Article
Ecology
Joshua S. S. Madin, Mollie Asbury, Nina Schiettekatte, Maria Dornelas, Oscar Pizarro, Jessica Reichert, Damaris Torres-Pulliza
Summary: In their recent synopsis, Loke and Chisholm (Ecology Letters, 25, 2269-2288, 2022) provide an overview of habitat complexity metrics for ecologists and offer some suggestions. However, we disagree with some of their analyses and opinions in this technical note.
Article
Environmental Sciences
F. P. Mancuso, M. Milazzo, G. Sara, R. Chemello
Summary: Habitat complexity in marine environments, particularly in coastal areas, is crucial for biodiversity, as foundation seaweeds provide substrate for diverse communities. The study focuses on the fractal dimensions of Gongolaria montagnei and their relationship with gastropod assemblage. The 3D fractal analysis proves to be a better method in describing seaweed structural complexity and its association with gastropods in terms of abundance, species richness, and morpho-functional groups. The proposed method is deemed valuable in understanding seaweed-fauna relationship and the consequences of seaweed loss.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Lan Ma, Shaoying He, Mingzhen Lu
Summary: In this study, a method has been developed to compute the visual complexity of heterogeneity in the built environment using fractal dimensions. The method effectively extracts meaningful edge structures in visual images based on human visual perception and establishes an evaluation system to comprehensively classify and assess the visual complexity of scenarios. The proposed method and evaluation system provide a robust and accurate way to measure visual complexity in the built environment.
FRACTAL AND FRACTIONAL
(2021)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Lynette H. L. Loke, Ryan A. Chisholm
Summary: In their critique, Madin et al. (2023) support the use of fractal dimension in ecology and defend their geometric constraint theory of habitat complexity. We address the flaws in their arguments and clarify their misinterpretation of our statements.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Huibo Song, Shasha Nie, Yi Jin, Xiangyu Zhang, Hongliang An
Summary: The study established fractal topography in Zoophycos and proposed a fractal dimension (D) model, analyzing the correlation of D with paleo-water depth and substrate consistency. The results showed that D increases with paleo-water depth, but decreases when substrate consistency increases.
FRACTALS-COMPLEX GEOMETRY PATTERNS AND SCALING IN NATURE AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergei Redondo-Lopez, Enrique Gonzalez-Ortegon, Freylan Mena, Cristiano V. M. Araujo
Summary: Behavioral changes in two shrimp species, P. vannamei and P. varians, exposed to copper were studied. The locomotion of the shrimps showed opposite trends, with P. varians reducing movements above 50 mu g/L and P. vannamei exhibiting hyperactivity. Both species significantly avoided the highest concentrations of copper in a non-forced exposure scenario, but the repellence of copper was stronger for P. vannamei.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jasmine Pani, Chiara Marzi, Dorthe Stensvold, Ulrik Wisloff, Asta Kristine Haberg, Stefano Diciotti
Summary: Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for dementia, while high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness can reduce the risk of dementia. This study investigated the impact of a 5-year exercise intervention on the structural complexity of the brain in older adults. The findings suggest that higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with greater structural complexity in the brain, specifically in the cerebral gray matter and temporal lobe gray matter. Maintaining high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness can help protect against age-related structural complexity loss in the brain.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marek Marciniak, Daniel Gebler, Mateusz Grygoruk, Joanna Zalewska-Galosz, Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz
Summary: The study aimed to assess the influence of filtration stream and hydraulic gradient on water crowfoot distribution in European rivers. The study found that the hyporheic zones covered with Ranunculus vegetation were mainly influenced by groundwater drainage. The intensity of groundwater filtration varied significantly, and the non-vegetated riverbed had a higher filtration rate compared to the zones with Ranunculus. The study provides evidence for the importance of water exchange in the hyporheic zone for the growth and conservation of Ranunculus vegetation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Chengyan Han, Hee-Jin Kim, Jae-Seong Lee, Yoshitaka Sakakura, Atsushi Hagiwara
Summary: Iron, a trace metal in coastal waters, has increased significantly due to human activities. However, its toxicity to marine organism reproduction and associated mechanisms have been under-studied. In this study, two marine rotifers were used to investigate the toxicity of iron and its deleterious effects on reproductive features. Iron exposure resulted in decreased sexual fecundity, abnormal resting egg development, and reduced swimming speed in females, as well as shorter lifespan, decreased sperm vitality, and behavioral changes in males. Additionally, iron affected swimming behavior, causing slower males and faster females, which could reduce the encounter rates associated with inactive fertilized egg (resting egg) production. The two rotifer species exhibited different response patterns in genetic and enzymatic activities related to iron homeostasis and oxidative/antioxidant processes.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvano Lima do Nascimento Filho, Watson Arantes Gama, Ariadne do Nascimento Moura
Summary: The study demonstrates that the structural complexity of aquatic macrophytes positively influences epiphytes and macroinvertebrates, with a synergistic effect observed between epiphytes and macrophytes increasing the biomass of macroinvertebrates. The findings suggest that managing macrophytes with different structural complexities could be a valuable strategy in enhancing biodiversity in tropical aquatic ecosystems.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Brian Lord, John J. B. Allen
Summary: Nonlinear EEG analysis has the potential to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and deepen the understanding of psychopathology. Previous research has found a positive correlation between EEG complexity measures and clinical depression. This study analyzed EEG recordings from 306 subjects, finding higher complexity in open-eye recordings compared to closed eyes. While the predicted correlation between complexity and depression was not found, an unexpected sex effect was observed.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaobin Li, Wei Wei, Lei Wang, Pinbo Ding, Linqi Zhu, Jianchao Cai
Summary: This paper proposes a new method for evaluating the pore structure complexity of digital rock models by using the relative value of box-counting fractal dimension. The method establishes an intermediate fractal reference model and compares the relative positional relationship between the fractal dimensions of the study samples and the reference model to effectively evaluate and classify the pore structure complexity.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Haoran Dou, Guanhua Ni, Gongshuai Sun, Zhao Li, Xianlong Yin, Qiming Huang, Zhenyang Wang
Summary: The application of acidification technology alters the pore and microcrystalline structure of coal, impacting its combustion characteristics. In this study, different inorganic acids (HF, HCl, and HNO3) were used to treat bituminous coal, and various tests and analyses were conducted to investigate the changes. The research findings indicate that the pores have a greater influence on the acidified coal's combustion characteristics compared to the microcrystalline structure. Hydrofluoric acid, in particular, significantly increases the average pore size and the maximum mass loss rate of the coal.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Matteo Beretta-Piccoli, Corrado Cescon, Ausilia Vistarini, Caterina Pisegna, Beatrice Vannini, Cristian Zampella, Luca Calanni, Emiliano Soldini, Marco Barbero, Giuseppe D'Antona
Summary: The study aimed to validate the relationship between fractal dimension (FD) of surface electromyographic (EMG) signal and firing rate and synchronization of motor units. Thirteen healthy subjects participated in an isometric knee extension task, and intramuscular and surface EMG signals were recorded concurrently. Results showed that FD was negatively correlated with motor unit synchronization and positively correlated with firing rate. However, the correlation between FD and firing rate was only significant during the initial 50 seconds of contraction. Therefore, FD of surface EMG signal is mostly related to firing rate and can be considered as an index of performance fatigability during sustained or prolonged contractions.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Peijian Shi, Kexin Yu, Ulo Niinemets, Johan Gielis
Summary: Leaf shape plays a vital role in leaf support and functions, with indices like W/L ratio and leaf shape fractal dimension commonly used to quantify it. The relationship between different indices of leaf shape complexity, particularly W/L ratio and FD, needs further investigation.
