Fluctuations In Environmental Factors Research Articles

Combined Influence of Fluctuations in the Local Atmosphere Conditions and Space Weather on the Chronoperiodic Systems in Patients With Cardiovascular Pathology

This review paper explores the impact of fluctuations in environmental factors on human chrono-periodic systems. A multitude of external and internal environmental factors influence the organism throughout its lifespan, and many have the potential to disrupt human homeostasis. It would be inaccurate to assume that specific responses to each stimulus were developed and solidified during the evolutionary process. With the exception of genetic defects, there could not have been evolutionarily fixed pathological reactions in the body, as this would contradict the laws of selection. Therefore, all typical responses of the body to the stimulus should be considered primarily adaptive, i.e., physiological.

Metabolomic insights into the effects of seasonal shifts on the dynamic variation of non-volatile compounds of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)

Abalone (Haliotis spp.) is a shellfish known for its exceptional nutritional value and significant economic worth. This study investigated the dynamic characteristics of non-volatile compounds over a year, including metabolites, lipids, nucleotides, and free amino acids (FAAs), which determined the nutritional quality and flavor of abalone. 174 metabolites and 371 lipids were identified and characterized, while 20 FAAs and 11 nucleotides were quantitatively assessed. These non-volatile compounds of abalone were fluctuated with months variation, which was consistent with the fluctuations of environmental factors, especially seawater temperature. Compared with seasonal variation, gender had less influence on these non-volatiles. June and July proved to be the optimal harvesting periods for abalone, with the levels of overall metabolites, lipids, FAAs, and nucleotides in abalone exhibiting a higher value in June and July over a year. Intriguingly, taurine covered 60% of the total FAAs and abalone could be used as dietary taurine supplementation.

Influence of environmental factors on reproduction of the invasive Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta (Teleostei: Batrachoididae) in a subtropical estuary

A hallmark of biological invasion is the rapid reproduction of invasive species. However, we still do not have an adequate understanding of how fluctuations in environmental factors affect the reproduction of invasive species, particularly in estuarine habitats. In this study, we evaluated the reproduction of the Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta and its relationships with temperature and rainfall in the Paranaguá estuary, a subtropical region in southern Brazil. This species was likely introduced into the Brazilian ecosystems through the discharge of ballast water. Since invasion, which was first reported in port areas, the species has rapidly spread along the Brazilian coast line. We collected specimens monthly from October 2011 to September 2012 and from October 2019 to September 2020, to give us insight into the seasonal and temporal changes in the reproduction of this species. We found that O. beta population uses the estuary throughout its life cycle, including during spawning. Females and males spawned throughout almost the entire sampling period and spawning was specified as partially. Peak reproductive activity occurred in periods of lower temperature and was also related to rain. The length of first maturation in females (10cm) was considered early, indicating reproductive activity in smaller individuals. Our results demonstrate that the reproductive strategy used by the invasive species supports its ability to successfully colonize new environments.

Environmental Factors Affecting the Diversity and Composition of Environmental Microorganisms in the Shaoxing Rice Wine Producing Area.

Shaoxing rice wine is a notable exemplar of Chinese rice wine. Its superior quality is strongly correlated with the indigenous natural environment. The results indicated that Firmicutes (75%), Actinobacteria (15%), Proteobacteria (5%), and Bacteroidetes (3%) comprised the prevailing bacterial groups. Among the main bacterial genera, Lactobacillus was the most abundant, accounting for 49.4%, followed by Lactococcus (11.9%), Saccharopolyspora (13.1%), Leuconostoc (4.1%), and Thermoactinomyces (1.1%). The dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota and Zygomycota. Among the dominant genera, Saccharomyces (59.3%) prevailed as the most abundant, followed by Saccharomycopsis (10.7%), Aspergillus (7.1%), Thermomyces (6.2%), Rhizopus (4.9%), Rhizomucor (2.2%), and Mucor (1.3%). The findings demonstrate that the structure of the bacterial and fungal communities remains stable in the environment, with their diversity strongly influenced by climatic conditions. The continuous fluctuations in environmental factors, such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, rainfall, and light, significantly impact the composition and diversity of microbial populations, particularly the dominant bacterial community.

Experimental research on the variation of microclimate factors in healing tunnels designed for grafted vegetable seedlings

During the healing process, the scion and the rootstock must establish vascular connection, which is considered the most critical process in the production of grafted vegetables. Therefore, the healing process must be carried out in a monitored and controlled environment, in special healing areas, where parameters characterizing the microclimate must be maintained at the optimal values, ideally with great precision. The main objective of the current experiment was to analyse the variation of microclimate factors in the curing and acclimatization chambers of grafted vegetable seedlings during specific technological phase. The measurements of different abiotic factors such as relative humidity, temperature, light radiation intensity and CO2 concentration were carried out inside an experimental research healing tunnel situated inside a greenhouse. After grafting, the grafted seedlings were placed in specialized enclosures for their healing and the results shown that variations of the plants density and determined microclimate factors significantly affect the quality of seedlings. Because the stages of obtaining grafted seedlings are relatively short, fluctuations in environmental factors can have dramatic effects on the quality and quantity of grafted seedling production. Such a study of the prediction of microclimate factors must lead to the development of a versatile prediction model that can be used in any climatic conditions, at any time of the year and in any geographical location.

Evaluation of potato hybrids by the dynamics of accumulation of yield and starch content in tubers in agro-ecological conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region

The article provides the results of studying the accessions of potato in the nursery of dynamic test for 2019-2021 in agro-ecological conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region (Kirov region) by the yield and starch content in tubers. The objects of the study were 10 hybrids bred by Falenki Breeding Station - branch of Federal Agricultural Research Center of the NorthEast named N. V. Rudnitsky (FARC North-East). Early variety Udacha (Russian Potato Research Centre), middle-early variety Nevsky (North-West Research Institute of Agriculture), mid-season variety Chaika (FARC North-East) were taken as standard. Promising potato hybrids of different maturity groups with high potential yield have been selected: early variety 172- 13 (24.1 t/ha), middle-early varieties 27-07 (22.7 t/ha), 179-10 (22.9 t/ha), 233-12 (24.0 t/ha), mid-season 232-12 (22.4 t/ha). By favorable agro-weather conditions (2019) the highest yield (more than 28.0 % t/ha) was developed by hybrids: early 172-13, middle-early 27-07 and 179-10, mid-season 580-13. In the unstable environment of 2020 and 2021 the following hybrids were noted: middle-early 233-12 (19.6 and 27.7 t/ha) and mid-season 232-12 (19.2 and 24.0 t/ha). In the group of middle-early varieties with high starch content (15 % and more) during the years of study there were selected the hybrids 27-07, 179-10, 72-13, 182-13. The maximum accumulation of starch (18-21 %) was noted in mid-season hybrid 580-13. Significantly high inter-seasonal correlations by yield on the 60th day from the planting have been established, that characterized all the varieties as the most stable. On the 80th day there were noted weak inter-seasonal correlations that proved the instability of this parameter during the years which differed in weather conditions (strong interaction “genotype-environment”, that is the yield of variety samples during this period depended on the effect of environment factors). High inter-seasonal correlations by the parameter “starch content” on the 80th day have been revealed. The varieties and hybrids by the time of complete ripeness preserved the stability by this indicator unlike early harvesting periods when they were more dependable on the fluctuations of environmental factors.

Evaluation of operating parameters affecting the two-stage nitritatin/anammox process in mainstream flows: From lab-scale to pilot-scale

Operating parameters for the two-stage nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process in mainstream flows from lab-scale to pilot-scale were investigated. In the batch experiment, the specific activities of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were fitted with a Monod model, and the oxygen affinity of NOB was higher than that of AOB. Nevertheless, dissolved oxygen concentrations higher than 2.0 mgO2/L were effectively applied for selective inhibition of NOB. In addition, organic matter was evaluated as the operating parameter that inhibited the activity of NOB more selectively than AOB under mainstream conditions. The operating parameters determined in the batch experiment were verified in a continuous experiment, and it was shown that the shortening of hydraulic retention time with increasing aeration time in the sequencing batch reactor cycle has the potential to selectively enhance the activity of AOB over NOB. The effect on the C/N ratio and temperature in a lab-scale anammox reactor was investigated. The denitrification with the addition of organic matter contributed to the improvement of nitrogen removal efficiency, but a C/N ratio of more than 1.0 severely deteriorated the sludge settleability. The operating factors for the mainstream PN/A determined in the lab scale were applied to the pilot plant. As a result, a nitrogen removal efficiency of 79 ± 11% was stably achieved with effluent total nitrogen of 2.6 ± 1.5mg/L. However, unpredictable fluctuations in environmental factors revealed that residual ammonium was another critical factor affecting mainstream PN/A.

The Right Place at the Right Time: Seasonal Variation of Bacterial Communities in Arid Avicennia marina Soils in the Red Sea Is Specific to Its Position in the Intertidal

Mangrove forests play an important role in facilitating biogeochemical pathways and cycling acting as blue carbon sinks. These services are primarily regulated by the activity of the soil microbiome. However, there is still limited research into spatial and temporal variation patterns of bacterial community assemblages in mangrove soils. This study investigated important ecological scales of microprocesses that govern microbial communities in an arid mangrove ecosystem. Shifts in microbial community composition were influenced by fluctuations in environmental factors within the mangrove forests of the Red Sea influenced by seasonal changes in sea level. Notably, in summer microbial communities in shrub sites differed significantly from the fringe and the winter samples, with lower alpha diversity yet a higher dominance of specialized species capable of surviving in extreme conditions. The onset of dispersal limitation and heterogenous selection and the reduction of drift are likely the main forces shaping community assemblages. Specifically, in summer lower mean tidal levels eliminate tidal inundation creating a harsh high salinity and high temperature environment with no tidal connection thereby influencing the onset of dispersal limitation. An increased understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of bacterial communities is critical when assessing delivery of ecosystem services and their role in soil biogeochemical processes.

Early programming of reproductive health and fertility: novel neuroendocrine mechanisms and implications in reproductive medicine.

BACKGROUNDAccording to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, environmental changes taking place during early maturational periods may alter normal development and predispose to the occurrence of diverse pathologies later in life. Indeed, adverse conditions during these critical developmental windows of high plasticity have been reported to alter the offspring developmental trajectory, causing permanent functional and structural perturbations that in the long term may enhance disease susceptibility. However, while solid evidence has documented that fluctuations in environmental factors, ranging from nutrient availability to chemicals, in early developmental stages (including the peri-conceptional period) have discernible programming effects that increase vulnerability to develop metabolic perturbations, the impact and eventual mechanisms involved, of such developmental alterations on the reproductive phenotype of offspring have received less attention.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThis review will summarize recent advances in basic and clinical research that support the concept of DOHaD in the context of the impact of nutritional and hormonal perturbations, occurring during the periconceptional, fetal and early postnatal stages, on different aspects of reproductive function in both sexes. Special emphasis will be given to the effects of early nutritional stress on the timing of puberty and adult gonadotropic function, and to address the underlying neuroendocrine pathways, with particular attention to involvement of the Kiss1 system in these reproductive perturbations. The implications of such phenomena in terms of reproductive medicine will also be considered.SEARCH METHODSA comprehensive MEDLINE search, using PubMed as main interface, of research articles and reviews, published mainly between 2006 and 2021, has been carried out. Search was implemented using multiple terms, focusing on clinical and preclinical data from DOHaD studies, addressing periconceptional, gestational and perinatal programming of reproduction. Selected studies addressing early programming of metabolic function have also been considered, when relevant.OUTCOMESA solid body of evidence, from clinical and preclinical studies, has documented the impact of nutritional and hormonal fluctuations during the periconceptional, prenatal and early postnatal periods on pubertal maturation, as well as adult gonadotropic function and fertility. Furthermore, exposure to environmental chemicals, such as bisphenol A, and maternal stress has been shown to negatively influence pubertal development and gonadotropic function in adulthood. The underlying neuroendocrine pathways and mechanisms involved have been also addressed, mainly by preclinical studies, which have identified an, as yet incomplete, array of molecular and neurohormonal effectors. These include, prominently, epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and the hypothalamic Kiss1 system, which likely contribute to the generation of reproductive alterations in conditions of early nutritional and/or metabolic stress. In addition to the Kiss1 system, other major hypothalamic regulators of GnRH neurosecretion, such as γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, may be targets of developmental programming.WIDER IMPLICATIONSThis review addresses an underdeveloped area of reproductive biology and medicine that may help to improve our understanding of human reproductive disorders and stresses the importance, and eventual pathogenic impact, of early determinants of puberty, adult reproductive function and fertility.

The rooting, survival and growth of woody species on tailing dumps in the limestone quarry “Lafarge ciment”

The rooting, the survival and dynamics of growths in the height and after the diameter of the seedlings, of a range of woody species, had investigated on the freshly formed sterile dump limestone quarry „Lafarge Ciment”. The seedlings of the woody species had a relatively good rooting (69-99%). A high degree of rooting can be ensured as a result of the maintenance of forest crops. After planting, the young seedlings must be cared for by hoeing as many times as necessary in order to control the weeds and maintain moisture in the soil, which increases the survival of the seedlings. Tree species have been characterized by a different growth rate. Acacia has showed a very rapid increase in height, but the black pine has been characterized by a slow growth. Acacia being a fast-growing species and unpretentious to the mineral elements in the soil can be used to afforest the limestone quarry land. In the fi rst year after planting, the young seedlings, otherwise sensitive to the action of the environmental factors, had an increase in height and in diameter slow and uneven. In the years that followed, the seedlings became more viable and less infl uenced by local and temporal fl uctuations of environmental factors.

Dynamic Subspecies Population Structure of Vibrio cholerae in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Cholera has been endemic to the Ganges Delta for centuries. Although the causative agent, Vibrio cholerae, is autochthonous to coastal and brackish water, cholera occurs continually in Dhaka, the inland capital city of Bangladesh which is surrounded by fresh water. Despite the persistence of this problem, little is known about the environmental abundance and distribution of lineages of V. cholerae, the most important being the pandemic generating (PG) lineage consisting mostly of serogroup O1 strains. To understand spatial and temporal dynamics of PG lineage and other lineages belonging to the V. cholerae species in surface water in and around Dhaka City, we used qPCR and high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Seven different freshwater sites across Dhaka were investigated for six consecutive months, and physiochemical parameters were measured in situ. Total abundance of V. cholerae was found to be relatively stable throughout the 6-month sampling period, with 2 × 105 to 4 × 105genome copies/L at six sites and around 5 × 105genome copies/L at the site located in the most densely populated part of Dhaka City. PG O1 V. cholerae was present in high abundance during the entire sampling period and composed between 24 and 92% of the total V. cholerae population, only showing occasional but sudden reductions in abundance. In instances where PG O1 lost its dominance, other lineages underwent a rapid expansion while the size of the total V. cholerae population remained almost unchanged. Intraspecies richness of V. cholerae was positively correlated with salinity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS), while it was negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in water. Interestingly, negative correlation was observed specifically between PG O1 and salinity, even though the changes in this variable were minor (0-0.8 ppt). Observations in this study suggest that at the subspecies level, population composition of naturally occurring V. cholerae can be influenced by fluctuations in environmental factors, which can lead to altered competition dynamics among the lineages.

Thermal performance assessment of cold chain chamber with vacuum insulation panel envelope layer

As one of the super thermal adiabatic materials nowadays, Vacuum Insulation Panel has slim thermal conductivity, which can be no more than 0.0040 W/(m·K) at an internal pressure of less than 10Pa. the excellent thermal performance makes it prosperous in cold chin experiments. Actually, Vacuum Insulation Panel is normally installed with other insulation materials as multilayer envelope in practice. However, influenced by the fluctuation of environmental factors and the difference of thermal & physical properties of materials, the overall thermal performance of multilayer insulation systems with Vacuum Insulation Panel different arrangement sequences is significantly various. A reasonable Vacuum Insulation Panel location plays an important role on the thermal performance. In this paper, the thermal insulation performance of multilayer under unsteady state condition was studied. Three chambers, with the same exterior size, that is, 300 × 300 × 300 mm3, were employed for the innovation purpose. The multi-layer insulation construction involves a 10 mm layer of Vacuum Insulation Panels and a 10 mm layer of polyurethane. And three different envelope structures, namely, internal insulation, sandwich insulation and external insulation were built according to the Vacuum Insulation Panel's location. The numerical heat transfer model and physical model were established. The simulative and experimental results were comprised and analyzed. The results implied that, to maintain the constant temperature in cold\hot chamber, the vacuum insulation panels are located on the face of temperature fluctuation side, i.e. the ambient side, and have a better overall insulation performance.

Association between physiological performance and short temporal changes in habitat utilisation modulated by environmental factors

Temporal environmental variability causes behavioural and physiological responses in organisms that can affect their spatial location in time, and ultimately drive changes in population and community dynamics. Linking ecological changes with underlying environmental drivers is a complex task that can however be facilitated through the integration of physiology. Our overarching aim was to investigate the association between physiological performance and habitat utilisation patterns modulated by short temporal fluctuations in environmental factors. We used in situ monitoring data from a system experiencing extreme environmental fluctuations over a few hours and we selected four fish species with different habitat utilisation patterns across dissolved oxygen (DO) fluctuations: two commonly observed species (Siganus lineatus and Acanthopagrus pacificus), including at low DO (40 and 50% saturation, respectively), and two reef species (Heniochus acuminatus and Chaetodon vagabundus) never recorded below 70% saturation. We hypothesised that these patterns were associated to species' physiological performance in hypoxia. Therefore, we measured different metabolic variables (O2crit, incipient lethal oxygen (ILO), time to ILO, index of cumulative ambient oxygen deficit (O2deficit), maximum oxygen supply capacity (α)) using respirometry. Physiological performance differed among species and was intrinsically associated to habitat use patterns. S. lineatus had a lower O2crit than H. acuminatus, A. pacificus and C. vagabundus (13, 18.7, 20 and 20.2% saturation respectively). Additionally, S. lineatus and A. pacificus displayed better capacity for survival below O2crit than C. vagabundus and H. acuminatus (lower ILO, higher O2deficit and longer time to ILO) and higher α. Field monitoring data revealed that DO temporarily falls below species’ O2crit and even ILO on most days, suggesting that short temporal variability in DO likely forces species to temporarily avoid harmful conditions, driving important changes in ecosystem structure over a few hours. Our results support the hypothesis that organismal physiology can provide insights into ecological changes occurring over a few hours as a result of environmental variability. Consequently, integrating physiology with ecological data at relevant temporal scales may help predict temporal shifts in ecosystems structure and functions to account for ecological patterns often overlooked and difficult to identify.

Mobilisation and dynamics of energy reserves in different tissues of Donax trunculus (Bivalvia: Donacidae) in the Gulf of Tunis (eastern Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia)

Seasonal changes in condition index and the biochemical components (proteins, lipids and glycogen) of the gonad/digestive gland, foot, labial palp, mantle, gills and adductor muscles of Donax trunculus Linnaeus, 1758 from the Gulf of Tunis were monitored seasonally, from November 2006 to October 2007, in relation to environmental conditions and reproductive events. The condition index increased during late gametogenesis and the ripe stage, coinciding with enrichment of the water by phytoplankton, and decreased during late summer and autumn (i.e. the spawning and rest periods). Glycogen increased during early gametogenesis and peaked during winter, pointing to its mobilisation in the formation of active ripe gametes. The foot, gonad/digestive gland, and adductor muscle were the three major glycogen-reserve tissues. Protein content was high during the end of summer in the whole individual and during autumn in the gonad/digestive gland. Lipid content started to increase as gametogenesis began, reached its peak at gonad ripeness and during the early spawning stage (summer) and sharply declined due to the shedding of gametes (autumn). A transformation of glycogen for de novo synthesis of lipids, in the gonad/ digestive gland, was suggested during the later stages of the gonadic cycle, in support of gametogenesis. Temporal fluctuations in environmental factors, particularly temperature and food supply, drive the cycle of storage and utilisation of metabolic energy reserves which in turn govern gametogenesis in Donax trunculus.

Effects of ant disturbance on soil organic carbon cycle: A review.

The impact of ants, as consumer and decomposer in ecosystems, on soil organic carbon pool is a hotspot in soil fauna research. Recently, effects of ants on soil organic carbon pool dynamics have been mainly documented in terms of soil macro-elements storage, physical and chemical properties, and microbial community. We summarized the effects of ant disturbance on soil organic carbon cycle. Ant nesting alters microhabitat, microclimate, and physicochemical properties of ant nested soils. By re-shaping soil microbial community structure, regulating the succession process and pattern of vegetation, ant nesting directly or indirectly affects the source, allocation, stability, and microcosmic molecular characteristics of soil organic carbon, scaling from micro, local, to landscape scale. In the future, more attentions should be paid on quantifying the contribution of ant disturbance combined with the fluctuations in environmental factors to soil carbon flux dynamics, establishing quantitative model to link and unify ant-induced soil carbon cycle process, and clari-fying mechanisms underlying the impacts of ants on the stability of soil organic carbon pool, and finally revealing the "ecological engineers" role of ants in regulating soil organic carbon cycling.

Lack of daily heart rate rhythms in Adélie penguin chicks during the polar day

AbstractDaily rhythms enable organisms to adapt to daily fluctuations in environmental factors. Do organisms still exhibit 24-h rhythms when living in habitats without obvious daily cycles in external signals? To answer this question, we measured the heart rates of six Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) chicks on Inexpressible Island during the polar day between 15 and 21 January 2019. Averaged heart rates were between 186 and 233 beats/min for individual chicks. Both fast Fourier transformation and autocorrelation were employed to assess the daily rhythmicity. Based on fast Fourier transformation, a significant contribution of daily rhythm in heart rate variation was found only in one individual. Small effect size of significant autocorrelation coefficients was found in two individuals, while there was no significant autocorrelation coefficient for 24-h time lag in four other individuals. In summary, no prevailing daily rhythm of heart rate was found in these Adélie penguin chicks. We propose that the lack of daily rhythm in Adélie penguin chicks could be an adaptation to the local environment in the polar regions, but that the adaptive value thereof remains to be investigated.

Microdiversity ensures the maintenance of functional microbial communities under changing environmental conditions.

Microdiversity can lead to different ecotypes within the same species. These are assumed to provide stability in time and space to those species. However, the role of microdiversity in the stability of wholemicrobial communities remains underexplored. Understanding the drivers of microbial community stability is necessary to predict community response to future disturbances. Here, we analyzed 16S rRNA gene amplicons from eight different temperate bog lakes at the 97% OTU and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) levels and found ecotypes within the same OTU with different distribution patterns in space and time. We observed that these ecotypes are adapted to different values of environmental factors such as water temperature and oxygen concentration. Our results showed that the existence of several ASVs within a OTU favored its persistence across changing environmental conditions. We propose that microdiversity aids the stability of microbial communities in the face of fluctuations in environmental factors.

Ecological Success of the Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosospira Clusters in the Intertidal Zone.

The intertidal zone is an important buffer and a nitrogen sink between land and sea. Ammonia oxidation is the rate-limiting step of nitrification, conducted by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, it remains a debatable issue regarding dominant ammonia oxidizers in this region, and environmental factors driving their spatiotemporal niche differentiation have yet to be identified. In this study, intertidal and subtidal zones of Zhoushan Islands were selected for seasonal sampling. Ammonia-oxidizing activity, quantitative PCR, and 454 high-throughput sequencing were performed to study the nitrification potential, abundance, and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria. AOA and AOB amoA abundance (107-108amoA gene copies/g dry weight sediment) varied spatiotemporally independently of environmental factors. AOA surpassed AOB in most samples, driven by sediment temperature, moisture, and total nitrogen. The diversity of both AOA and AOB differed spatiotemporally. The Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosospira clusters accounted for an absolutely dominant percentage of AOA (> 99%) and AOB (> 99%) respectively, indicating a negligible contribution of other clusters to ammonia oxidation. However, there was no significant correlation between nitrification potential and the abundance of AOA or AOB. Overall, the present study showed that AOA dominated over AOB spatiotemporally in the intertidal zone of Zhoushan Islands due to fluctuations in environmental factors, and the Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosospira clusters ecologically succeeded in the intertidal zone of Zhoushan Islands.

Settlement and recruitment pattern variability of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. from SE Bay of Biscay (Basque Country)

The annual settlement and recruitment patterns of Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. were assessed using collector ropes deployed at five sites along the Basque coast inhabited by wild mussel populations. The study was carried out over two periods of ten months each in three estuarine and two coastal sites, and enabled the discovery of a potential relationship between observed primary settlement and the spawning period of wild mussel populations, shedding light on the recruitment of these populations. Primary settlers were present throughout the year with highest abundances from early summer to fall. A spatial settlement pattern was also observed, with eastern estuaries showing higher settlement rates than western ones and coastal sites showing intermediate settlement rates. These spatial and temporal settlement variations could be partially explained by seasonal fluctuations in environmental factors, such as temperature and nutrients, as well as by spawning differences observed at these estuarine and coastal sites. Some inter-annual variability of settlement and recruitment was observed, with higher settlement rates in the second studied year. This inter-annual variability was consistent with the inter-annual variability of the environmental factors. The recruitment of juvenile mussels was shown to be more determined by post-settlement processes than by initial settlement abundance. Indeed, there was a substantial loss of post-larvae during fall and winter, which was due to these post-settlement processes. Thus, it is advised that ropes, which were deployed in spring and collected in winter, to be collected earlier to avoid such losses. Little space is available (i.e., due to user conflict) on the Basque Coast. Despite these limitations, these sites, particularly Bidasoa estuary, could be suitable for future seed gathering for the mussel aquaculture industry in the Basque Country.

Research on optimization and assessment of protection shed for the Sun Wu tomb based on microbiological damage control

The Sun Wu tomb in Shangfang Town,Nanjing City is a brick tomb of the Six Dynasties in China,which is very famous for its big scale and complex structure.After being excavated in 2005, microbiological damage occurred on the interior wall of tomb chambers due to the fluctuation of environmental factors, which threatens the historic and culrutal value of this building heritage. Microbiological damage is highly related to the high temperature, high humidity in the tomb chamber and condensation on the wall surface. To solve the problem of microbiological damage in the Sun Wu tomb, the environment monitoring was carried out and the current protection shed on the Sun Wu tomb was optimized. the heat and moisture transfer numerical simulation model of the protection shed was built to evaluate the effects of the optimized protection shed for reducing the condensation on the wall surface.The results show that and add of an functional space into the protection scheme can reduce the condensation on the wall surface of the site.In the protection of masonry archaeological sites, design of such functional space can reduce the condensation on the wall surface of the site,so as to control the microbiological damage in the site.