Long- and short-term responses to climate change in body and appendage size of diverse Australian birds.

Changes to body size and shape have been identified as potential adaptive responses to climate change, but the pervasiveness of these responses has been questioned. To address this, we measured body and appendage size from 5013 museum bird skins of 78 ecologically and evolutionary diverse Australian species. We found that morphological change is a shared response to climate change across birds. Birds increased relative bill surface area, tarsus length, and relative wing length through time, consistent with expectations of increasing appendage size as climates warm. Furthermore, birds decreased in absolute wing length, consistent with the expectation of decreasing body size in warmer climates. Interestingly, these trends were generally consistent across different diets and migratory and thermoregulatory behaviors. Shorter term responses to higher temperatures were contrary to long-term effects for appendages, wherein relative appendage size decreased after hotter years, indicating the complex selective pressures acting on birds as temperatures rise with climate change. Overall, our findings support the notion that morphological adaptation is a widespread response to climate change in birds that is independent of other ecological traits.

Morphological adaptation to environmental stress in small ruminants from the sahelian zones of Niger and potential associations with carcass yield.

This study analyses, in the Sahelian zone of Niger, the morphological traits of sheep and goats' responses to environmental stress and the contribution of adaptive traits to herd productivity. The study utilized 2490 adult small ruminants, including 653 red and Sahelian goats and 1837 Peulh (with three varieties: Balami, Oudah and Bali-Bali) and Tuareg (Ara-ara) sheep from 13 sites with a marked aridity gradient within the country's northern latitude. Carcass yield was assessed on a second sample of 1617 adult animals, comprising 876 sheep and 741 goats. Variations in thorax auricular index (ratio of ear length to thorax depth), gracility index (which reflects the subtraction of the animal's body from the ground) and hot carcass yield, according to climate zones and breed, were subjected to an analysis of variance at the 5% risk threshold. Principal Component Analysis was used to analyze correlations between biometric and heat indices. For most breeds, the auricular thorax index and the gracility index were higher for animals in arid zones than those in humid zones. The increase in the average values of the body indices had as a result an increase in the animals' carcass yield and live weight. In all sheep and goat breeds, gracility increases with heat index. Gracility differed (p < 0.05) between breeds, with Bali-Bali and Oudah subgenetics of the Peulh sheep breed being more gracile than the Ara-ara sheep. Also, the auricular thorax index was higher (p < 0.05) in Sahelian goat than in red goat. The importance of biometric indices in terms of animals' adaptability to their environment means that we need to define important heat stress indicators specific to sheep and goats in Sahelian farming systems.

Low activity levels are an adaptation to desert-living in the Grey Falcon, an endotherm that specializes in pursuing highly mobile prey.

Endothermic animals that live permanently in hot deserts must avoid harmful hyperthermia when their body temperature increases from heat gained through external and internal sources. This is true particularly for endotherms that are exclusively diurnal. We investigated the Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos), a predatory Australian endemic restricted to the hot arid/semi-arid zone. To understand how this species' entire population persists exclusively and permanently in this extreme environment we examined its activity levels and compared these with equivalent variables from the Peregrine Falcon (F. peregrinus), a cosmopolitan species that inhabits similar environments without being restricted to them. Further, we compared, across a selected group of Falco species, specific plumage characteristics (measured on museum specimens) that we anticipated would enhance the Grey Falcons' ability to cope with high heat loads. We found no morphological or physiological characteristics that would allow them to cope with heat better than other birds, but the chicks seem to have unusually high thermal tolerances. Grey Falcons do, however, possess a suite of unusual behavioural adaptations that, as we propose, enable them to cope with climatic extremes in arid environments. Specifically, throughout their lives Grey Falcons keep activity levels and thus physical exertion low. This behaviour contrasts strikingly with that of the Peregrine Falcon, which also actively hunts birds in flight. Keeping activity levels low is expected to minimize endogenous heat production and thus ease the Grey Falcon's thermoregulation during periods of high heat load. These birds may rely on low levels of relative humidity for efficient evaporative cooling, and this may explain their absolute restriction to hot arid/semi-arid zones.

The integrity of the FOG-2 LXCXE pRb-binding motif is required for small intestine homeostasis.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Do Fog2Rb-/Rb- mice present a defect of small intestine homeostasis? What is the main finding and its importance? The importance of interactions between FOG-2 and pRb in adipose tissue physiology has previously been demonstrated. Here it is shown that this interaction is also intrinsic to small intestine homeostasis and exerts extrinsic control over mouse metabolism. Thus, this association is involved in maintaining small intestine morphology, and regulating crypt proliferation and lineage differentiation. It therefore affects mouse growth and adaptation to a high-fat diet. ABSTRACT: GATA transcription factors and their FOG cofactors play a key role in tissue-specific development and differentiation, from worms to humans. We have shown that GATA-1 and FOG-2 contain an LXCXE pRb-binding motif. Interactions between retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and GATA-1 are crucial for erythroid proliferation and differentiation, whereas the LXCXE pRb-binding site of FOG-2 is involved in adipogenesis. Fog2-knock-in mice have defective pRb binding and are resistant to obesity, due to efficient white-into-brown fat conversion. Our aim was to investigate the pathophysiological impact of FOG-2-pRb interaction on the small intestine and mouse growth. Histological analysis of the small intestine revealed architectural changes in Fog2Rb-/Rb- mice, including villus shortening, with crypt expansion and a change in muscularis propria thickness. These differences were more marked in the proximo-distal part of the small intestine and were associated with an increase in crypt cell proliferation and disruption of the goblet and Paneth cell lineage. The small intestine of the mutants was unable to adapt to a high-fat diet, and had significantly lower plasma lipid levels on such a diet. Fog2Rb-/Rb- mice displayed higher levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide release, and lower levels of insulin-like growth factor I release on a regular diet. Their intestinal lipid absorption was impaired, resulting in restricted weight gain. In addition to the intrinsic effects of the mutation on adipose tissue, we show here an extrinsic relationship between the intestine and the effect of FOG-2 mutation on mouse metabolism. In conclusion, the interaction of FOG-2 with pRb coordinates the crypt-villus axis and controls small intestine homeostasis.

Climatic variability in combination with eutrophication drives adaptive responses in the gills of Lake Victoria cichlids.

Textbook examples of adaptive radiation often show rapid morphological changes in response to environmental perturbations. East Africa's Lake Victoria, famous for its stunning adaptive radiation of cichlids, has suffered from human-induced eutrophication over the past decades. This cultural eutrophication is thought to be partly responsible for the dramatically reduced cichlid biodiversity, but climatic variability in itself might also have contributed to the eutrophication which resulted in low oxygen levels and decreased water transparency. To determine how recent environmental changes have influenced the lake and its cichlids over the past 50 years, we gathered environmental and meteorological variables and compared these with gill surface area of four cichlid species. We found that during the period of severe eutrophication and temperature increase (1980s), reduced wind speeds coincided with a reduction in oxygen levels and a decrease in both water temperature and transparency. The gill surface area in three out of the four cichlid species increased during this period which is consistent with adaptive change in response to increased hypoxia. During the 2000s, wind speeds, oxygen levels, water transparency and water temperature increased again, while cichlid gill surface area decreased. Our results imply that climatic changes and especially wind speed and direction might play a crucial role in tropical lake dynamics. The changes in Lake Victoria's water quality coincide with fluctuations in cichlid gill surface area, suggesting that these fish can respond rapidly to environmental perturbations, but also that climatic variability, together with continued eutrophication, might be detrimental to the lake's cichlid biodiversity.

Genomic architecture of habitat-related divergence and signature of directional selection in the body shapes of Gnathopogon fishes.

Evolution of ecomorphologically relevant traits such as body shapes is important to colonize and persist in a novel environment. Habitat-related adaptive divergence of these traits is therefore common among animals. We studied the genomic architecture of habitat-related divergence in the body shape of Gnathopogon fishes, a novel example of lake-stream ecomorphological divergence, and tested for the action of directional selection on body shape differentiation. Compared to stream-dwelling Gnathopogon elongatus, the sister species Gnathopogon caerulescens, exclusively inhabiting a large ancient lake, had an elongated body, increased proportion of the caudal region and small head, which would be advantageous in the limnetic environment. Using an F2 interspecific cross between the two Gnathopogon species (195 individuals), quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis with geometric morphometric quantification of body shape and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing-derived markers (1622 loci) identified 26 significant QTLs associated with the interspecific differences of body shape-related traits. These QTLs had small to moderate effects, supporting polygenic inheritance of the body shape-related traits. Each QTL was mostly located on different genomic regions, while colocalized QTLs were detected for some ecomorphologically relevant traits that are proxy of body and caudal peduncle depths, suggesting different degree of modularity among traits. The directions of the body shape QTLs were mostly consistent with the interspecific difference, and QTL sign test suggested a genetic signature of directional selection in the body shape divergence. Thus, we successfully elucidated the genomic architecture underlying the adaptive changes of the quantitative and complex morphological trait in a novel system.

Unexpected increase in structural integrity caused by thermally induced dwarfism in large benthic foraminifera.

Climate change is predicted to negatively impact calcification and change the structural integrity of biogenic carbonates, influencing their protective function. We assess the impacts of warming on the morphology and crystallography of Amphistegina lobifera, an abundant benthic foraminifera species in shallow environments. Specimens from a thermally disturbed field area, mimicking future warming, are about 50% smaller compared with a control location. Differences in the position of the ν1 Raman mode of shells between the sites, which serves as a proxy for Mg content and calcification temperature, indicate that calcification is negatively impacted when temperatures are below the thermal range facilitating calcification. To test the impact of thermal stress on the Young's modulus of calcite which contributes to structural integrity, we quantify elasticity changes in large benthic foraminifera by applying atomic force microscopy to a different genus, Operculina ammonoides, cultured under optimal and high temperatures. Building on these observations of size and the sensitivity analysis for temperature-induced change in elasticity, we used finite element analysis to show that structural integrity is increased with reduced size and is largely insensitive to calcite elasticity. Our results indicate that warming-induced dwarfism creates shells that are more resistant to fracture because they are smaller.

The morphological diagnosis of 2 economically important subterranean termites in Western Indonesia, Coptotermes curvignathus and Coptotermes gestroi (Blattodea, Rhinotermitidae).

In Indonesia, the control of Coptotermes curvignathus populations as living tree termite pests has been carried out since the early 20th century. Recently, C. curvignathus has been considered the main termite pest and designated as the only species model for wood and wood products resistance tests against subterranean termite attack testing protocol in the Indonesian National Standard (SNI). However, the species distribution range of C. curvignathus has been long questioned as Coptotermes gestroi is commonly reported as a species found in urban areas of Southeast Asian region, particularly in Indonesia. One of the reasons for the species distribution discrepancies is the lack of morphological markers to distinguish both species in the field. Thus, limiting the field inspection effectiveness in termite pest management in Indonesia. This study reexamined and clarified the morphological differences between C. curvignathus and C. gestroi, based on soldier caste. The head shape, mandible shape, and distribution of genal setae on the ventro-anterior head part and pronotum marked the difference between the 2 species. These current results support previous findings of C. curvignathus as the forest dweller while clarifying C. gestroi as the common urban dweller in Indonesia. The putative benefit of morphological features related to the head, mandible, and setae distribution to the defensive adaptation in their common habitat was discussed. Ultimately, the inclusion of C. gestroi into the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) as an alternative species for efficacy tests against subterranean termites is highly recommended.

Tolerance Mechanisms of Olive Tree (Olea europaea) under Saline Conditions.

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree that occupies 19% of the woody crop area and is cultivated in 67 countries on five continents. The largest olive production region is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin, where the olive tree has had an enormous economic, cultural, and environmental impact since the 7th century BC. In the Mediterranean region, salinity stands out as one of the main abiotic stress factors significantly affecting agricultural production. Moreover, climate change is expected to lead to increased salinization in this region, threatening olive productivity. Salt stress causes combined damage by osmotic stress and ionic toxicity, restricting olive growth and interfering with multiple metabolic processes. A large variability in salinity tolerance among olive cultivars has been described. This paper aims to synthesize information from the published literature on olive adaptations to salt stress and its importance in salinity tolerance. The morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of olive tolerance to salt stress are reviewed.

Host size matters for reproduction: Evolution of spawning preference and female reproductive phenotypes in mussel-symbiotic freshwater bitterling fishes.

Bitterling fishes evolve an idiosyncratic symbiosis with freshwater mussels, in which they are obligated to spawn in the gills of mussels for reproduction. In recent years, freshwater mussel populations have been drastically diminishing, due to accelerating anthropogenic impacts, which can be large threats to the risk of bitterling's extinction cascade (i.e. 'coextinction'). The host mussel size may be an important factor driving the adaptation and evolution of bitterling's reproductive phenotypes. Here we examined the host size preference and morphological adaptation of female bitterling to the host size from 17 localities at the Han River in Korea. Using our developed molecular-based species identification for bitterling's eggs/larvae inside the mussels, we further determined the spawning patterns of seven bitterling species. Mean length of spawned mussels (N = 453) was significantly larger than that of unspawned mussels (N = 1814), suggesting that bitterling prefers to use larger hosts as a spawning ground. Spawning probability was clearly greater as mussel size increases. Results of our reciprocal transplant experiments do provide some evidence supporting the 'bitterling's larger host preference' hypothesis. Interspecific competition appeared to be intense as two fish species often spawned eggs in the same mussel individuals simultaneously. Longer ovipositor and more elongated egg may evolve in females of Tanakia signifer in response to larger host environments. The observed bitterling's spawning preference for large-sized mussels may evolve perhaps because of the fitness advantage in relation to the offspring survival. Our findings further inform on the development of effective conservation and management strategy for the endangered bitterling fishes.

Mice lacking the intestinal peptide transporter display reduced energy intake and a subtle maldigestion/malabsorption that protects them from diet-induced obesity.

The intestinal transporter PEPT1 mediates the absorption of di- and tripeptides originating from breakdown of dietary proteins. Whereas mice lacking PEPT1 did not display any obvious changes in phenotype on a high-carbohydrate control diet (HCD), Pept1(-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) showed a markedly reduced weight gain and reduced body fat stores. They were additionally protected from hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Energy balance studies revealed that Pept1(-/-) mice on HFD have a reduced caloric intake, no changes in energy expenditure, but increased energy content in feces. Cecal biomass in Pept1(-/-) mice was as well increased twofold on both diets, suggesting a limited capacity in digesting and/or absorbing the dietary constituents in the small intestine. GC-MS-based metabolite profiling of cecal contents revealed high levels and a broad spectrum of sugars in PEPT1-deficient mice on HCD, whereas animals fed HFD were characterized by high levels of free fatty acids and absence of sugars. In search of the origin of the impaired digestion/absorption, we observed that Pept1(-/-) mice lack the adaptation of the upper small intestinal mucosa to the trophic effects of the diet. Whereas wild-type mice on HFD adapt to diet with increased villus length and surface area, Pept1(-/-) mice failed to show this response. In search for the origin of this, we recorded markedly reduced systemic IL-6 levels in all Pept1(-/-) mice, suggesting that IL-6 could contribute to the lack of adaptation of the mucosal architecture to the diets.

Parallel developments in floral adaptations to obligate moth pollination mutualism in tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae).

Several groups within tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae) formed, independently, an (obligate) pollination mutualism with Epicephala moths, which originally had been parasitic. In this pollination system, female moths actively collect pollen from staminate flowers and deposit it on the stigma of pistillate flowers, after which they place at least one egg in or against the ovary. The high pollination rate makes the system beneficial for the plants, whereas the larvae are provided with food (part of the developing seeds) and some protection against predation. Qualitative comparisons are made between non-moth-pollinated lineages, used as outgroups and various, independently moth-pollinated Phyllantheae clades, used as ingroups, thereby looking for parallel developments. The flowers of both sexes of various groups display similar, convergent morphological adaptations to the pollination system, likely to secure the obligate relationship and to improve efficiency. Sepals in both sexes, free or partly to highly connate, are commonly upright and form a narrow tube. The staminate flowers often have united, vertical stamens with the anthers along the androphore or on top of the androphore. Pistillate flowers generally reduce the stigmatic surface, either by making the stigmas shorter or by uniting them into a cone with a small opening at the top for pollen deposition. Less obvious is the reduction of the stigmatic papillae; these are often present in non-moth-pollinated taxa, but absent in the moth-pollinated species. The most diverging, parallel adaptations to moth pollination are currently found in the Palaeotropics, whereas in the Neotropics, some groups continue to also be pollinated by other insect groups and are morphologically less changed.

Infection-activated lipopeptide nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology for in vivo bacterial ablation.

The nonselective membrane disruption of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) helps in combating the antibacterial resistance. But their overall positive charges lead to undesirable hemolysis and toxicity toward normal living cells, as well as the rapid clearance from blood circulation. In consequence, developing smart AMPs to optimize the antimicrobial outcomes is highly urgent. Relying on the local acidity of microbial infection sites, in this work, we designed an acidity-triggered charge reversal nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology for bacterial targeting and optimized therapy. C16-A3K4-CONH2 was proposed and the ε-amino groups in lysine residues were acylated by dimethylmaleic amide (DMA), enabling the generated C16-A3K4(DMA)-CONH2 to self-assemble into negatively charged spherical nanostructure, which relieved the protein adsorption and prolonged blood circulation in vivo. After the access of C16-A3K4(DMA)-CONH2 into the microbial infection sites, acid-sensitive ß-carboxylic amide would hydrolyze to regenerate the positive C16-A3K4-CONH2 to destabilize the negatively charged bacterial membrane. In the meanwhile, attractively, the self-assembled spherical nanoparticle transformed to rod-like nanostructure, which was in favor of the efficient binding with bacterial membranes due to the larger contact area. Our results showed that the acid-activated AMP nanotherapeutics exhibited strong and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against Yeast, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative Escherichia coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Moreover, the biocompatible lipopeptide nanotherapeutics dramatically improved the dermapostasis caused by bacterial infection. The strategy of merging pathology-activated therapeutic function and morphological adaptation to augment therapeutic outcomes shows the great potential for bacterial inhibition. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The overall positive charges of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) lead to undesirable hemolysis and nonselective toxicity, as well as the rapid clearance from blood circulation. Infection-activated lipopeptide nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology were developed to address these issues. The self-assembled lipopeptide was pre-decorated to reverse the positive charge to reduce the hemolysis and nonselective cytotoxicity. After accessing the acidic infection sites, the nanotherapeutics recovered the positive charge to destabilize negatively charged bacterial membranes. Meanwhile, the morphology of self-assembled nanotherapeutics transformed from spherical nanoparticles to rod-like nanostructures in the lesion site, facilitating the improved association with bacterial membranes to boost the therapeutic efficiency. These results provide new design rationale for AMPs developed for bacterial inhibition.

Morphological adaptation for ectosymbiont maintenance and transmission during metamorphosis in Lagria beetles.

The diversity and success of holometabolous insects is partly driven by metamorphosis, which allows for the exploitation of different niches and decouples growth and tissue differentiation from reproduction. Despite its benefits, metamorphosis comes with the cost of temporal vulnerability during pupation and challenges associated with tissue reorganizations. These rearrangements can also affect the presence, abundance, and localization of beneficial microbes in the host. However, how symbionts are maintained or translocated during metamorphosis and which adaptations are necessary from each partner during this process remains unknown for the vast majority of symbiotic systems. Here, we show that Lagria beetles circumvent the constraints of metamorphosis by maintaining defensive symbionts on the surface in specialized cuticular structures. The symbionts are present in both sexes throughout larval development and during the pupal phase, in line with a protective role during the beetle's immature stages. By comparing symbiont titer and morphology of the cuticular structures between sexes using qPCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and micro-computed tomography, we found that the organs likely play an important role as a symbiont reservoir for transmission to female adults, since symbiont titers and structures are reduced in male pupae. Using symbiont-sized fluorescent beads, we demonstrate transfer from the region of the dorsal symbiont-housing organs to the opening of the reproductive tract of adult females, suggesting that symbiont relocation on the outer surface is possible, even without specialized symbiont adaptations or motility. Our results illustrate a strategy for holometabolous insects to cope with the challenge of symbiont maintenance during metamorphosis via an external route, circumventing problems associated with internal tissue reorganization. Thereby, Lagria beetles keep a tight relationship with their beneficial partners during growth and metamorphosis.

Morphological description of the white grub Melolontha incana (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini).

Melolonthinae are the largest subfamily of Scarabaeidae, considered as serious pests for their larvae attacking plant roots and tubers. The edaphic larvae are difficult to be identified because the study on larval taxonomy is far from satisfactory. In this study, multivoltine white grubs Melolontha incana (Motschulsky, 1853) were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy, in order to provide more morphological characters for the pest identification. The white grubs are atypical for the epipharynx bearing 14 heli arranged in two rows; the mandible is furnished with a patch of minute granules; the maxilla is equipped with 18 acute stridulatory teeth arranged in line; each femur and tibiotarsus is furnished ventrally with a cluster of fossorial setae. The morphological comparisons with the other melolonthine species were provided. The adaptative relationship between the morphological feature and the multivoltine life history were briefly discussed.

Response Mechanisms of Plants Under Saline-Alkali Stress.

As two coexisting abiotic stresses, salt stress and alkali stress have severely restricted the development of global agriculture. Clarifying the plant resistance mechanism and determining how to improve plant tolerance to salt stress and alkali stress have been popular research topics. At present, most related studies have focused mainly on salt stress, and salt-alkali mixed stress studies are relatively scarce. However, in nature, high concentrations of salt and high pH often occur simultaneously, and their synergistic effects can be more harmful to plant growth and development than the effects of either stress alone. Therefore, it is of great practical importance for the sustainable development of agriculture to study plant resistance mechanisms under saline-alkali mixed stress, screen new saline-alkali stress tolerance genes, and explore new plant salt-alkali tolerance strategies. Herein, we summarized how plants actively respond to saline-alkali stress through morphological adaptation, physiological adaptation and molecular regulation.

Beyond Soft Hands: Efficient Grasping With Non-Anthropomorphic Soft Grippers.

Grasping and manipulation are challenging tasks that are nonetheless critical for many robotic systems and applications. A century ago, robots were conceived as humanoid automata. While conceptual at the time, this viewpoint remains influential today. Many robotic grippers have been inspired by the dexterity and functionality of the prehensile human hand. However, multi-fingered grippers that emulate the hand often integrate many kinematic degrees-of-freedom, and thus complex mechanisms, which must be controlled in order to grasp and manipulate objects. Soft fingers can facilitate grasping through intrinsic compliance, enabling them to conform to diverse objects. However, as with conventional fingered grippers, grasping via soft fingers involves challenges in perception, computation, and control, because fingers must be placed so as to achieve force closure, which depends on the shape and pose of the object. Emerging soft robotics research on non-anthropomorphic grippers has yielded new techniques that can circumvent fundamental challenges associated with grasping via fingered grippers. Common to many non-anthropomorphic soft grippers are mechanisms for morphological deformation or adhesion that simplify the grasping of diverse objects in different poses, without detailed knowledge of the object geometry. These advantages may allow robots to be used in challenging applications, such as logistics or rapid manufacturing, with lower cost and complexity. In this perspective, we examine challenges associated with grasping via anthropomorphic grippers. We describe emerging soft, non-anthropomorphic grasping methods, and how they may reduce grasping complexities. We conclude by proposing several research directions that could expand the capabilities of robotic systems utilizing non-anthropomorphic grippers.

Textured Building Façades: Utilizing Morphological Adaptations Found in Nature for Evaporative Cooling.

The overheating of buildings and their need for mechanical cooling is a growing issue as a result of climate change. The main aim of this paper is to examine the impact of surface texture on heat loss capabilities of concrete panels through evaporative cooling. Organisms maintain their body temperature in very narrow ranges in order to survive, where they employ morphological and behavioral means to complement physiological strategies for adaptation. This research follows a biomimetic approach to develop a design solution. The skin morphology of elephants was identified as a successful example that utilizes evaporative cooling and has, therefore, informed the realization of a textured façade panel. A systematic process has been undertaken to examine the impact of different variables on the cooling ability of the panels, bringing in new morphological considerations for surface texture. The results showed that the morphological variables of assembly and depth of texture have impact on heat loss, and the impact of surface area to volume (SA:V) ratios on heat loss capabilities varies for different surface roughness. This study demonstrates the potential exploitation of morphological adaptation to buildings, that could contribute to them cooling passively and reduce the need for expensive and energy consuming mechanical systems. Furthermore, it suggests areas for further investigation and opens new avenues for novel thermal solutions inspired by nature for the built environment.

Interspecific competition reveals Raphidiopsis raciborskii as a more successful invader than Microcystis aeruginosa.

As a successful invasive cyanobacterial species, Raphidiopsis raciborskii is distributed globally and shows a tendency to replace Microcystis aeruginosa in many subtropical and temperate waters, but the ecological traits that contribute to its invasiveness are still unclear. In this study, we found that R. raciborskii occurred in 149 sites in 42 lakes in eastern and central China and coexisted with M. aeruginosa at most sites. Based on field results, a combination of invasion and competition experiments using a biomass gradient to evaluate the invasiveness and competitiveness of R. raciborskii compared with M. aeruginosa was conducted. In invasive groups, both R. raciborskii and M. aeruginosa were shown to have positive specific growth rates, indicating that R. raciborskii could coexist with M. aeruginosa. Furthermore, R. raciborskii was shown to grow faster from invasion while M. aeruginosa reduced growth for invasion. In competitive groups, R. raciborskii reached a higher maximum biomass and grew longer than M. aeruginosa. The specific growth rate of R. raciborskii was not inhibited by M. aeruginosa biomass, whereas the growth of M. aeruginosa was inhibited by R. raciborskii biomass. It was shown during the whole experiment that R. raciborskii tended to replace M. aeruginosa to become dominant owing to its faster growth rate and the eventual decline in growth of M. aeruginosa. With an increase in biomass of M. aeruginosa, the vegetative cell size and filament length of R. raciborskii gradually increased. This study has demonstrated that the inherent invasive traits of R. raciborskii, size differences, niche differences, and relative fitness differences between R. raciborskii and M. aeruginosa are crucial reasons for the invasive success of R. raciborskii. Our results revealed the invasiveness and domination of R. raciborskii from a new perspective.

Variation in Wing Load of Female Spruce Budworms (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) During the Course of an Outbreak: Evidence for Phenotypic Response to Habitat Deterioration in Collapsing Populations.

Reproduction in female spruce budworms, Choristoneura fumiferana, entails sedentary oviposition early in life (gravid females with their heavy abdomen full of eggs are unable to sustain flight), followed by short- and long-range dispersal by females that have laid a portion of their eggs. Body size measurements (wing surface area and dry weight) of gravid females, spent females at death (after all eggs are laid), and inflight females captured at light traps were collected at one location (forest stands near Fredericton in New Brunswick) over multiple years, from the outbreak stage (1976-1979: peak budworm abundance) to late declining phase with collapsing populations (1988-1989, following near two-fold magnitude of decline in adult density after 1987). For both demographic phases, females rarely flew until having laid at least 40% of their eggs, in contradiction to the hypothesis that females in defoliated forest stands can fly upon emergence due to their light-weight abdomen. As expected, the weight and fecundity of females in 1988-1989 was significantly lower than early on; in terms of body size (wing surface area), however, females were larger in late outbreak phase. These trends suggest that females have evolved morphological adaptation to further dispersal from deteriorated habitats.