Myxomycete sporocarps are practical units that can be used to study the effect of environmental issues such as climate change,urbanization,and natural disasters on microorganisms.Recent scientific literature lacks emp...Myxomycete sporocarps are practical units that can be used to study the effect of environmental issues such as climate change,urbanization,and natural disasters on microorganisms.Recent scientific literature lacks empirical approaches to understand the impacts of sampling design and site selection on the data obtained in myxomycete field surveys.The present investigation was designed to generate useful data for the evaluation of methodological approaches.Myxomycetes were studied for two years in a tropical premontane wet forest in Costa Rica using two different sampling strategies and several collecting sites to evaluate potential differences in the results.Field collections were used to generate the dataset due to their usefulness for monitoring purposes.Sampling strategies had a smaller impact on the reported structure and composition of obtained species assemblages than site selection,but a combination of both clearly maximized the effort and provided the best results during the field surveys.Functional variables of the forest with direct influence on the myxomycete life cycle such as tree diameter and leaf litter depth impacted the results synergically.Simulations of surveys at two different levels of effort were compared with total yearly efforts and results showed that revisiting sampling sites maximized the field effort.Results demonstrated that the variability of sporocarp production in tropical forests should be considered in the design of long-term field experiments on myxomycetes.展开更多
Urban ecology is a research field gaining momentum due to contextual pressures to study macroecological effects on biodiversity.Herein,we evaluated the occurrence of myxomycetes in three urban Neotropical environments...Urban ecology is a research field gaining momentum due to contextual pressures to study macroecological effects on biodiversity.Herein,we evaluated the occurrence of myxomycetes in three urban Neotropical environments representing different levels of conurbation within different life zones.We used the moist chamber technique set up with ground litter collected by public roads for such evaluation.Results showed that 79%of the 420 moist chambers yielded myxomycetes and the same number of samples generated 570 records.The highest number of records and species were found in the cornurbated widespread city of the premontane moist forest life zone;and fewer records and species were recorded in the two non-conurbated compact cities.The lowest number of records was associated with the lowland dry forest life zone,whereas the lowest number of species was recorded in the desertic context.In general,more records and more species were observed in the outer zones relative to the urban centre but no significant differences were observed in either case.It is unlikely that the life zone characteristics could have primarily determined the results and highly likely played a secondary role.Also,previous geographical analyses in cities have reported no differences in myxomycete abundance or species richness in relation to the central parts of the urban landscape.The results presented herein support the latter idea,but also suggest that the presence of inter-conurbated green spaces and availability of substrates might play a role in the occurrence of sporocarps of myxomycetes in urban environments.展开更多
In this systems paper,we present MillenniumDB:a novel graph database engine that is modular,persistent,and open source.MillenniumDB is based on a graph data model,which we call domain graphs,that provides a simple abs...In this systems paper,we present MillenniumDB:a novel graph database engine that is modular,persistent,and open source.MillenniumDB is based on a graph data model,which we call domain graphs,that provides a simple abstraction upon which a variety of popular graph models can be supported,thus providing a flexible data management engine for diverse types of knowledge graph.The engine itself is founded on a combination of tried and tested techniques from relational data management,state-of-the-art algorithms for worst-case-optimal joins,as well as graph-specific algorithms for evaluating path queries.In this paper,we present the main design principles underlying MillenniumDB,describing the abstract graph model and query semantics supported,the concrete data model and query syntax implemented,as well as the storage,indexing,query planning and query evaluation techniques used.We evaluate MillenniumDB over real-world data and queries from the Wikidata knowledge graph,where we find that it outperforms other popular persistent graph database engines(including both enterprise and open source alternatives)that support similarqueryfeatures.展开更多
Although the effects of microenvironmental factors on distribution patterns in myxomycetes have been investigated,studies of the responses of this group of organisms to different regimes of forest disturbance are rela...Although the effects of microenvironmental factors on distribution patterns in myxomycetes have been investigated,studies of the responses of this group of organisms to different regimes of forest disturbance are relatively few in number.In an effort to understand the implications of forest fragmentation and habitat loss on myxomycetes,the project described herein was carried out at the Los Amigos Biological Station in southeastern Peru.The structure and composition of assemblages of myxomycetes were investigated in relation to three different forest types and climatic periods in the area of study.An analysis of the most commonly recorded substrates was carried out as well.The results suggested that habitat loss,through differences in forest structure,was the factor determining most of the differences in fruiting body abundance of myxomycetes among forest types.In addition,a switch in the ecological strategy of dispersal seemed to be an important factor accounting for differences in the fruiting body abundance and structure of assemblages of myxomycetes between collecting periods.This study provides evidence indicating that for microbial assemblages to maintain the balance of functional interactions within a particular forest ecosystem,the conservation of the forests themselves should be considered.展开更多
This essay uses the notion of a symptom to examine the ways in which temporality is deployed in Hong Kong author Dung Kai-Cheung＇s 2007 novel, Histories o^Time. In particular, the essay follows Dung＇s own lead, in H...This essay uses the notion of a symptom to examine the ways in which temporality is deployed in Hong Kong author Dung Kai-Cheung＇s 2007 novel, Histories o^Time. In particular, the essay follows Dung＇s own lead, in Histories of Time, and considers the peculiar temporality implicit in the concept of figuration in Biblical hermeneutics, wherein the ＂figure＂ mediates between the two distinct--yet structurally related--temporalities of the Old and the New Testaments： the ＂prefiguration＂ of the Old Testament and the ＂fulfillment of figuration＂ of the New Testament. I propose that a literary ＂figure,＂ in Dung＇s work, similarly mediates between the different temporal planes within his novel, while at the same time mediating between the fictional space of the novel and the historical era within which the work is positioned. Just as a symptom is simultaneously a function of--but also structurally external to--the underlying condition that it signifies, this sort of literary figure may similarly be seen as a function of--but simultaneously external to--the historical era to which it corresponds. This sort of literary figure, accordingly, marks a point of rupture within the temporality of the novel and its corresponding era, while at the same time providing the ground on which that temporal continuum is established in the first place.展开更多
Responding to the popular 2011 television miniseries Palace （Gong 宫）, about a contemporary woman who travels back in time and finds herself in a love triangle with two handsome Qing dynasty princes, China＇s State ...Responding to the popular 2011 television miniseries Palace （Gong 宫）, about a contemporary woman who travels back in time and finds herself in a love triangle with two handsome Qing dynasty princes, China＇s State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television （SARFT） issued a now-famous directive noting that works like Palace ＂casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation.＂ The directive concludes ominously that these works ＂should no longer be encouraged＂.展开更多
基金This study was financed by project 570-B8-006 from Vicerrectoría de Investigación at the University of Costa Rica and partially conducted within the framework of an international research agreement between the two academic institutions represented by the authors.
文摘Myxomycete sporocarps are practical units that can be used to study the effect of environmental issues such as climate change,urbanization,and natural disasters on microorganisms.Recent scientific literature lacks empirical approaches to understand the impacts of sampling design and site selection on the data obtained in myxomycete field surveys.The present investigation was designed to generate useful data for the evaluation of methodological approaches.Myxomycetes were studied for two years in a tropical premontane wet forest in Costa Rica using two different sampling strategies and several collecting sites to evaluate potential differences in the results.Field collections were used to generate the dataset due to their usefulness for monitoring purposes.Sampling strategies had a smaller impact on the reported structure and composition of obtained species assemblages than site selection,but a combination of both clearly maximized the effort and provided the best results during the field surveys.Functional variables of the forest with direct influence on the myxomycete life cycle such as tree diameter and leaf litter depth impacted the results synergically.Simulations of surveys at two different levels of effort were compared with total yearly efforts and results showed that revisiting sampling sites maximized the field effort.Results demonstrated that the variability of sporocarp production in tropical forests should be considered in the design of long-term field experiments on myxomycetes.
基金This work was financed by the University of Costa Rica(Vicerrectoría de Investigación 731-B7-721)。
文摘Urban ecology is a research field gaining momentum due to contextual pressures to study macroecological effects on biodiversity.Herein,we evaluated the occurrence of myxomycetes in three urban Neotropical environments representing different levels of conurbation within different life zones.We used the moist chamber technique set up with ground litter collected by public roads for such evaluation.Results showed that 79%of the 420 moist chambers yielded myxomycetes and the same number of samples generated 570 records.The highest number of records and species were found in the cornurbated widespread city of the premontane moist forest life zone;and fewer records and species were recorded in the two non-conurbated compact cities.The lowest number of records was associated with the lowland dry forest life zone,whereas the lowest number of species was recorded in the desertic context.In general,more records and more species were observed in the outer zones relative to the urban centre but no significant differences were observed in either case.It is unlikely that the life zone characteristics could have primarily determined the results and highly likely played a secondary role.Also,previous geographical analyses in cities have reported no differences in myxomycete abundance or species richness in relation to the central parts of the urban landscape.The results presented herein support the latter idea,but also suggest that the presence of inter-conurbated green spaces and availability of substrates might play a role in the occurrence of sporocarps of myxomycetes in urban environments.
基金supported by ANID-Millennium Science Initiative Program-Code ICN17_002。
文摘In this systems paper,we present MillenniumDB:a novel graph database engine that is modular,persistent,and open source.MillenniumDB is based on a graph data model,which we call domain graphs,that provides a simple abstraction upon which a variety of popular graph models can be supported,thus providing a flexible data management engine for diverse types of knowledge graph.The engine itself is founded on a combination of tried and tested techniques from relational data management,state-of-the-art algorithms for worst-case-optimal joins,as well as graph-specific algorithms for evaluating path queries.In this paper,we present the main design principles underlying MillenniumDB,describing the abstract graph model and query semantics supported,the concrete data model and query syntax implemented,as well as the storage,indexing,query planning and query evaluation techniques used.We evaluate MillenniumDB over real-world data and queries from the Wikidata knowledge graph,where we find that it outperforms other popular persistent graph database engines(including both enterprise and open source alternatives)that support similarqueryfeatures.
文摘Although the effects of microenvironmental factors on distribution patterns in myxomycetes have been investigated,studies of the responses of this group of organisms to different regimes of forest disturbance are relatively few in number.In an effort to understand the implications of forest fragmentation and habitat loss on myxomycetes,the project described herein was carried out at the Los Amigos Biological Station in southeastern Peru.The structure and composition of assemblages of myxomycetes were investigated in relation to three different forest types and climatic periods in the area of study.An analysis of the most commonly recorded substrates was carried out as well.The results suggested that habitat loss,through differences in forest structure,was the factor determining most of the differences in fruiting body abundance of myxomycetes among forest types.In addition,a switch in the ecological strategy of dispersal seemed to be an important factor accounting for differences in the fruiting body abundance and structure of assemblages of myxomycetes between collecting periods.This study provides evidence indicating that for microbial assemblages to maintain the balance of functional interactions within a particular forest ecosystem,the conservation of the forests themselves should be considered.
文摘This essay uses the notion of a symptom to examine the ways in which temporality is deployed in Hong Kong author Dung Kai-Cheung＇s 2007 novel, Histories o^Time. In particular, the essay follows Dung＇s own lead, in Histories of Time, and considers the peculiar temporality implicit in the concept of figuration in Biblical hermeneutics, wherein the ＂figure＂ mediates between the two distinct--yet structurally related--temporalities of the Old and the New Testaments： the ＂prefiguration＂ of the Old Testament and the ＂fulfillment of figuration＂ of the New Testament. I propose that a literary ＂figure,＂ in Dung＇s work, similarly mediates between the different temporal planes within his novel, while at the same time mediating between the fictional space of the novel and the historical era within which the work is positioned. Just as a symptom is simultaneously a function of--but also structurally external to--the underlying condition that it signifies, this sort of literary figure may similarly be seen as a function of--but simultaneously external to--the historical era to which it corresponds. This sort of literary figure, accordingly, marks a point of rupture within the temporality of the novel and its corresponding era, while at the same time providing the ground on which that temporal continuum is established in the first place.
文摘Responding to the popular 2011 television miniseries Palace （Gong 宫）, about a contemporary woman who travels back in time and finds herself in a love triangle with two handsome Qing dynasty princes, China＇s State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television （SARFT） issued a now-famous directive noting that works like Palace ＂casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation.＂ The directive concludes ominously that these works ＂should no longer be encouraged＂.
