Natural Patterns Research Articles

The distribution of beneficial mutational effects between two sister yeast species poorly explains natural outcomes of vineyard adaptation.

Domesticated strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have adapted to resist copper and sulfite, two chemical stressors commonly used in winemaking. S. paradoxus, has not adapted to these chemicals despite being consistently present in sympatry with S. cerevisiae in vineyards. This contrast represents a case of apparent evolutionary constraints favoring greater adaptive capacity in S. cerevisiae. In this study, we used a comparative mutagenesis approach to test whether S. paradoxus is mutationally constrained with respect to acquiring greater copper and sulfite resistance. For both species, we assayed the rate, effect size, and pleiotropic costs of resistance mutations and sequenced a subset of 150 mutants isolated from our screen. We found that the distributions of mutational effects displayed by the two species were very similar and poorly explained the natural pattern. We also found that chromosome VIII aneuploidy and loss of function mutations in PMA1 confer copper resistance in both species, whereas loss of function mutations in REG1 were only a viable route to copper resistance in S. cerevisiae. We also observed a single de novo duplication of the CUP1 gene in S. paradoxus but none in S. cerevisiae. For sulfite, loss of function mutations in RTS1 and KSP1 confer resistance in both species, but mutations in RTS1 have larger average effects in S. paradoxus. Our results show that even when the distributions of mutational effects are largely similar, species can differ in the adaptive paths available to them. They also demonstrate that assays of the distribution of mutational effects may lack predictive insight concerning adaptive outcomes.

A Secure and Interpretable AI for Smart Healthcare System: A Case Study on Epilepsy Diagnosis Using EEG Signals.

The efficient patient-independent and interpretable framework for electroencephalogram (EEG) epileptic seizure detection (ESD) has informative challenges due to the complex pattern of EEG nature. Automated detection of ES is crucial, while Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is urgently needed to justify the model detection of epileptic seizures in clinical applications. Therefore, this study implements an XAI-based computer-aided ES detection system (XAI-CAESDs), comprising three major modules, including of feature engineering module, a seizure detection module, and an explainable decision-making process module in a smart healthcare system. To ensure the privacy and security of biomedical EEG data, the blockchain is employed. Initially, the Butterworth filter eliminates various artifacts, and the Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DTCWT) decomposes EEG signals, extracting real and imaginary eigenvalue features using frequency domain (FD), time domain (TD) linear feature, and Fractal Dimension (FD) of non-linear features. The best features are selected by using Correlation Coefficients (CC) and Distance Correlation (DC). The selected features are fed into the Stacking Ensemble Classifiers (SEC) for EEG ES detection. Further, the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method of XAI is implemented to facilitate the interpretation of predictions made by the proposed approach, enabling medical experts to make accurate and understandable decisions. The proposed Stacking Ensemble Classifiers (SEC) in XAI-CAESDs have demonstrated 2% best average accuracy, recall, specificity, and F1-score using the University of California, Irvine, Bonn University, and Boston Children's Hospital-MIT EEG data sets. The proposed framework enhances decision-making and the diagnosis process using biomedical EEG signals and ensures data security in smart healthcare systems.

Splitting light pollution: Wavelength effects on the activity of two sandy beach species

Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) threatens to disrupt most natural habitats and species, including those in coastal settings, where a growing number of studies have identified ALAN impacts. A careful examination of the light properties behind those impacts is important to better understand and manage the effects of this stressor. This study focused on ALAN monochromatic wavelengths and examined which types of light spectra altered the natural activity of two prominent coastal species from the Pacific southeast: the talitroid amphipod Orchestoidea tuberculata and the oniscoid isopod Tylos spinulosus. We compared the natural daylight/night activity of these organisms with the one they exhibit when exposed to five different ALAN wavelengths: lights in the violet, blue, green, amber, and red spectra. Our working hypothesis was that ALAN alters these species’ activity at night, but the magnitude of such impact differs depending on light wavelengths. Measurements of activity over 24 h cycles for five consecutive days and in three separate experiments confirmed a natural circadian activity pattern in both species, with strong activity at night (∼90% of probability) and barely any activity during daylight. However, when exposed to ALAN, activity declined significantly in both species under all light wavelengths. Interestingly, amphipods exhibited moderate activity (∼40% of probability) when exposed to red lights at night, whereas isopods shifted some of their activity to daylight hours in two of the experiments when exposed to blue or amber lights, suggesting a possible alteration in this species circadian rhythm. Altogether, our results were consistent with our working hypothesis, and suggest that ALAN reduces night activity, and some wavelengths have differential effects on each species. Differences between amphipods and isopods are likely related to their distinct adaptations to natural low-light habitat conditions, and therefore distinct sensitivity to ALAN.

A walk in the park: Towards developing a fractal pedagogy of well-being

This article describes a cycle of a work-in-progress action research project that aims to develop and implement a fractal pedagogy for design students. The fractal pedagogy takes on board fractal patterns, self-similar repeating natural patterns, as a lens for artmaking and teaching. Fractals have been proven to be bountiful in nature and to engender a well-being or biophilic response in people. The action research cycle describes a collaborative effort to bring three guided nature walks to the local community in Dublin, Ohio, USA. The walks reaffirm connections between the fractals in the participants’ bodies and in the natural environment while carrying out fractal and well-being-centred artmaking activities. Each of the walks, the embodied, found object and marking-making walks, were led by a different local Ohio artist. This cycle will combine with previous and future research to define a fractal pedagogy that is collaborative, interdisciplinary and connected to nature.

Radiological assessment of both unperturbed and agricultural soils from southern Ecuador

The radiological background in soils across various areas in Southern Ecuador, such as Vilcabamba, Loja, Palanda, Catamayo, and Taquil, was studied to understand the impact of agriculture and fertilizer usage on soil radiological composition. Areas impacted by agricultural activities alongside reference areas unaffected by human intervention were chosen, encompassing comprehensive analyses including gamma and alpha radiation measurements, isotopic ratio determinations, and assessments of radioactive decay chain disequilibrium. Key radiological parameters such as the radium equivalent index, the external gamma absorbed dose rate and the external hazard index were calculated. The external gamma absorbed dose is equal or lower than 57 nGy h−1 (mean value worldwide in the Earth's crust). The remaining indexes as well as the annual dose rate are far from the limits allowed for public. Fallout due to 137Cs is negligible and below the minimum detectable activity (MDA). Ratios 238U/232Th varies from 0.55 in Catamayo to 1.11 in Taquil. These values show disequilibrium between the two radioactive chains and it is possible to assume A (238U)∼0.64 A (232Th) (excluding Taquil, value 1.11). Furthermore, the radiological composition of commonly used fertilizers, including urea, NPK, NH4NO3, KNO3 and compost, was analyzed, identifying 40K and 210Pb as significant radionuclides. Interestingly, no correlation was found between the types of fertilizers used and the radiological composition of soils. The predominance of the radiological background provided by the parent rock remains the main factor influencing soil composition. The radiological background values for 226Ra, 228Ra, and 40K were established, with a mean value of 23 ± 5 Bq kg−1, 30 ± 4 Bq kg−1, and 450 ± 80 Bq kg−1, respectively. Finally, the distribution of 210Pb in unperturbed soils suggests a higher concentration in the top layer, which is indicative of natural deposition patterns, except in areas affected by erosion such as Vilcabamba, Loja, and Catamayo.

Quantifying the natural growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma: A real-world retrospective study in southwestern China.

In recent years, approximately half of the newly diagnosed cases and mortalities attributed to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported in China. Despite the high incidence of HCC, there remains a paucity of data regarding the natural growth pattern and the determination of optimal surveillance intervals specific to the Chinese population. To quantify the natural tumor growth pattern of HCC in regional China. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients from a single institution in Southwest China who had undergone two or more serial dynamic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans between 2014 and 2020, without having received any anti-cancer therapy. Tumor growth was assessed using tumor volume doubling time (TVDT) and tumor growth rate (TGR), with volumes measured manually by experienced radiologists. Simple univariate linear regression and descriptive analysis were applied to explore associations between growth rates and clinical factors. This study identifies the median TVDT for HCC as 163.4 d, interquartile range (IQR) 72.1 to 302.3 d, with a daily TGR of 0.42% (IQR 0.206%-0.97%). HCC growth patterns reveal that about one-third of tumors grow indolently with TVDT exceeding 270 d, another one-third of tumors exhibit rapid growth with TVDT under 90 d, and the remaining tumors show intermediate growth rates, with TVDT ranging between 3 to 9 months. The identified TGRs support biannual surveillance and follow-up for HCC patients in certain regions of China. Given the observed heterogeneity in HCC growth, further investigation is warranted.

A mathematical model to design pillar-shaped bioinspired mechanical sensors

Soft robots and sensor/actuator systems are often based on bioinspired designs to leverage nature patterns. Specifically, pillar-shaped sensors are useful for human activity monitoring, locomotion of soft robots or treatment of cardiovascular diseases. If electric or magnetic particles are added in the manufacturing process, these structures can be tuned through remote fields to attain a specific mechanical behaviour. This promising technique has direct applications in high-impact fields such as bioengineering, soft robots or sensor designing. Filament-shaped smart sensors can send electrical signals when subjected to an external mechanical stimulus or provide a mechanical response when a remote and controllable field is applied broadening their possibilities of action. As the efficient design of these structures is highly challenging, developing a technical tool with a low computational cost to help throughout layout processes (i.e. inverse engineering) is pivotal. Theoretical modelling of the kinematics and dynamics of a wire-shaped structure under an external action is the first step to provide a methodology to help designing mechanical sensors in an efficient, understandable and low time-consuming way. The event of mechanical deformation after receiving the external stimulus and before sending the corresponding output signal is key in the conceptualisation process of smart sensors. This work intends to give insight into the dynamics of a deformable pillar-shaped sensor component under an external action without addressing or coupling its causes and, hence, provide the general mechanical framework to serve as basis for multiphysics formulations for pillar-shaped sensor design.

Long‐term environmental flows restore benthic invertebrate communities in a highly regulated river

The construction of dams and other in‐stream structures for human use has altered river ecosystems worldwide. Dams degrade rivers, and environmental flow releases aim to mitigate flow alterations and restore rivers downstream of dams by returning elements of the pre‐regulation flow regime, resulting in an ecosystem that resembles a more natural state. We examined the responses of benthic invertebrate communities in riffles and pool‐edge habitats to an environmental flow regime (EFR) in the highly regulated Snowy River over 17 years (2000–2016). Benthic invertebrate communities significantly changed in response to prolonged increases in the magnitude of all components of the flow regime. The composition of the benthos in the regulated river became more dissimilar to pre‐EFR communities and more closely resembled those of nearby unregulated rivers. These changes were apparent in both riffle and pool‐edge habitats and were most pronounced when flow magnitudes were highest. Scrapers increased as flows increased, and in contrast, the relative abundances of gatherers declined with prolonged high flows and could be attributed to increased daily flows and high flow events mobilizing fine sediment and scouring benthic substrates. These results indicated that the EFR altered abiotic conditions or resources that previously limited invertebrate abundances, facilitating changes to the benthic community. Community changes we observed were in response to a flow regime that remained drastically lower than natural, demonstrating that restoration targets can be achieved with small flow increases that mimic natural flow patterns.

Updated geographic distributions for Texas reptiles

As is the case for many taxa in the Anthropocene, reptile conservation is challenged by an assortment of human-mediated factors. Distributional data for reptile species can be highly useful for informing conservation action. For example, species occurrence data can be used to model suitable habitat as well as quantify contraction, expansion, or shift in the distribution of a species. Texas, USA has a rich reptile fauna including one crocodilian, 32 testudine, 55 lacertilian, and 82 serpent species. However, literature pertaining to the distribution of these species has not been synthesized for over a decade. The goals of our study were to visually summarize all published distributional data for reptile species in the state with updated distribution maps; to tabulate all novel and historic distribution data that is absent from the last statewide synthesis; and to characterize any taxonomic, geographic, or temporal trends of distribution record reporting that have occurred in the state over the last decade. We discovered a total of 659 records that supplement the maps provided in the last statewide synthesis, 40% of which were found in published materials that predate that synthesis. Regarding distributional records published over the last decade, there was no apparent temporal trend – record reporting across years appeared to be stochastic. The number of records published for reptile families generally followed patterns of species richness, although several families had fewer or more records than would be expected. These results might be due to several factors including species biology, variable rates of potential range spread or contraction, and variable research attention (historically and contemporarily). Spatially, we found hot spots of record reporting in the southern, western, and northern portions of the state. We suspect these represent either a contemporary geographic bias of research attention, historically poor range characterization for reptile species occupying these regions, or a combination of both. We also found cold spots of record reporting in the northwestern portion of the Panhandle. These are likely due to natural patterns of reptile diversity as well as geographically biased research attention. Future work to be conducted on reptile distributions in Texas should include a thorough synthesis and revisiting of the voucher specimen data associated with these records.

Symmetry Breaking of Three Self-Organization Rules: A General Theory for the Origin of Complexity

Complex spatiotemporal patterns in nature significantly challenge reductionism-based modern science. The lack of a paradigm beyond reductionism hinders our understanding of the emergence of complexity. The diversity of countless patterns undermines any notion of universal mechanisms. Here, however, we show that breaking the symmetry of three simple and self-organization rules gives rise to nearly all patterns in nature, such as a wide variety of Turing patterns, fractals, spiral, target and plane waves, as well as chaotic patterns. The symmetry breaking is rooted in the basic physical quantities, such as positive and negative forces, space, time and bounds. Besides reproducing the hallmarks of complexity, we discover some novel phenomena, such as abrupt percolation of Turing patterns, phase transition between fractals and chaos, chaotic edge in traveling waves, etc. Our asymmetric self-organization theory established a simple and unified framework for the origin of complexity in all fields, and unveiled a deep relationship between the first principles of physics and the complex world.

한국어교육학과 언어병리학 그리고 청각학의 학문 간 융합 연구 시론

In order to expand the research area of Korean language pedagogy, this paper attempted to explore convergence research tasks with academic fields that have the commonality of Korean, such as Speech-Language Pathology and auditory studies. Speech-Language pathology is essentially an academic field that seeks ways to solve problems for people who have communication problems. Audiology is also an academic field that focuses on how to overcome communication difficulties using speech sounds based on the perception characteristics of speech sounds. As such, the need for convergence research to solve tasks that are difficult to solve independently in each academic field is great in that they are interested in the nature of Korean and its usage patterns. In the field of Speech-Language Pathology, in order to solve problems related to language development, standards for accurately measuring the degree of language development and treating people with delayed development or disabilities are needed. Although there is a need for convergence research with the Korean Language Pedagogy on how to prepare standards and guide language functions such as reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as essential vocabulary and grammar dlements used in everyday life, according to age and school age, such research has not been sufficiently conducted. There is no standard for treating this because it does not clearly present clear standards for language ability development, and it is difficult to present appropriate and effective educational methods in terms of educational methodology. In this regard, it was argued that future research on the development and rehabilitation methods of language development diagnostic tools should be conducted. In the field of Audiology, research related to the development of speech perception test tools is needed. For full communication, it is necessary to develop a tool that can test the communication ability of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse units beyond the stimulation of speech sounds at the phoneme level. Although there are differences in educational methods depending on the subject of education, linguistic pathology, and audiology, the fundamental content of education is very large. In the case of researchers, there may be a tendency to think that Korean language pedagogy has conducted relatively more research related to the characteristics of the Korean language than speech-language pathology and audiology. However, it is necessary to acknowledge that the research results on the nature of the Korean language required by neighboring disciplines are insignificant, and to conduct research to identify the nature and usage patterns of the Korean language through communication and cooperation with neighboring disciplines.

A Review of Biophilic Design Concepts in Hotel Architecture

Incorporating natural materials and features into the built environment is the goal of the creative approach known as biophilic design, which aims to link people with nature through architecture and interior design. The premise of the theory is that people are naturally drawn to nature and that spending time in nature can improve productivity, well-being, and general quality of life. It has been demonstrated that biophilic architecture design can convey a healthy environment, lower stress levels, and promote a sense of serenity for people residing in it. This is because the design uses natural materials and natural patterns to create a connection between humans and the natural world. This study looks into the application of biophilic design ideas in hospitality environments. This study aims to investigate if, in the context of hotels, including biophilic design improves guest emotional responses, perceived quality, and behavioral intentions. The results of this study showed that biophilic designs produced more favorable emotional and behavioral reactions than the standard design using the scenario-based experiment. Furthermore, patrons thought hotels with biophilic decor were of higher caliber. The goal of biophilic design is to incorporate natural aspects into the built environment to improve overall guest experience, comfort, and well-being. It is based on the human connection to nature. Site inspections, management interviews, and visitor surveys are a few of the data collection techniques used in hotels. The results provide important insights for architects, designers, and hoteliers looking to build more sustainable and guest-centric settings by illuminating the challenges, advantages, and consequences of using biophilic design in a hospitality context.

The influence of natural wind patterns on the thermal and humidity comfort of the “one seal” building in Yunnan, China

ABSTRACT The thermal and humidity environments of buildings under the influence of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems constitute a mature topic in the field of architecture, but there are few studies on the thermal and humidity environments of traditional rural buildings under natural wind conditions. In this paper, a traditional one-seal residential building in Kunming, Yunnan Province, was adopted as the research object. By arranging monitoring instruments, we collected thermal and humidity environment and natural wind data of the building under three weather conditions: cloudy, sunny and rainy days. The results showed that climate change can alter the thermal and humidity stability levels of the building, and there are differences in thermal and humidity stability among the different spatial structures inside the building. Natural wind plays a significant role in reducing the humidity of the environment and building surfaces, and the thermal and humidity properties of the building materials play an important role in maintaining the thermal and humidity stability levels of the building. The results of this study provide a basis for obtaining a greater understanding of heat and humidity comfort levels in naturally ventilated areas and thermal and humidity environments of traditional buildings at the later stage.

Anisotropic Liesegang pattern for the nonlinear elastic biomineral-hydrogel complex.

The Liesegang pattern is a beautiful natural anisotropic patterning phenomenon observed in rocks and sandstones. This study reveals that the Liesegang pattern can induce nonlinear elasticity. Here, a Liesegang-patterned complex with biomineral-hydrogel repetitive layers is prepared. This Liesegang-patterned complex is obtained only when the biomineralization is performed under the supersaturated conditions. The Liesegang-patterned complex features a nonlinear elastic response, whereas a complex with a single biomineral shell shows a linear behavior, thus demonstrating that the Liesegang pattern is essential in achieving nonlinear elasticity. The stiff biomineral layers have buffered the concentrated energy on behalf of soft hydrogels, thereby exposing the hydrogel components to reduced stress and, in turn, enabling them to perform the elasticity continuously. Moreover, the nonlinear elastic Liesegang-patterned complex exhibits excellent stress relaxation to the external loading, which is the biomechanical characteristic of cartilage. This stress relaxation allows the bundle of fiber-type Liesegang-patterned complex to endure greater deformation.

Investigations on Xenopus laevis body composition and feeding behavior in a laboratory setting

The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, has been used as a laboratory animal for decades in many research areas. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the nutritional physiology of this amphibian species and the feeding regimen is not standardized. The aim of the present study was to get more insights into the nutrient metabolism and feeding behavior of the frogs. In Trial 1, adult female X. laevis were fed either a Xenopus diet or a fish feed. After 4 weeks, they were euthanized, weighed, measured for morphometrics and dissected for organ weights and whole-body nutrient analysis. There were no significant differences between the diet groups regarding the allometric data and nutrient contents. The ovary was the major determinant of body weight. Body fat content increased with body weight as indicator of energy reserves. In Trial 2, 40 adult female frogs were monitored with a specifically developed digital tracking system to generate heat-maps of their activity before and up to 25 min after a meal. Three diets (floating, sinking, floating & sinking) were used. The main feed intake activity was fanning the feed into the mouth, peaking until 20 min after the meal. The different swimming characteristics of the diets thereby influenced the activity of the animals. Our dataset helps to adjust the feeding needs to the physical composition and also to meet the natural behavioral patterns of feed intake as a prerequisite of animal wellbeing and animal welfare in a laboratory setting.

Leveraging ChatGPT to Enhance Debugging: Evaluating AI-Driven Solutions in Software Development

Debugging is a crucial component of software development, focusing on identifying and correcting problems, commonly known as bugs, in code. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have introduced new opportunities for automating this process using language models such as ChatGPT. This article explores the use of ChatGPT in addressing programming challenges, assessing its ability to detect, anticipate, and rectify errors in code. The research examines ChatGPT’s debugging capabilities by evaluating its natural language processing, knowledge representation, and pattern recognition skills. The text compares ChatGPT’s performance with conventional debugging tools through real-world examples and case studies. The findings suggest that ChatGPT can effectively assist in debugging by automatically identifying and correcting errors, predicting issues early in the development phase, and clarifying the underlying causes of bugs. However, the system’s effectiveness depends on the quality of its training data and architecture. While ChatGPT has the potential to be a valuable tool in the debugging process, it is essential to combine it with traditional debugging methods to ensure accuracy and reliability. Further research is needed to enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities and evaluate its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

Towards Enhanced Security: An improved approach to Phishing Email Detection

Email phishing assaults remain a widespread catastrophe to individuals and businesses, using human weaknesses to obtain unauthorised access to sensitive information. This research study presents an upgraded email phishing detection system that uses machine learning approaches. To construct a robust and adaptable model, the system includes a complete feature set such as email content analysis, sender reputation, and behavioural patterns. The one that has been proposed uses a new combination of supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to analyse email properties and user behaviour, allowing for the detection of subtle phishing signs. The term of body content analysis, URL analysis, and QR code information are among the features retrieved and analysed utilising advanced natural language processing and pattern recognition algorithms. Novelty lies in the integration of supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to identify subtle phishing indicators, along with advanced natural language processing and pattern recognition algorithms for analyzing email properties. A benchmark dataset is used for the proposed system's validation, and a comparison with other phishing detection techniques shows improved, lower false-positive rates. The results indicate the system's ability to effectively discern phishing emails while minimizing the impact on legitimate communication. The system demonstrates a notable improvement by including a diverse range of features and state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, which makes it a valuable asset to the cybersecurity toolkit for safeguarding email correspondence.

Anthropogenic Pressures on Gorillas: A Case of Grauer’s Gorillas in Maiko National Park, the Democratic Republic of Congo

Anthropogenic activities put biodiversity under pressure, adversely affecting the forest ecosystem and wildlife habitats. Habitat disturbance and modification are among the main threats to animal populations in tropical forests. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Grauer’s gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) are continuously threatened through forest encroachment for agricultural expansion, human settlements, new refugee camps, illegal logging, and mining across the country. Moreover, poaching and bushmeat trafficking continuously threaten gorillas’ existence. These drivers increase the proximity of humans and the risk of disease transmission. The emerging and existing zoonotic diseases, including Ebola, are continuously impacting gorillas’ lives. All of these pressures combined are disrupting natural behavior patterns and are leading to the decline in the Grauer’s gorillas’ population. Therefore, this review scrutinizes findings on the anthropogenic pressures on the habitats and survival of Grauer’s gorillas. Also, it is important to engage with people for the shared conservation role and ecotourism to support the conservation of forest biodiversity and Grauer’s gorillas’ habitats, particularly for the Maiko National Park in the DRC.

Effects of constant high water levels in winter on waterbird diversity in Caizi Lakes: A functional perspective

The middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain lakes are important stopover and wintering sites for migratory birds on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The periodic water level fluctuation of the lakes plays a critical role in the aggregation of waterbirds. However, the construction of a series of gates and dams has impeded the hydrological connectivity between rivers and lakes and disrupted the natural water level fluctuation patterns of lakes. The water level status of lakes influences habitat utilization by waterbirds. In recent years, Caizi Lakes, the gate-controlled lakes connected to the Yangtze River due to the need for water level regulation requirements, has experienced sustained high water levels in winter, which can reduce habitat quality and in turn influence waterbirds activity. In the present study, wintering waterbirds in Caizi Lakes were surveyed during the 2021–2022 (W1) and 2022–2023 (W2) wintering periods. Moreover, we explored the effects of constant high water levels in winter on waterbird assemblages by comparing species richness, abundance, and functional alpha and beta diversity. Correlation analyses were then performed to elucidate the relationship between habitat factors and water level changes during the wintering period of migratory waterbirds and between changes in various habitat factors and wintering waterbird assemblages under different hydrological conditions. The results showed that functional beta diversity was more sensitive to changes in waterbird assemblages in Caizi Lakes than functional alpha diversity. Moreover, constant high water levels in the mid-wintering period decreased suitable habitats for wintering waterbirds, increased functional turnover among waterbird assemblages, increased total dissimilarity among assemblages significantly, and decreased the level of functional nestedness significantly. Additionally, the areas of the three wetland habitats in Caizi Lakes were significantly correlated with water level changes during W1 and relatively less affected by water level changes under constant high water level conditions during W2. The changes in habitat area were influenced primarily by anthropogenic activities, with an increase in meadow area favorable for species richness and abundance, as well as functionally nested components. Water level regulation should take into consideration the natural hydrological rhythms of the declining water level to ensure that adequate and suitable habitats are provided for wintering waterbirds.

The role of memory-based movements in the formation of animal home ranges.

Most animals live in spatially-constrained home ranges. The prevalence of this space-use pattern in nature suggests that general biological mechanisms are likely to be responsible for their occurrence. Individual-based models of animal movement in both theoretical and empirical settings have demonstrated that the revisitation of familiar areas through memory can lead to the formation of stable home ranges. Here, we formulate a deterministic, mechanistic home range model that includes the interplay between a bi-component memory and resource preference, and evaluate resulting patterns of space-use. We show that a bi-component memory process can lead to the formation of stable home ranges and control its size, with greater spatial memory capabilities being associated with larger home range size. The interplay between memory and resource preferences gives rise to a continuum of space-use patterns-from spatially-restricted movements into a home range that is influenced by local resource heterogeneity, to diffusive-like movements dependent on larger-scale resource distributions, such as in nomadism. Future work could take advantage of this model formulation to evaluate the role of memory in shaping individual performance in response to varying spatio-temporal resource patterns.