblages. Location: Southeastern Australia. Taxon: The Meliphagoidea superfamily. Methods: By adopting a semi‐experimental approach (i.e. high vs low interference competition), we examine the influence of a genus (Manorina) of honeyeater species that is well known for its hyper‐aggressiveness and strong competitive capacity on the phylogenetic and functional structure of local assemblages across three different habitats (eucalypt woodlands, mallee and cleared habitat). We applied a model that explicitly incorporates the effects of neutral colonization and local extinction in shaping community structure and estimated the contributions of niche‐based and neutral processes to community assembly using the STEPCAM technique. Results: Communities with the presence of Manorina species were characterized by faster rates of colonization and local extinction and exhibited a higher degree of phylogenetic clustering than communities without these despotic species, which suggests that this model not only mirrors habitat preferences, but also unintendedly accounts for the effect of biotic interactions. Stochastic processes had a lower contribution in the presence of Manorina species, whereas the role of filtering tended to be higher. We observed habitat differences in terms of functional (but not phylogenetic) structure, with more functionally clustered assemblages in the cleared habitat. Main Conclusions: Although recent studies have suggested that neutral‐species processes are sufficient to explain local assemblage phylogenetic structure, our capacity to isolate them from contemporary ecological processes is still limited. This study also reinforces the idea that biotic interactions can also lead to patterns of underdispersion and thus, assumptions behind null model approaches for community assembly should be carefully considered in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Guangdong Agricultural Sciences is the property of South China Agricultural University, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The case study in this study used a subject named KH with mild intellectual disability which was seen through the subject's morphosyntactic abilities. In this study using the assessment method to determine the ability of KH in morphology and syntax when speaking in everyday life. The researcher asked KH to tell KH's daily activities and was asked to retell from the available pictures. From this research it can be concluded that KH in making sentences is capable and in accordance with sentence elements such as Subj-Pred-Obj-Ket-Conj. But in terms of morphological abilities, KH more often uses Pred with basic words in the sentences that are spoken than with affixed verbs. So that in that case it can cause confusion of meaning

Fish assemblages are useful in evaluating the health of aquatic ecosystems. Over time, fish assemblages will respond to anthropogenic disturbances but may also simultaneously respond to conservation efforts in a watershed, shifting the taxonomic and functional structure of the assemblage. We quantified temporal changes in taxonomic and functional structure of fish assemblages in the Current River, Missouri, over an 80‐year time span and related these changes to forest regeneration and persistent pasture land use within the watershed. We found shifts in taxonomic and functional assemblage structure in two time‐steps from the 1940s to 2020 related to land use within the watershed. Reforested reaches exhibited increases in benthic species, rheophilic species and invertivorous feeding guilds. Higher pasture reaches exhibited decreases in benthic species and native centrarchid species while generalist centrarchid species increased. Ultimately, fish assemblage structure in the Current River appears to be shifting to an alternative state (i.e. increased presence/abundance of benthic species) in response to forest regeneration and persistent pasture land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the soil cultivation and natural restoration patterns, bacterial microbial communities and functions in cold-region wetlands, the changes of soil bacterial microbial communities and functions driven by soil cultivation and natural restoration were studied by 16SrRNA Gene Fragments and their high-throughput sequencing, relying on the wetland and farmland soils at Hongxing Wetland National of Heilongjiang Province in China. The results showed that Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes were the dominant bacteria in the tested soil samples. PCA and NMDS analysis showed that there was a significant separation between the bacterial communities in soil natural restoration treatments (CRMW and CSFW). Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial species in the cultivation farmland (RF and SF). According to FAPROTAX algorithm and BugBase phenotype analysis, soil cultivation and natural restoration patterns can change the abundance of soil functional microorganisms. The dominant functional genes were mainly chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy bacteria. Soil cultivation and natural restoration patterns lead to significant differences between aerobic, facultatively anaerobic and stress tolerant bacteria abundances in wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is altering grassland productivity and community structure worldwide. Deposited N comes in different forms, which can have different consequences for productivity due to differences in their fertilization and acidification effects. We hypothesize that these effects may be mediated by changes in plant functional traits. We investigated the responses of aboveground primary productivity and community functional composition to addition of three nitrogen compounds (NH4NO3, [NH4]2SO4, and CO[NH2]2) at the rates of 0, 5, 10, 20 g N m−2 yr−1. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate how functional structure influences the responses of productivity to the three N compounds. Nitrogen addition increased community-level leaf chlorophyll content but decreased leaf dry matter content and phosphorus concentration. These changes were mainly due to intra-specific variation. Functional dispersion of traits was reduced by N addition through changes in species composition. SEM revealed that fertilization effects were more important than soil acidification for the responses of productivity to CO(NH2)2 addition, which enhanced productivity by decreasing functional trait dispersion. In contrast, the effects of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 were primarily due to soil acidification, influencing productivity via community-weighted means of functional traits. Our results suggest that N forms with different fertilizing and acidifying effects influence productivity via different functional traits pathways. Our study also emphasizes the need for in situ experiments with the relevant N compounds to accurately understand and predict the ecological effects of atmospheric N deposition on ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility is one of the basic needs for modern people. The transport system is one of the largest consumers of energy. The largest dimension of mobility activity is concentrated in metropolitan areas, which also shows energy consumption by transport. The research looked at the potential for improving the energy efficiency of a functional and spatial structure, using the example of a medium-sized city and its functional area. The study refers to the idea of the pervasiveness of spatial structure and to the criteria of New Urbanism, as a multifunctional and sustainable urban form. The gravity fields concept was also used. This article presents simulation modeling that has made it possible to model the potential for optimizing an urbanized area towards a reduction in energy consumption in the mobility sphere and to compare the scale of the potential in this respect of its segments in relation to the movement relationships of the destinations (residence, services, workplaces, and leisure). Results show the greatest energy-saving potential located in the peripheral areas with longer distances from centers and the worst equipment of services and infrastructure. The analytic model presented in the article, based on the concept of pervasiveness, could be used for the evaluation of the multifunctionality and sustainability of urban structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stress absorption property of PUA also depend on the interaction between spherical structures. • The W/L value of 0.15 mm and 0.075 mm PUA powder increased obviously. • The PUA could reduce the cumulative deformation of asphalt after repeated loads. The excellent elasticity and strength of polyurea elastomer could provide good potential in asphalt modification. In this paper, PUA materials were prepared by spraying and crushing technology. Using liquid nitrogen, PUA was ground into powders of different particle sizes. The size composition and characteristics of PUA powder were analyzed using laser particle size analyzer. The functional microstructures were identified through laser confocal scanning microscopy. The damaging effect of grinding on functional microstructures was investigated. The impact of PUA on the rheological property of asphalt was determined. The results showed that the size distribution of PUA powders presents the normal distribution characteristic, and the size distribution of 0.3 mm, 0.15 mm, and 0.075 mm PUA powders have intersection. The spherical microstructure distributed independently in PUA particle and some spherical microstructure distributed in the triangular shape. The width/length ratio of characteristic microstructure in 0.15 mm and 0.075 mm PUA powder were increased, which supposed that the spherical microstructure had been damaged by grinding effect. PUA could reduce the cumulative deformation of asphalt when suffering from repeated loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the formation of the functional structure of the ergatic control system of a complex (poorly formalized) production facility (technological unit, human-technical complex, production) is considered, the solution of which is based on the use of a precedent approach to the development and implementation of control decisions (actions). The formulation of the synthesis problem for the procedure for constructing control solutions in an ergatic system is presented. The description of the classical CBR-cycle of making precedent decisions is given and its modification is developed, taking into account the peculiarities of the process of managing a complex object. The main subsystems and enlarged functional blocks of the control system are determined. An example of the application of the functional structure of the precedent management system as applied to the production process of steelmaking in an oxygen converter is presented.

Micro/nanorobots (MNRs) capable of performing tasks at the micro- and nanoscale hold great promise for applications in cutting-edge fields such as biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, and microfabrication. To cope with the intricate and dynamic environments encountered in practical applications, the development of high performance MNRs is crucial. They have evolved from single-material, single-function, and simple structure to multi-material, multi-function, and complex structure. However, the design and manufacturing of high performance MNRs with complex multi-material three-dimensional structures at the micro- and nanoscale pose significant challenges that cannot be addressed by conventional serial design strategies and single-process manufacturing methods. The material-interface-structure-function/ performance coupled design methods and the additive/formative/subtractive composite manufacturing methods offer the opportunity to design and manufacture MNRs with multi-materials and complex structures under multi-factor coupling, thus paving the way for the development of high performance MNRs. In this paper, we take the three core capabilities of MNRs—mobility, controllability, and load capability—as the focal point, emphasizing the coupled design methods oriented towards their function/performance and the composite manufacturing methods for their functional structures. The limitations of current investigation are also discussed, and our envisioned future directions for design and manufacture of MNRs are shared. We hope that this review will provide a framework template for the design and manufacture of high performance MNRs, serving as a roadmap for researchers interested in this area.

Abstract Salt marshes are unique habitats between sea or saline lakes and land that need to be conserved from the effects of global change. Understanding the variation in functional structure of plant community along environmental gradients is critical to predict the response of plant communities to ongoing environmental changes. We evaluated the changes in the functional structure of halophytic communities along soil gradients including salinity, in Iranian salt marshes; Lake Urmia, Lake Meyghan, Musa estuary, and Nayband Bay (Iran). We established 48 plots from 16 sites in four salt marshes and sampled 10 leaves per species to measure leaf functional traits. Five soil samples were sampled from each plot and 30 variables were analyzed. We examined the changes in the functional structure of plant communities (i.e., functional diversity [FD] and community weighted mean [CWM]) along local soil gradients using linear mixed effect models. Our results showed that FD and CWM of leaf thickness tended to increase with salinity, while those indices related to leaf shape decreased following soil potassium content. Our results suggest that the variations in functional structure of plant communities along local soil gradients reveal the effect of different ecological processes (e.g., niche differentiation related to the habitat heterogeneity) that drive the assembly of halophytic plant communities in SW Asian salt marshes.

Understanding the spatial patterns and the maintenance of biodiversity is a central target in ecology and biogeography, which provide important insights into community assembly processes. Mountain ecosystems provide informative systems for examining how biodiversity is distributed and identifying the mechanisms underlying those patterns. However, most of the existed studies only focused on plants, birds, and microbes, while little attention has been paid on amphibians, especially tadpoles. In the present study, we explored the elevational patterns of multiple facets of tadpole diversity and the community assembly mechanisms in temperate montane streams of Mount Emei, China. The taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of tadpole assemblages in montane streams were quantified. Their elevational patterns were investigated using first and second-order polynomial regression analyses. The microhabitat determinants of these patterns were assessed by ordinary least squares models and hierarchical partitioning analyses. The phylogenetic tree of tadpoles and the Eucliden distance of traits between tadpoles were constructed. They were subsequently used to calculate the standardized effect size of mean pairwise phylogenetic and functional distances, and to speculate the tadpole assembly rules. Our results indicated that the Faith’s PD and the standardized effect size of Faith’s PD had hump-shaped responses to elevation, while the relationships between elevation and observed taxonomic diversity, observed functional diversity, and the standardized effect size of functional diversity were not significant. Interestingly, these patterns were determined by microhabitat variables, such as water conductivity, river width, water depth, and substrate type. Mean pairwise phylogenetic distance also showed hump-shaped correlations with the elevational gradient. Tadpole functional and phylogenetic structures were more clustered in low and high elevational streams, suggesting that environmental filtering was the main driver. At mid-elevations, functional and phylogenetic structures were overdispersal, indicating that limiting similarity plays a dominant role in shaping the tadpole assemblages.

East Yunnan‐Kweichow Plateau is rich in biodiversity in China. Complex geographical and climatic conditions and rich bird resources made this area an ideal system for studying the spatial distribution mechanism and influencing factors of birds, which were still unknown. Bird community data from 37 sites in this region were collected, including 505 bird species and 164 species of resident passerine bird, were extracted for analysis. The taxonomic diversity, phylogenetic diversity, functional diversity (FD), and community structure index were calculated. Ordinary least square (OLS), spatial autoregressive models (SAR), and structural equation model (SEM) were used to explore the relationship between bird diversity index and environmental factors which were used to describe the habitat conditions of birds. Results indicated that species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and FD have similar distribution patterns and are mainly affected by vascular plant species richness, habitat area, and vertical altitude difference. The phylogenetic and functional structure of bird community changed in both longitude and latitude direction, and the phylogenetic structure of community was dispersed in the west and clustered in the east, significantly related to habitat area, and vertical altitude difference, the functional structure was dispersed in all sites, significantly related to average annual precipitation. The community in the west and south of the East Yunnan‐Kweichow Plateau is mainly driven by interspecific competitive, while the process in the east and north is mainly driven by environmental filtration. Distribution pattern of bird diversity was caused by the comprehensive action of various habitat factors which were mainly related to food availability and habitat heterogeneity. For maintaining the living space of birds, the protection of urban parks, wetland parks, campuses, and other urban green spaces is as important as national and provincial nature reserves. Revealing the construction mechanism and main influencing factors of bird communities in different areas is conducive to targeted protection work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This micro-research allowed the highlighting of the organizational particularities, from a territorial and functional point of view, of the deliberative bodies of the public administration at the level of Suceava County in Romania and Briceni District in the Republic of Moldova. Suceava County Council is a public authority that operates at the county level with the aim of managing the activity of communal, municipal and city councils for the provision of county public services. The Briceni Rayon Council is the representative and deliberative authority of the rayon population, its subdivisions implementing public policies in the fields of education, social assistance, finance, culture, tourism, agriculture, economy, construction and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ecologists have long debated the properties that confer stability to complex, species‐rich ecological networks. Species‐level soil food webs are large and structured networks of central importance to ecosystem functioning. Here, we conducted an analysis of the stability properties of an up‐to‐date set of theoretical soil food web models that account both for realistic levels of species richness and the most recent views on the topological structure (who is connected to whom) of these food webs. The stability of the network was best explained by two factors: strong correlations between interaction strengths and the blocked, nonrandom trophic structure of the web. These two factors could stabilize our model food webs even at the high levels of species richness that are typically found in soil, and that would make random systems very unstable. Also, the stability of our soil food webs is well‐approximated by the cascade model. This result suggests that stability could emerge from the hierarchical structure of the functional organization of the web. Our study shows that under the assumption of equilibrium and small perturbations, theoretical soil food webs possess a topological structure that allows them to be complex yet more locally stable than their random counterpart. In particular, results strongly support the general hypothesis that the stability of rich and complex soil food webs is mostly driven by correlations in interaction strength and the organization of the soil food web into functional groups. The implication is that in real‐world food web, any force disrupting the functional structure and distribution pattern of interaction strengths (i.e., energy fluxes) of the soil food webs will destabilize the dynamics of the system, leading to species extinction and major changes in the relative abundances of species.

The main objective of this work was to describe the functional structure of small towns located in the least-developed Polish voivodships (the so-called eastern Polish wall) and its changes between 2008 and 2018. An additional goal was to measure the diversification level of the functions performed by these towns. The results show that the structure of functions performed by small towns in eastern Poland was relatively uncompetitive and characterized by high stability over time. The structure was dominated by functions related to non-market services and industry, which in their case do not generate high added value. The studied structures were also relatively homogenous. The combination of such features in the long term may slow down the economic growth of the surveyed towns and regions in which they are located.

Growing concerns about the negative environmental effects of excessive chemical fertilizer input in fruit production have resulted in many attempts looking for adequate substitution. Biogas slurry as a representative organic fertilizer has the potential to replace chemical fertilizer for improvement of sustainability. However, it is still poorly known how biogas slurry applications may affect the composition of soil microbiome. Here, we investigated different substitution rates of chemical fertilizer with biogas slurry treatment (the control with no fertilizer and biogas slurry, CK; 100% chemical fertilizer, CF; biogas slurry replacing 50% of chemical fertilizer, CBS; and biogas slurry replacing 100% of chemical fertilizer, BS) in an apple orchard. Soil bacterial community and functional structure among treatments were determined using Illumina sequencing technology coupled with Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxonomy (FAPROTAX) analysis. Leaf nutrient contents, apple fruit and soil parameters were used to assess plant and soil quality. Results showed that most of fruit parameters and soil properties were significantly varied in the four treatments. CBS treatment increased the contents of soil organic matter, alkali nitrogen and available potassium average by 49.8%, 40.7% and 27.9%, respectively. Treatments with biogas slurry application increased the single fruit weight, fresh weight, and dry weight of apple fruit average by 15.6%, 18.8% and 17.8, respectively. Soil bacterial community dominance and composition were significantly influenced by substituting of chemical fertilizer with biogas slurry. Biogas slurry application enhanced the relative abundance of some beneficial taxa (e.g. Acidobacteria Gp5 and Gp7, Parasegetibacter) and functional groups related to carbon and nitrogen cycling such as chemoheterotrophy, cellulolysis, and nitrogen fixation. Soil available phosphorus and potassium, pH and electrical conductivity were identified having a high potential for regulating soil bacterial specific taxa and functional groups. This study showed that the proper ratio application (50%: 50%) of biogas slurry with chemical fertilizer could regulate soil bacterial composition and functional structure via changes in soil nutrients. The variations of bacterial community could potentially take significant ecological roles in maintaining apple plant growth, soil fertility and functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse wave behavior is important in cardiovascular pathophysiology and arterial phantoms are valuable for studying arterial function. The ability of phantoms to replicate complex arterial elasticity and anatomy is limited by available materials and techniques. The feasibility of improving phantom performance using functional structure designs producible with practical 3D printing technologies was investigated. A novel corrugated wall approach to separate phantom function from material properties was investigated with a series of designs printed from polyester-polyurethane using a low-cost open-source fused filament fabrication 3D printer. Nonpulsatile pressure-diameter data was collected, and a mock circulatory system was used to observe phantom pulse wave behavior and obtain pulse wave velocities. The measured range of nonpulsatile Peterson elastic strain modulus was 5.6-19 to 12.4-33.0 kPa over pressures of 5-35 mmHg for the most to least compliant designs respectively. Pulse wave velocities of 1.5-5 m s-1 over mean pressures of 7-55 mmHg were observed, comparing favorably to reported in vivo pulmonary artery measurements of 1-4 m s-1 across mammals. Phantoms stiffened with increasing pressure in a manner consistent with arteries, and phantom wall elasticity appeared to vary between designs. Using a functional structure approach, practical low-cost 3D-printed production of simple arterial phantoms with mechanical properties that closely match the pulmonary artery is possible. Further functional structure design development to expand the pressure range and physiologic utility of dir"ectly 3D-printed phantoms appears warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes occurring in the catchment of the Mohlapitsi River in South Africa as a result of anthropogenic activities are affecting the integrity of the river and may subsequently alter the composition and functional structure of aquatic insect assemblages. The aim of this study was to assess aquatic insect composition and richness of the functional feeding groups at different sites along the river. The insect structural composition differed among sites and seasons. The number of taxa and the diversity of insects remained relatively high across the river, especially in the downstream. The highest abundance of aquatic insects was recorded at the downstream sites, S5 and S6. Taxa richness and abundance were higher during the dry season than during the wet season. Collector-gatherer was the dominant functional feeding group in abundance and the predator was the dominant group in taxa (family) richness. The spatial and temporal functional composition were related to the environmental variables in the river. These relationships suggest that the physicochemical variables have influence on the distribution, abundance, and diversity of functional groups. However, the low abundance and taxa richness in the midstream suggest that the activities along the river are gradually impacting the river. It is important to implement proper measures to reduce agricultural and domestic discharges into the river in order to maintain its integrity and conserve the aquatic biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of spatial forms of tourism organization, their structure and patterns of formation to prove that the most optimal form is a cluster model of organization. Also to describe the features, structure, composition and life cycle of potential tourist clusters of the object of study. In the process of substantiating the development of a cluster model on the Right-Bank Polissia of Ukraine the authors used a combination of general and special methods of scientific research (modeling, information, cluster analysis, geoinformation mapping). It is proved that the creation of regional clusters of gastronomic tourism development of the Right-Bank Polissia of Ukraine will lead to the strengthening of competitive advantages of its participants. The proposed cluster model has been visualized cartographically, also its administrative and functional structure has been developed. Substantiated clusters of gastronomic tourism of the region will become the basis for further scientific research aimed at dividing the territory of the Right-Bank Polissia of Ukraine on the basis of the operational units allocation for gastronomic and tourist zoning.

Few studies have examined the succession of plant communities in the alpine zone. Studying the succession of plant communities is helpful to understand how species diversity is formed and maintained. In this study, we used species inventories, a molecular phylogeny, and trait data to detect patterns of phylogenetic and functional community structure in successional plant communities growing on the mounds of Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana) on the southeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found that phylogenetic and functional diversities of plant communities on marmot mounds tended to cluster during the early to medium stages of succession, then trended toward overdispersion from medium to late stages. Alpine species in early and late stages of succession were phylogenetically and functionally overdispersed, suggesting that such communities were assembled mainly through species interactions, especially competition. At the medium and late stages of succession, alpine communities growing on marmot mounds were phylogenetically and functionally clustered, implying that the communities were primarily structured by environmental filtering. During the medium and late stages of succession the phylogenetic and functional structures of plant communities on marmot mounds differed significantly from those on neighboring sites. Our results indicate that environmental filtering and species interactions can change plant community composition at different successional stages. Assembly of plant communities on marmot mounds was promoted by a combination of traits that may provide advantages for survival and adaptation during periods of environmental change.

The use of multiple ecological weed management tactics may be an effective solution to weed management challenges associated with reducing tillage. An experiment was conducted to assess how soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. density and cereal rye Secale cereale L. mulch biomass affected weed suppression and community assembly in no‐till production. Soybean was planted at five rates from 0 to 74 seeds m−2, and five cereal rye mulch levels were established from 0 to 2 times the ambient cereal rye biomass within each site–year. We assessed the effects of soybean density and cereal rye mulch biomass on weed suppression, weed community composition, and the functional structure of weed life cycle, emergence timing, seed weight, height, and specific leaf area traits. Weed suppression was influenced by a synergistic interaction between soybean density and cereal rye biomass. The functional dispersion (FDis) of all weed traits, when combined, was reduced by increased soybean density and mulch biomass, suggesting that high treatment intensities induced trait convergence. However, soybean density and cereal rye biomass had differing effects on the FDis and composition of individual traits, suggesting that these management practices represent unique filters during weed community assembly. Mulch biomass had a larger effect on annual weed suppression and weed community composition than soybean density. Farmers who utilize high biomass cover crop mulch for weed management may experience shifts in weed community composition toward an increased proportion of perennials and weeds with later emergence, heavier seeds, and shorter stature. Increasing soybean density may reduce perennial weed biomass, making it a valuable complement to high cereal rye mulch biomass. As such, weed management in no‐till soybean is enhanced by combining multiple practices, which can enable synergistic weed suppression and the management of diverse weed functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]