Consistency Tradeoffs Research Articles

Dynamic decision making for situational awareness using drones: Requirements, identification and comparison of decision support methods

Decision makers increasingly operate in real-time information-rich environments, where limited time is available for interpreting data to inform decisions. These environments are driven by static or mobile sensing devices that can provide numerous dynamic data points. A prominent approach in this space is to utilise drones, which can be deployed to gather targeted information. However, deciding how best to deploy available drones is nontrivial, and stands to benefit from decision support aids that plan routes. Such a system must operate under time constraints created by the changing attributes of routes as the situation unfolds. This study describes a dynamic decision support system (DSS) for situational awareness with drones. The system applies Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods within a dynamic genetic algorithm to provide a continuously revised ranking of routes. Five desiderata for dynamic decision support are presented. It is shown how a dynamic DSS can be equipped with declarative specification of preferences (Desiderata 1), dynamic revision of recommendations (Desiderata 2), and high diversity of options (Desiderata 3). The study then compares four MCDM methods, namely the Weighted Product Model (WPM), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), with regards to how consistently they trade-off between criteria (Desiderata 4) and the stability of results under small changes to criteria values (Desiderata 5). To evaluate the trade-offs between criteria we analyse the smoothness of change in criteria outcomes as criteria weightings increase for each algorithm. The outcomes are calculated by automating the selection of routes in a case study that applies drones to the task of harbour management. The stability of results for the different MCDM methods are compared. Perturbations were applied to sets of routes ranked by each algorithm then each algorithm was reapplied and the magnitude of the changes in ranking was assessed. Overall, TOPSIS was found to be the algorithm which made the most consistent trade-offs between criteria, only under-performing another algorithm with respect to a single criterion. AHP and WPM were the next most consistent algorithms and PROMETHEE was the least consistent algorithm. TOPSIS was also found to be the most stable method under small changes to criteria values. AHP was the second most stable, followed by PROMETHEE and WPM respectively. The results show that TOPSIS achieves the best result for both Desiderata 4 and 5 and consequently the study finds TOPSIS to be an appropriate MCDM method for dynamic decision support.

Exposure to the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Lepidodinium sp. and its cues increase toxin production of Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries

The present study examined the defense responses of toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia species (P. multiseries) to a mixotrophic dinoflagellate, Lepidodinium sp., and its associated cues. We evaluated their responses to different predation risks, including direct physical contact and indirect interactions facilitated by cues from Lepidodinium sp. during active feeding on heterospecific prey (Rhodonomas salina), limited feeding on conspecific prey (P. multiseries) and non-feeding (autotrophic growth in f/2 medium) states. This study is the first investigation of these trophic interactions. Our results demonstrated a significant increase in cellular domoic acid (cDA) in P. multiseries when exposed to Lepidodinium sp. and its associated cues, which was 1.38 to 2.42 times higher than the non-induced group. Notably, this increase was observed regardless of Lepidodinium sp. feeding on this toxic diatom and nutritional modes. However, the most significant increase occurred when they directly interacted. These findings suggest that P. multiseries evaluates predation risk and increases cDA production as a defensive strategy against potential grazing threats. No morphological changes were observed in P. multiseries in response to Lepidodinium sp. or its cues. P. multiseries cultured in flasks of Group L+P-P showed a decrease in growth, but Group L-P and Group L+R-P did not exhibit any decrease. These results suggest a lack of consistent trade-offs between the defense response and growth, thus an increase in cDA production may be a sustainable and efficient defense strategy for P. multiseries. Furthermore, our findings indicate that P. multiseries had no significant impact on the fitness (cell size, growth and/or grazing) of Lepidodinium sp. and R. salina, which suggests no evident toxic or allelopathic impacts on these two phytoplankton species. This study enhances our understanding of the trophic interactions between toxic diatoms and mixotrophic dinoflagellates and helps elucidate the dynamics of Harmful Algal Blooms, toxin transmission, and their impact on ecosystem health.

Impact of financial development, trade flows, and institution on environmental sustainability in emerging markets

The present study is motivated by the need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation given the new wave of chase for higher economic growth trajectories comes with its environmental cost implications, especially among developing blocs like the Emerging 7 (E7) countries. There is a consistent trade-off between economic growth versus environmental quality. Government apparatus are perpetually on the chase for low-carbon emission policies via the pursuit for green economy. To this end, this present study extends the conventional environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) argument by incorporating the role of institution in emerging industrialized economies (E7) and using second-generation panel analysis methods like mean group (MG), augmented mean group (AMG), common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG), and the Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test for more robust estimates and inferences. To this end, we explore the long-run and causality relationship between economic growth, quadratic form of economic growth, institutional quality, trade flow, investment in energy sector, and financial development in an EKC environment. Empirical analysis established a long-run equilibrium relationship among the outlined variables over the study period. The long-run regression shows the presence of EKC in the E7. Thus, suggesting the preference for GDP growth over environmental quality at the earlier stage of growth curve. Interestingly, investment in energy, trade flow dynamics across the blocs, and financial development dampens the detrimental effect of environmental pollution as we observed negative relationship with the ecological footprint. On the contrary, quality of institution is weak as institutional quality increase (worsen) the quality of environment in the E7 economies. From a policy perspective, this current study proposed the need for more stringent environmental treaties and regulations and promotion of green economy without compromising economic growth. In the conclusion part of the study, more details and specifics about the policy blueprint are presented.

The effect of insect food availability on songbird reproductive success and chick body condition: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reports of declines in abundance and biomass of insects and other invertebrates from around the world have raised concerns about food limitation that could have profound impacts for insectivorous species. Food availability can clearly affect species; however, there is considerable variation among studies in whether this effect is evident, and thus a lack of clarity over the generality of the relationship. To understand how decreased food availability due to invertebrate declines will affect bird populations, we conducted a systematic review and used meta-analytic structural equation modelling, which allowed us to treat our core variables of interest as latent variables estimated by the diverse ways in which researchers measure fecundity and chick body condition. We found a moderate positive effect of food availability on chick body condition and a strong positive effect on reproductive success. We also found a negative relationship between chick body condition and reproductive success. Our results demonstrate that food is generally a limiting factor for breeding songbirds. Our analysis also provides evidence for a consistent trade-off between chick body condition and reproductive success, demonstrating the complexity of trophic dynamics important for these vital rates.

Differentiated Consistency for Worldwide Gossips

Eventual consistency is a consistency model that favors liveness over safety. It is often used in large-scale distributed systems where models ensuring a stronger safety incur performance that are too low to be deemed practical. Eventual consistency tends to be uniformly applied within a system, but we argue a demand exists for differentiated eventual consistency, e.g. in blockchain systems. We propose update-query consistency with primaries and secondaries (UPS) to address this demand. UPS is a novel consistency mechanism that works in pair with our novel two-phase epidemic broadcast protocol gossip primary-secondary (GPS) to offer differentiated eventual consistency and delivery speed. We propose two complementary analyses of the broadcast protocol: a continuous analysis and a discrete analysis based on compartmental models used in epidemiology. Additionally, we propose the formal definition of a scalable consistency metric to measure the consistency trade-off at runtime. We evaluate UPS in two simulated worldwide settings: a one-million-node network and a network emulating that of the Ethereum blockchain. In both settings, UPS reduces inconsistencies experienced by a majority of the nodes and reduces the average message latency for the remaining nodes.

Trajectories of wildfire behavior under climate change. Can forest management mitigate the increasing hazard?

Mediterranean forests and fire regimes are closely intertwined. Global change is likely to alter both forest dynamics and wildfire activity, ultimately threatening the provision of ecosystem services and posing greater risks to society. In this paper we evaluate future wildfire behavior by coupling climate projections with simulation models of forest dynamics and wildfire hazard. To do so, we explore different forest management scenarios reflecting different narratives related to EU forestry (promotion of carbon stocks, reduction of water vulnerability, biomass production and business-as-usual) under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate pathways in the period 2020–2100. We used as a study model pure submediterranean Pinus nigra forests of central Catalonia (NE Spain). Forest dynamics were simulated from the 3rd National Forest Inventory (143 stands) using SORTIE-nd software based on climate projections under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5. The climate products were also used to estimate fuel moisture conditions (both live and dead) and wind speed. Fuel parameters and fire behavior were then simulated, selecting crown fire initiation potential and rate of spread as key indicators. The results revealed consistent trade-offs between forest dynamics, climate and wildfire. Despite the clear influence exerted by climate, forest management modulates fire behavior, resulting in different trends depending on the climatic pathway. In general, the maintenance of current practices would result in the highest rates of crown fire activity, while management for water vulnerability reduction is postulated as the best alternative to surmount the increasingly hazardous conditions envisaged in RCP 8.5.

Hihooi: A Database Replication Middleware for Scaling Transactional Databases Consistently

With the advent of the Internet and Internet-connected devices, modern business applications can experience rapid increases as well as variability in transactional workloads. Database replication has been employed to scale performance and improve availability of relational databases but past approaches have suffered from various issues including limited scalability, performance versus consistency tradeoffs, and requirements for database or application modifications. This paper presents Hihooi, a replication-based middleware system that is able to achieve workload scalability, strong consistency guarantees, and elasticity for existing transactional databases at a low cost. A novel replication algorithm enables Hihooi to propagate database modifications asynchronously to all replicas at high speeds, while ensuring that all replicas are consistent. At the same time, a fine-grained routing algorithm is used to load balance incoming transactions to available replicas in a consistent way. Our thorough experimental evaluation with several well-established benchmarks shows how Hihooi is able to achieve almost linear workload scalability for transactional databases.

Burnt wood management enhances soil multifunctionality at the medium term after a large wildfire in north-west Spain

Background Mulching and burnt wood treatments are commonly applied to prevent the loss of soil quality and erosion, but their effect on soil multifunctionality remains unexplored. Aims We filled this gap by assessing the medium-term (4 years) effects of these treatments on soil multifunctionality after a large wildfire in NW Spain. Methods Straw mulching (SM) and cut plus lopping (CpL) treatments were applied in high-severity affected areas of heathland plant communities. CpL areas had been afforested with Scots pine 15 years before the fire. We considered four soil functions estimated in treated and burned control plots 4 years after fire: (1) carbon regulation; (2) water regulation; (3) soil fertility; and (4) nutrient cycling. The functions were integrated into a multifunctionality index and linear models were used to evaluate treatments effect. Key results SM had no impact on individual functions and multifunctionality. Conversely, CpL with burnt Scots pine wood was able to sustain higher levels of multiple functions simultaneously than control areas. Consistent trade-offs between soil functions emerged in control areas for both treatments. Conclusions Burnt wood could ensure long-lasting effects to promote soil multifunctionality in Mediterranean ecosystems. Implications We recommend using a multifunctionality approach to avoid biases in treatment success.

A Multiscale Optimization Technique for Large-Scale Subsurface Profiling

An efficient multiresolution inverse scattering approach is presented for profiling high-contrast buried targets in large investigation domains (IDs). The proposed technique is based on an iterative multiscale approach (IMSA) that starts with coarse meshes and successively zooms in and marches toward the detected target location. Hence, by tightening the ID, the resolution could be enhanced without any increase in the number of meshes of the search domain. Here, the global evolutionary programming (EP) optimization algorithm is used in each step of IMSA, to guarantee the success of inversion process. In particular, an efficient variation in EP with Cauchy mutation is implemented for enhanced convergence. Moreover, a hybrid combination of multifrequencies (MFs) and frequency hopping (FH) schemes is combined with the proposed technique to better deal with the problem’s nonlinearity and also simultaneously make a consistent trade-off between mesh length and frequencies. The proposed FH-MF-IMSA is evaluated by implementing it to various large-scale subsurface problems. Furthermore, the superior performance of this technique is shown by comparing its results with the standard IMSA, as well as with other well-known global optimization techniques.

Consistent trade-offs in ecosystem services between land covers with different production intensities.

ABSTRACTSustaining multiple ecosystem services across a landscape requires an understanding of how consistently services are shaped by different categories of land uses. Yet, this understanding is generally constrained by the availability of fine‐resolution data for multiple services across large areas and the spatial variability of land‐use effects on services. We systematically surveyed published literature for New Zealand (1970–2015) to quantify the supply of 17 non‐production services across 25 land covers (as a proxy for land use). We found a consistent trade‐off in the services supplied by anthropogenic land covers with a high production intensity (e.g. cropping) versus those with extensive or no production. By contrast, forest cover was not associated with any distinct patterns of service supply. By drawing on existing research findings, we reveal complementarity and redundancy (potentially influencing resilience) in service supply from different land covers. This will guide practitioners in shaping land systems that sustainably support human well‐being.

Microbial linkages to soil biogeochemical processes in a poorly drained agricultural ecosystem

Soil microorganisms mediate biogeochemical processes, but how microbial community composition influences these processes remains contested. We combined monthly sequencing of soil 16S rRNA genes and intensive measurements of nitrogen (N), carbon (C), and iron (Fe) cycling along a topographic gradient in a poorly drained intensive agricultural ecosystem (corn–soybean rotation) in the midwestern United States. Observed microbial composition changed little over time within and among years despite large differences in weather and crop type. Yet, microbial composition varied greatly with topographic location and correlated strongly with moisture, soil organic carbon (SOC), and especially pH. Microbial families, genera, and/or amplicon sequence variants often correlated significantly with measured biogeochemical processes or pools, yet different taxa within the same phylogenetic groups often responded in opposite ways, indicating a lack of ecological coherence among close relatives. Dominant phyla were generally similar across the topographic gradient but specific members showed consistent tradeoffs among locations. Ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria sequences varied oppositely with pH across the gradient, but their combined relative abundances remained similar, as did potential nitrification rates. Nitrospira sequences correlated positively with nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes, suggesting a direct or indirect contribution of nitrification (or possibly comammox) to N2O production. We also found significant linkages between taxonomic groups and redox-sensitive Fe pools, indicating a role for redox variation in structuring microbial communities. Several globally dominant bacteria identified previously correlated significantly with measured biogeochemical variables, providing insights into their possible functional roles. Overall, microbial composition provided a coarse measure of several key biogeochemical functions and implicated taxa that possibly mediate these processes in a widespread agroecosystem of North America.

Leaf economic strategies of a sclerophyllous plant (Eurya japonica): commonalities and particularities of trait correlation structures in low-moisture and low-phosphorus habitats.

Sclerophylly proves an advantageous strategy in a variety of stressful environments. However, it is less clear how multiple phenotypic traits in sclerophyllous plants are integrated to accomplish proper functions under specific stressors. This study measured 10 leaf traits in a sclerophyllous species, Eurya japonica Thunb., in the Zhoushan Archipelago, eastern China, to examine how the structures of trait correlation (i.e. phenotypic integration) vary between two habitats with contrasting moisture and phosphorus (P) availability. Overall, the trait correlation matrices were similar between the two habitats under study (Mantel r > 0.5), reflecting a consistent trade-off between leaf outspreading (i.e. leaf area/mass ratio) and water-use efficiency (measured by δ13C). Stomatal conductance was correlated with leaf area, thickness and area/mass ratio only in the dry, P-rich habitat, whereas it was robustly correlated with leaf P per unit area in the wet, P-poor habitat. Moreover, leaf water-use efficiency was robustly correlated with leaf P and N per unit area in the dry habitat, but not so in the low-P one. These differences in trait correlation structures illustrate that the pathways of strategic compromise under contrasting stressors were locally specialised. This study highlights the importance of phenotypic integration as an emergent 'trait' in sustaining viable strategies.

Achieving Probabilistic Atomicity With Well-Bounded Staleness and Low Read Latency in Distributed Datastores

Although it has been commercially successful to deploy weakly consistent but highly-responsive distributed datastores, the tension between developing complex applications and obtaining only weak consistency guarantees becomes more and more severe. The almost strong consistency tradeoff aims at achieving both strong consistency and low latency in the common case. In distributed storage systems, we investigate the generic notion of almost strong consistency in terms of designing fast read algorithms while guaranteeing Probabilistic Atomicity with well-Bounded staleness (PAB). This problem has been explored in the case where only one client can write the data. However, the more general case where multiple clients can write the data has not been studied. In this article, we study the fast read algorithm for PAB in the multi-writer case. We show the bound of data staleness and the probability of atomicity violation by decomposing inconsistent reads into the read inversion and the write inversion patterns. We implement the fast read algorithm and evaluate the consistency-latency tradeoffs based on the instrumentation of Cassandra and the YCSB benchmark framework. The theoretical analysis and the experimental evaluations show that our fast read algorithm guarantees PAB, even when faced with dynamic changes in the computing environment.

Decomposition and organic amendments chemistry explain contrasting effects on plant growth promotion and suppression of Rhizoctonia solani damping off.

Organic Amendments (OAs) has been used in agroecosystems to promote plant growth and control diseases caused by soilborne pathogens. However, the role of OAs chemistry and decomposition time on plant growth promotion and disease suppression is still poorly explored. In this work, we studied the effect of 14 OAs at four decomposition ages (3, 30, 100, and 300 days) on the plant—pathogen system Lactuca sativa–Rhizoctonia solani. OAs chemistry was characterized via 13C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopy as well as for standard chemical (i.e. N content, pH, EC) and biological parameters (i.e. phytotoxicity and R. solani proliferation bioassay). OAs have shown variable effects, ranging from inhibition to stimulation of Lactuca sativa and Lepidium sativum growth. We recorded that N rich OAs with high decomposability were conducive in the short-term, while converting suppressive in the long term (300 days). On the other hand, cellulose-rich OAs with high C/N ratio impaired L. sativa growth but were more consistent in providing protection from damping-off, although this property has significantly shifted during decomposition time. These results, for the first time, highlight a consistent trade-off between plant growth promotion and disease control capability of OAs. Finally, we found that OAs effects on growth promotion and disease protection can be hardly predictable based on the chemical characteristic, although N content and some 13C CPMAS NMR regions (alkyl C, methoxyl C, and carbonyl C) showed some significant correlations. Therefore, further investigations are needed to identify the mechanism(s) behind the observed suppressive and conducive effects and to identify OAs types and application timing that optimize plant productivity and disease suppression in different agro-ecosystems.

Effect of simulated warming on leaf functional traits of urban greening plants

BackgroundResponse and adaptation strategies of plants to the environment have always been the core issues in ecological research. So far, relatively little study exists on its functional traits responses to warming, especially in an urban environment. This information is the key to help understand plant responses and trade-off strategy to urban warming.ResultsWe chose the common greening trees of mature age in Beijing (Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Koelreuteria paniculata, and Sophora japonica) as the research subjects, and used infrared heaters to simulate warming for three gradients of natural temperature (CK), moderate warming (T1) and severe warming (T2). Results showed that:(1) Leaf dry matter content (LDMC), chlorophyll content (CHL), leaf tissue density (LTD), and stomatal density (SD) all increased with temperature warming. Specific leaf area (SLA), stomatal size (SS), and stomatal aperture (SA) decreased with simulated warming. (2) SLA was extremely significantly negatively correlated with CHL, LDMC, LTD and SD (P < 0.01), and was extremely significantly positively correlated with SS (P < 0.01). SA was extremely negatively correlated with SD (P < 0.01), and was extremely significantly positively correlated with SS (P < 0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between LDMC and LTD (P < 0.01). This showed that urban greening trees adapted to the environment by coordinating adjustment among leaf functional traits. (3) Under the T1 treatment, the R2 and slope among the leaf traits were higher than CK, and the significance was also enhanced. The correlation between leaf traits was strengthened in this warming environment. Conversely, it will weaken the correlation between leaf traits under the T2 treatment.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that there was a strong trade-off between leaf functional traits in the urban warming environment. Plants in the warming environment have adopted relatively consistent trade-offs and adaptation strategies. Moderate warming was more conducive to strengthening their trade-off potential. It is further verified that the global leaf economics spectrum also exists in urban ecosystems, which is generally tend to a quick-investment return type with the characteristics of thick leaves, strong photosynthetic capacity, low transpiration efficiency and long life in urban environments.

Continuous Separation of Radionuclides from Contaminated Water by Shock Electrodialysis.

The increasing popularity of nuclear energy necessitates development of new methods to treat water that becomes contaminated with radioactive substances. Because this polluted water comprises several dissolved species (not all of which are radioactive), selective accumulation of the radionuclides is desirable to minimize the volume of nuclear waste and to facilitate its containment or disposal. In this article, we use shock electrodialysis to selectively, continuously, and efficiently remove cobalt and cesium from a feed of dissolved lithium, cobalt, cesium, and boric acid. This formulation models the contaminated water commonly found in light-water reactors and in other nuclear processes. In a three-pass process, a consistent trade-off is observed between the recovery of decontaminated water and the percentage of cobalt removed, which offers flexibility in operating the system. For example, 99.5% of cobalt can be removed with a water recovery of 43%, but up to 66% of the water can be recovered if deionization of cobalt is allowed to drop to 98.3%. In general, the energy consumed during this process (ranging between 1.76 and 4.8 kW h m-3) is low because only charged species are targeted and virtually no energy is expended removing boric acid, the most abundant species in solution.

Trade-offs constrain the evolution of an inducible defense within but not between plant species.

Inducible defense is a common form of phenotypic plasticity, and inducibility (change in defense after herbivore attack) has long been predicted to trade off with constitutive (or baseline) defense to manage resource allocation. Although such trade-offs likely constrain evolution within species, the extent to which they influence divergence among species is unresolved. We studied cardenolide toxins among genetic families in eight North American Asclepias species, spanning the full range of defense in the genus. Using common environment experiments and chemical assays, we report a consistent trade-off (negative genetic correlation) between concentrations of constitutive cardenolides and their inducibility within each species. However, no trade-off was found in a phylogenetic analysis across species. To investigate factors driving differences in defense allocation among species we used latitude as a proxy for growing season and herbivore pressure and found that divergence into lower latitudes resulted in evolution of higher cardenolides overall. Next we used an enzymatic assay of the cellular target of cardenolides (sodium-potassium ATPase) and confirm that higher cardenolides resulted in stronger toxicity to a sensitive species, but not to specialized monarch butterflies. Thus, plant speciation into biogeographic regions with alternative resources or pest pressure resulted in the macroevolution of cardenolide defense, especially against unspecialized herbivores. Nonetheless, trade-offs persist in the extent to which this defense is allocated constitutively or is inducible among genotypes within each species.

Addressing ecological, economic, and social tradeoffs of refuge expansion in constrained landscapes

Conservation planning increasingly needs to be effective in areas that are influenced by anthropogenic land uses, yet many planning tools do not give equal consideration to ecological, social, and economic objectives, nor do they enable identification or comparison of tradeoffs among objectives. We explore outcomes and tradeoffs for the proposed expansion of a US wildlife refuge in a region characterized by strong town character and high human population density, development, and property values. Our objectives were to: (1) determine whether acquisition targets could be achieved given competing objectives; (2) evaluate tradeoffs between social, economic, and ecological objectives; and (3) evaluate how landscape development influences tradeoffs. We used genetic algorithms to generate and evaluate outcomes for refuge expansion that could systematically navigate multi-objective tradeoffs. Ecological objectives included maximizing total protected habitat, priority habitats, and connectivity between protected properties. Economic and social objectives included minimizing acquisition cost, loss of areas under high development pressure, and town character conflict. Land acquisition targets could be met, though not without economic and social tradeoffs. Positive outcomes for area protected and connectivity resulted in poor outcomes for the other four objectives. Win–win refuge expansion solutions were available for some objectives, but there were also consistent tradeoff relationships, which were exacerbated in areas with high development pressure. This multi-objective approach allows decision makers to account for tradeoffs and hard choices between social-ecological objectives. Explicit consideration of multiple, competing objectives and their benefits, losses, and costs increases transparency and improves decision making.

Consistent trade-offs in fungal trait expression across broad spatial scales.

Fungi are the primary agents of terrestrial decomposition, yet our understanding of fungal biogeography lags far behind that of plants, animals and bacteria. Here, we use a trait-based approach to quantify the niches of 23 species of basidiomycete wood decay fungi from across North America, and explore the linkages among functional trait expression, climate and phylogeny. Our analysis reveals a fundamental trade-off between abiotic stress tolerance and competitive ability, whereby fungi with wide thermal and moisture niches exhibit lower displacement ability. The magnitude of this dominance-tolerance trade-off is partially related to the environmental conditions under which the fungi were collected, with thermal niche traits exhibiting the strongest climate relationships. Nevertheless, moisture and thermal dominance-tolerance patterns exhibited contrasting phylogenetic signals, suggesting that these trends are influenced by a combination of niche sorting along taxonomic lines in tandem with acclimation and adaptation at the level of the individual. Collectively, our work reveals key insight into the life history strategies of saprotrophic fungi, demonstrating consistent trait trade-offs across broad spatial scales.

A BPPE Algorithm for Instantly Decodable Network Coding in Wireless Broadcasting

Instantly decodable network coding (IDNC) is a low-cost network coding technique for recovering unattained packets by multiple receivers. Due to its NP-hard nature, finding the optimal IDNC coded packets is intractable. In the well-known graph-based method proposed by Sorour et al. , a maximum weight clique selection problem is formulated as an approximation, and a heuristic algorithm called maximum weight clique (MWC) is proposed in maximizing the clique weight. In this letter, a base policy-based partial enumeration (BPPE) algorithm is proposed in addressing the maximum weight clique selection problem. In particular: 1) the necessity of constructing the IDNC graph as in MWC is eliminated and 2) different enumeration lengths could be chosen, so that a consistent performance-run time tradeoff could be achieved. Simulation results testify the effectiveness of BPPE in addressing the maximum weight clique selection problem over existing algorithms in terms of performance-run time tradeoff.