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Understanding the impact that climate had in shaping cranial variation is critical for inferring the evolutionary mechanisms that played a role in human diversification. Here, we provide a comprehensive study aiming to analyze the association between climate and cranial variation of high latitude populations living in temperate to cold environments of Asia, North America, and South America. For this, we compiled a large morphometric dataset (N = 2633), which was combined with climatic and genomic data. We tested the influence of climate on the facial skeleton, nasal protrusion, and cranial vault and through multiple statistical tests at two geographical scales: intracontinental and intercontinental. We show that populations living in cold areas share a morphological pattern characterized by an increase in nasal height, facial and orbital heights and widths, a decrease in facial protrusion, and larger, longer, and lower cranial vaults. There are also distinctive features; populations from north Asia present the tallest noses, largest faces, and cranial vaults of the whole sample. Nasal breadth dimensions show small values in Asians, large values in South Americans, and non‐significant changes in arctic North America. The morphological pattern in populations living at high latitude may be the result of parallel adaptation, as supported by physiological, morphometric, ecological, and genetic explanations, while the differences in magnitude and phenotypic expression could be due to the diverse population histories, severity of climate, and cultural strategies. Overall, our study shows that climate is a relevant factor shaping modern human morphology and it should be considered when studying modern human evolution and diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The woody bamboos (Bambusoideae) exhibit distinctive biological traits within Poaceae, such as highly lignified culms, rapid shoot growth, monocarpic mass flowering and nutlike or fleshy caryopses. Much of the remarkable morphological diversity across the subfamily exists within a single hexaploid clade, the paleotropical woody bamboos (PWB), making it ideal to investigate the factors underlying morphological evolution in woody bamboos. However, the origin and biogeographical history of PWB remain elusive, as does the effect of environmental factors on the evolution of their morphological characters. We generated a robust and time‐calibrated phylogeny of PWB using single nucleotide polymorphisms retrieved from optimized double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing, and explored the evolutionary trends of habit, inflorescence, and caryopsis type in relation to environmental factors including climate, soil, and topography. We inferred that the PWB started to diversify across the Oligocene–Miocene boundary and formed four major clades, that is, Melocanninae, Racemobambosinae s.l. (comprising Dinochloinae, Greslanlinae, Racemobambosinae s.str. and Temburongiinae), Hickeliinae and Bambusinae s.l. (comprising Bambusinae s.str. plus Holttumochloinae). The ancestor of PWB was reconstructed as having erect habit, indeterminate inflorescence and basic caryopsis. The characters including climbing/scrambling habit, determinate inflorescence, and nucoid/bacoid caryopsis have since undergone multiple changes and reversals during the diversification of PWB. The evolution of all three traits was correlated with, and hence likely influenced by, aspects of climate, topography, and soil, with climate factors most strongly correlated with morphological traits, and soil factors least so. However, topography had more influence than climate or soil on the evolution of erect habit, whereas both factors had greater effect on the evolution of bacoid caryopsis than did soil. Our results provide novel insights into morphological diversity and adaptive evolution in bamboos for future ecological and evolutionary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical climatic and geological events are largely known to have impacted biome evolution across the Neotropics and their associated rich biodiversity. However, a clear understanding of dispersal and biome shifts between neotropical biomes over time is still lacking for many ecologically important plant clades. We investigated the timing and ancestral species movements within the early branching papilionoid legume Dipterygeae lineage of neotropical tree species, some of which are among the most ecologically dominant across Amazonian rainforests and Brazilian savannas, to understand how dispersal and evolutionary trajectories in biome predilection have led to their modern distribution. We also estimated the evolution of fruit types and discuss their potential roles in the colonization of non-Amazonian rainforest habitats. To address these questions, we used one nuclear (ITS/5.8S) and two plastid (matK and trnL intron) DNA regions of the Dipterygeae clade to estimate divergence times with a Bayesian relaxed-clock approach, ancestral area distribution, and evolutionary shifts in biome and morphological traits. All currently recognized species of this clade were sampled, covering its full geographical range. Dipterygeae originated in the Amazonia during the Middle Eocene, where it has undergone a long history of in situ diversification, particularly over the last 15 Myr. Dispersal events into the rainforests of the Brazilian Coastal Atlantic Forest and Chocó + Central America, the fire-prone savannas of the Cerrado, and the Caatinga seasonally dry tropical forest occurred independently. Most lineages ecologically associated with rainforests are dispersed by animals (zoochory), whereas shifts to open habitats generally coincide with wind dispersal (anemochory). Our study highlights the significance of geological events, climatic factors, and shifts in fruit type as crucial contributors to the diversification of Dipterygeae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of the cooling rates, from 18 to 1.5 °C/s, on the as-cast microstructure of the CMSX-4 Ni-based superalloy, especially on morphological changes in primary γ′ precipitates in the dendrite core and border. Microstructural characterization along the height of directionally solidified samples included the measurement of grain density, secondary dendrite arm spacing, γ–γ′ eutectic morphology and volume fraction, solute segregation, and primary γ′ precipitate morphology & size in both dendrite core and border. A simple thermodynamic model was employed to investigate the morphological transitions observed during coarsening of primary γ′ precipitates, from sphere to cube, concave cube, octocube and solid-state dendrite. The γ–γ′ lattice misfit, the γ/γ′ elastic strain energy values within the γ matrix, and the critical precipitation sizes for morphological changes were extrapolated for the dendrite core and border. The thermodynamic model, which considers the balance between elastic and interfacial energies, does not completely explain the differences in size and shape of the primary γ′ particles between the dendrite border and core. The more varied γ′ particle morphologies in the dendrite border are due to faster precipitate coarsening, driven by lower Re and W contents, higher atomic diffusivity, increased solvus temperature, and reduced supercooling for the precipitation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study delves into the enhancement of supercapacitors to increase their energy density while maintaining fast charge-discharge capabilities and longevity. This is achieved by developing electrode materials with improved conductivity and carefully designed nanostructures to overcome the limitations of pseudocapacitors. The study highlights MnCo 2 S 4 for its impressive specific capacitance and cost-effectiveness. It elucidates the synergistic interactions and charge transfer dynamics between manganese (Mn) and cobalt (Co), which significantly enhance electrochemical performance. A new one-step hydrothermal synthesis method is presented for producing MnCo 2 S 4 nanogranules directly on a nickel foam substrate, eliminating the need for binders and achieving an optimized morphology that boosts electrochemical activity. Through a thorough analysis involving X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) along with cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the study comprehensively characterizes the structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of MnCo 2 S 4. The synthesized MnCo 2 S 4 electrode exhibited an outstanding capacitance of 6375 mF/cm2 at a current density of 25 mA/cm2. This exceptional performance is mainly attributed to its well-designed 3-D nanogranular structure, which not only enhances the accessibility of electrolyte ions to active sites, thus improving electrochemical reactivity and capacitive utilization, but also utilizes the synergistic interaction between manganese and cobalt. This synergy promotes enhanced redox reactions and stability, resulting in a higher specific capacitance and energy density. These results highlight the crucial role of advanced electrode material development and creative synthesis methods in advancing supercapacitors as a viable energy storage solution, demonstrating the groundbreaking potential of MnCo 2 S 4 in electrochemical energy storage progress. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological symmetry‐retaining and symmetry‐breaking of single crystals of the γ‐cyclodextrin metal‐organic framework have been achieved via introducing lower symmetric β‐cyclodextrins and α‐cyclodextrins, respectively. β‐cyclodextrins led to a morphological evolution with retained symmetry from cubic to rhombic dodecahedra, while α‐cyclodextrins resulted in the original cubic crystal missing a vertex angle presenting symmetry‐breaking behavior. The crystal structures of rhombic dodecahedra and angle‐deficient crystals were confirmed through X‐ray crystallography, and the mechanisms underlying the morphological transformation evolution were further analyzed. Our work not only provides a rare case realizing two different paths of morphological evolution in one system, but also encourages future efforts towards the evolution of artificial crystal systems in a natural way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fern independent gametophytes that can maintain populations by vegetative reproduction without conspecific sporophytes have been considered an unusual phenomenon found in some epiphytic or epilithic species of Hymenophyllaceae, Pteridaceae, Lomariopsidaceae, and Polypodiaceae. By chance, the discovery of mysterious strap-like gametophytes on Izu-Oshima Island, Japan, has led to the hypothesis that Hymenasplenium murakami-hatanakae, a fern species belonging to Aspleniaceae, can also form independent gametophytes. Our investigation revealed gametophyte populations of H. murakami-hatanakae on three islands in the Izu Islands. Based on chloroplast DNA analysis of the gametophyte and sporophyte populations, the gametophytes were found to be maintained by vegetative reproduction without a new supply of spores from sporophytes. A comparison of the surrounding vegetation at the collection sites showed that environmental factors such as light and humidity may influence the maintenance of gametophyte populations. These results clearly show that H. murakami-hatanakae is one of the ferns capable of forming independent gametophytes. This is the first report of independent gametophytes from the suborder Aspleniineae (eupolypod II). The discovery of the independent gametophyte within a phylogenetic lineage previously thought not to form independent gametophytes will provide important insights into the morphological and functional evolution of gametophytes in ferns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traffic planning network (TPN) represents future urban development and holds particular significance for the growth of cities. Although urban morphology (UM) has been applied to traffic networks, there exists a lack of multiscale quantitative research on TPN. From the UM perspective, this paper develops a quantitative framework to achieve the extraction and analysis of multimorphological features of TPNs on spatiotemporal scales. Subsequently, we investigated the morphological evolution of TPNs in Nanjing, China, from the 1980s to the 2020s. The research reveals the following findings: (1) In terms of spatiotemporal scales, the Nanjing TPN exhibits a multicentric agglomeration pattern on a smaller scale, evolving from discrete points to urban belts; on a larger scale, the urban framework transitions from a cross-shaped axis to a circular radial form. The evolution of Nanjing's form zones shows a southward shift of the Core zone and a transition from agglomeration to expansion and then gradual stabilization in the periphery of the Core zone. (2) The quantitative framework we proposed effectively extracts morphological characteristics within TPNs, visualizing the focal points and trends in urban traffic planning. (3) These morphological characteristics create Nanjing's heart-shaped layout, also reflecting the evolution of planning concepts from concentric urban groups to urban–rural integration. Our study enriches research on traffic planning and UM and offers valuable insights for traffic planning in Chinese cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Headcut bed plunge pool point development is a key process in headcut erosion on granitic red soil slopes, but the mechanism of its formation is not clear. [Methods] We investigated the process of gully bed plunge pool development on granite red soil slopes by setting five headcut heights (25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 cm). [Results] (1) As the height of the headcut increased, the Re, τ, ω and the jet parameters (Vbottom, τmax, EKbottom, and ΔEH) showed an increasing trend. (2) After the laterite soil layer scouring to form a “V” type of small plunge pool, with the increase in the flow of the form of plunge pool gradually increased, but it is difficult to form a large area of the plunge pool, and the laterite soil layer is more stable than the sandy soil layer. During the scouring process of the sandy soil layer, the development of headcut bed drop points was more obvious, and when the flow rate increased to 120 L/min, the degree of gully bed fragmentation was gradually drastic, and the outline of the drop points was gradually clearer, and the cross-sectional area increased. (3) The random forest algorithm and Shapley values were used to construct the model and characterize the relationship between the parameters. The results showed that in the laterite layer, Fr, ω, EKbrink, and Re were negatively correlated with the cross-sectional area; and in the sandy soil layer, Fr and ΔEH were negatively correlated with the cross-sectional area. Higher accuracy of predictive models constructed by the random forest algorithm (LCCC=1.02, R adjusted 2=0.876 and 0.868). [Conclusion] The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for revealing the mechanisms of headcut erosion and gully erosion control.

Didelphid marsupials are considered a morphologically unspecialized group with a generalist diet that includes vertebrates, invertebrates, and plant matter. While cranium and scapula variation has already been examined within Didelphidae, variation in mandible shape, usually associated with diet or phylogeny in other mammalian groups, has not yet been properly assessed in the family. We evaluated the variation in mandible shape and size of didelphids (2470 specimens belonging to 94 species) using 2D geometric morphometrics. We classified the diet of the didelphids into four broad categories to assess whether morphospace ordination relates to dietary habits. We also provided the most comprehensive phylogeny for the family (123 out of the 126 living species) using 10 nuclear and mitochondrial genes. We then mapped mandible size and shape onto that phylogeny for 93 selected taxa and ancestral size and shapes were reconstructed by parsimony. We found phylogenetically structured variation in mandible morphology between didelphid groups, and our results indicate that they have a significant phylogenetic signal. The main axis of shape variation is poorly related to size, but the second is strongly allometric, indicating that allometry is not the main factor in shaping morphological diversity on their mandibles. Our results indicate that the shape and size of the ancestral mandible of didelphids would be similar to that of the current species of the genus Marmosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The colonization of a novel geographic area is a classic source of ecological opportunity. Likewise, complex microhabitats are thought to promote biodiversity. We sought to reconcile these two predictions when they are naturally opposing outcomes. We assess the macroevolutionary consequences of an ancestral shift from benthic to pelagic microhabitat zones on rates of speciation and phenotypic evolution in North American minnows. Pelagic species have more similar phenotypes and slower rates of phenotypic evolution, but faster speciation rates, than benthic species. These are likely two independent, opposing responses to specialization along the benthic-pelagic axis, as rates of phenotypic evolution and speciation are not directly correlated. The pelagic zone is more structurally homogenous and offers less ecological opportunity, acting as an ecological dead end for minnows. In contrast, pelagic species may be more mobile and prone to dispersal and subsequent geographic isolation and, consequently, experience elevated instances of allopatric speciation. Microhabitat shifts can have decoupled effects on different dimensions of biodiversity, highlighting the need for nuance when interpreting the macroevolutionary consequences of ecological opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexes often have differing fitness optima, potentially generating intra-locus sexual conflict, as each sex bears a genetic "load" of alleles beneficial to the other sex. One strategy to evaluate conflict in the genome is to artificially select populations discordantly against established sexual dimorphism (SD), reintroducing attenuated conflict. We investigate a long-term artificial selection experiment reversing sexual size dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster during ~350 generations of sexually discordant selection. We explore morphological and genomic changes to identify loci under selection between the sexes in discordantly and concordantly size-selected treatments. Despite substantial changes to overall size, concordant selection maintained ancestral SD. However, discordant selection altered size dimorphism in a trait-specific manner. We observe multiple possible soft selective sweeps in the genome, with size-related genes showing signs of selection. Patterns of genomic differentiation between the sexes within lineages identified potential sites maintained by sexual conflict. One discordant selected lineage shows a pattern of elevated genomic differentiation between males and females on chromosome 3L, consistent with the maintenance of sexual conflict. Our results suggest visible signs of conflict and differentially segregating alleles between the sexes due to discordant selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tidal flats are dynamic coastal ecosystems continually reshaped by natural processes and human activities. This study investigates the application of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis to the long-term profile evolution of tidal flats along the Jiansan Bend of the Qiantang River Estuary, China. By applying EOF analysis to profiles observed from 1984 to 2023, this study identifies dominant modes of variability and their spatial and temporal characteristics, offering insights into the complex sediment transport and morphological evolution processes. EOF analysis helps unravel the complex interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors shaping tidal flats, with the first three eigenfunctions accounting for over 90% of the observed variance. The first spatial eigenfunction captures the primary trend, while the subsequent two eigenfunctions reveal secondary and tertiary modes of variability. A conceptual model developed in this study elucidates the interplay between hydrodynamic forces and morphological changes, highlighting the rotation and oscillation of tidal flat profiles in response to seasonal variations in hydrological conditions. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of EOF analysis in capturing significant geomorphological processes and underscore its potential in enhancing the understanding of tidal flat dynamics, thereby informing more effective management and conservation strategies for these critical coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare Bayesian Optimization, Differential Evolution, and an Evolution Strategy employed as a gait-learning algorithm in modular robots. The motivational scenario is the joint evolution of morphologies and controllers, where "newborn" robots also undergo a learning process to optimize their inherited controllers (without changing their bodies). This context raises the question: How do gait-learning algorithms compare when applied to various morphologies that are not known in advance (and thus need to be treated as without priors)? To answer this question, we use a test suite of twenty different robot morphologies to evaluate our gait-learners and compare their efficiency, efficacy, and sensitivity to morphological differences. The results indicate that Bayesian Optimization and Differential Evolution deliver the same solution quality (walking speed for the robot) with fewer evaluations than the Evolution Strategy. Furthermore, the Evolution Strategy is more sensitive for morphological differences (its efficacy varies more between different morphologies) and is more subject to luck (repeated runs on the same morphology show greater variance in the outcomes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian dentition is an important model for studying morphological diversity and evolutionary processes. The main characteristics contributing to this fact are its organization into interrelated modules and its self-regulated development by activating and inhibiting molecules. A previous study from our group showed that the minimum free energy of an intronic G-quadruplex (G4)-forming RNA sequence of Pax9 was correlated with the diversity of molar patterns in mammals. In this work, a similar approach was used to search for possible associations between the minimum free energy of RNA sequences in the MSX1 and the relative size of molars and premolars in eutherian mammals. A region (named hereby Int1Seq) located at the beginning of the first intron presented a significant correlation between its minimum free energies and molar and premolar relative sizes. This region presented high sequence diversity, and in many species, it had the ability to form a stable G-quadruplex (G4). Besides the correlation analyses, when Int1Seq minimum free energies were used as a proxy of the activator molecules, it also increased the correlation between molar proportions in the inhibitory molar cascade model, as well as in the molar-module-component and premolar-molar-module models. Our results indicate this region, located in the MSX1 intronic sequences, is involved in the patterning of posterior teeth and reinforces the role of G4 sequences in the diversification of mammalian dentition. The exon-intron structure of the human MSX1 gene with emphasis on the position and relationship between the minimum free energies of the Int1Seq secondary structure and molar ratios for Saimiri sciureus, Mus musculus, Homo sapiens, and Bos taurus*. *The images of the dental arches are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the skulls of the specimens used for measurements in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the field of evolutionary robotics, choosing the correct genetic representation is a complicated and delicate matter, especially when robots evolve behaviour and morphology at the same time. One principal problem is the lack of methods or tools to investigate and compare representations. In this paper we introduce and evaluate such a tool based on the biological notion of heritability. Heritability captures the proportion of phenotypic variation caused by genotypic variation and is often used to better understand the transmissibility of traits in real biological systems. As a proof of concept, we compare the heritability of various robot traits in two systems, one using a direct (tree based) representation and one using an indirect (grammar based) representation. We measure changes in heritability during the course of evolution and investigate how direct and indirect representation can be biased towards more exploration or exploitation throughout the course of evolution. The empirical study shows that heritability can be a useful tool to analyze different representations without running complete evolutionary processes using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expressions are critical for non-verbal communication. The Canis genus epitomizes the interplay between behaviour and morphology in the evolution of non-verbal communication. Recent work suggests that the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM) muscle is unique to dogs (Canis familiaris) within the Canis genus and evolved due to domestication. The LAOM raises the inner eyebrows, resulting in the ‘puppy dog eyes’ expression. Here, we test whether the LAOM is a derived trait in dogs by (i) examining the facial expression muscles of a closely related and ancestral wild Canis species, the coyote (C. latrans) and (ii) comparing our results with other Canis and canid taxa. We discover that coyotes have a well-developed LAOM like dogs, which differs from the modified/absent LAOM in grey wolves. Our findings challenge the hypothesis that the LAOM developed due to domestication. We suggest that the LAOM is a basal trait that was lost in grey wolves. Additionally, we find inter- and intraspecific variations in the size of the muscles of the outer ear, forehead, lips and rostrum, indicating potential adaptations related to sensory perception, communication and individual-level functional variations within canids. Together, this research expands our knowledge of facial expressions, their evolution and their role in communication.

Phenotypic convergence across distantly related taxa can be driven by similar selective pressures from the environment or intrinsic constraints. The roles of these processes on physiological strategies, such as homeothermy, are poorly understood. We studied the evolution of thermal properties of mammalian pelage in a diverse community of rodents inhabiting the Mojave Desert, USA. We used a heat flux device to measure the thermal insulation of museum specimens and determined whether thermal properties were associated with habitat preferences while assessing phylogenetic dependence. Species that prefer arid habitats exhibited lower conductivity and thinner pelage relative to species with other habitat preferences. Despite being thinner, the pelage of arid species exhibited comparable insulation to the pelage of the other species due to its lower conductivity. Thus, arid species have insulative pelage while simultaneously benefitting from thin pelage that promotes convective cooling. We found no evidence of intrinsic constraints or phylogenetic dependence, indicating pelage readily evolves to environmental pressures. Thermoregulatory simulations demonstrated that arid specialists reduced energetic costs required for homeothermy by 14.5% by evolving lower conductivity, providing support for adaptive evolution of pelage. Our study indicates that selection for lower energetic requirements of homeothermy has shaped evolution of pelage thermal properties.

A large and taxonomically diverse collection of Ordovician Asterozoa from France and Morocco enables new insights into the early evolution of the subphylum. Available specimens of both Asteroidea and Stenuroidea are comparatively few, the collection dominated by Ophiuroidea and to a lesser extent, Somasteroidea. Nearly all the asteroid specimens are assigned to Petraster Billings, 1858; P. caidramiensis n. sp. is differentiated based on the complexity of the extraxial skeleton. The genus Petraster is reviewed. Another asteroid fragment, Euaxosida sp. A, is too incomplete to assign below the ordinal level. Among species of Petraster, the extraxial skeleton suggests homoplastic emergence of ossicular series definition whereas evolution of ambulacral axial-adaxial series expressions was conservative. The stemward asteroid axial/adaxial configuration is considered largely a plesiomorphic derivative of the somasteroid condition. Ossicular details of all series, however, differ among Petraster species. Euaxosida sp. A also offers oral-surface expressions suggestive of a transitional status. Differences among ossicular series expressions exemplify concerns surrounding interpretation of early asterozoan phylogeny and taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-based cyclodextrins (CDs) are a common research object in supramolecular chemistry. The special cavity structure of CDs can form supramolecular self-assemblies such as vesicles and microcrystals through weak interaction with guest molecules. The different forms of supramolecular self-assemblies can be transformed into each other under certain conditions. The regulation of supramolecular self-assembly is not only helpful to understand the self-assembly principle, but also beneficial to its application. In the present study, the self-assembly behavior of epoxy-β-cyclodextrin (EP-β-CD) and mixed anionic and cationic surfactant system (sodium dodecyl sulfate/ dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, SDS/DTAB) in aqueous solution was studied. Morphological and particle size characterization found that the SDS/DTAB@EP-β-CD complex, as the basic building unit, self-assembled into worm-like micelles at lower temperatures and vesicles at higher temperatures. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis revealed that the driving force for the formation of vesicles and worm-like micelles was the hydrogen bonds between EP-β-CD molecules, while water molecules played an important role in promoting vesicle formation between SDS/DTAB@EP-β-CD units. Herein, the mechanism of the morphologic transformation of SDS/DTAB@EP-β-CD supramolecular aggregates induced by temperature was elucidated by exploring the self-assembly process, which may provide an excellent basis for the development of delivery carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers are subject to increasing human pressure, resulting in a loss of their natural characteristics, further enhanced by climate change. The present study focuses on a piedmont reach of the Italian Po River and combines Landsat satellite information with hydrological records to investigate changes in sandbars exposure and riparian vegetation coverage, considering the summer period of 1984–2022. Satellite data were handled via Google Earth Engine, looking at common indexes such as the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index, which was used to identify temporal variations in wetted channel area, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, considered as a proxy of vegetation coverage variations. Changes in the river hydrology were analysed by looking at the annual minimum water levels, the discharge duration curve, the stage–discharge relationship and the yearly annual water volume. Results suggest that a process of oversimplification is affecting this reach of the Po River, showing how climate change can affect piedmont European watercourses. Indeed, after an initial period where bars tended to be barer and somehow stable over time, in the most recent decade a different trend appeared, with vegetation able to colonize the exposed sandbars more. Using the Po River as an exemplary case study, this work suggests that prolonged dry periods, which are more common in recent decades, might impact large and medium rivers located in temperate climates, favouring the development of vegetation on exposed sandbars, eventually resulting in a less dynamic active channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To interpret why rotor-spun yarns have fewer straight fibers, numerical simulations are performed to explore the fiber dynamics and morphological evolution during its conveyance in a rotor spinning unit by the airstream. Results show that the fiber experiences a sharp speed increase after reaching the shear boundary layer of the rotating wall. The sharp speed increase ends when the fiber arrives at the rotor groove where its morphology and speed barely change. The fiber straightness undergoes a process of first decreasing and then increasing during the conveyance and the worst fiber straightness is obtained halfway during the fiber's sliding process. Compared with the fiber transport channel (FTC) angle, the rotor speed and the suction pressure play a more important role in affecting the fiber dynamics and morphological evolution. Fiber can be more efficiently conveyed as the rotor speed increases or/and the suction pressure decreases, and its straightness varies non-monotonically with these two parameters. Too low or too high rotor speed and suction pressure could result in a decrease in the fiber straightness, and the straightest fiber is obtained at a medium rotor speed of 80,000 rpm and a medium suction pressure of −8000 Pa for our considered system parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc-based flow battery is an energy storage technology with good application prospects because of its advantages of abundant raw materials, low cost, and environmental friendliness. The chemical stability of zinc electrodes exposed to electrolyte is a very important issue for zinc-based batteries. This paper reports on details of chemical stability of the zinc metal exposed to a series of solutions, as well as the relationship between the morphological evolution of zinc electrodes and their properties in an alkaline medium. Chemical corrosion of zinc electrodes by the electrolyte will change their surface morphology. However, we observed that chemical corrosion is not the main contributor to the evolution of zinc electrode surface morphology, but the main contributor is the Zn/Zn2+ electrode process. The morphological evolution of zinc electrodes was controlled by using ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIA), and 1-propylsulfonic-3-methylimidazolium tosylate (PSMIT), and the electrode performance was recorded during the morphological evolution process. It was observed that the reversible change of zinc electrode morphology was accompanied by better electrode performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary correlations between phenotypic and environmental traits characterize adaptive radiations. However, the lizard genus Liolaemus, one of the most ecologically diverse terrestrial vertebrate radiations on earth, has so far shown limited or mixed evidence of adaptive diversification in phenotype. Restricted use of comprehensive environmental data, incomplete taxonomic representation and not considering phylogenetic uncertainty may have led to contradictory evidence. We compiled a 26-taxon dataset for the Liolaemus gracilis species group, representing much of the ecological diversity represented within Liolaemus and used environmental data to characterize how environments occupied by species' relate to phenotypic evolution. Our analyses, explicitly accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty, suggest diversification in phenotypic traits toward the present, with body shape evolution rapidly evolving in this group. Body shape evolution correlates with the occupation of different structural habitats indicated by vegetation axes suggesting species have adapted for maximal locomotory performance in these habitats. Our results also imply that the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and model misspecification may be more extensive on univariate, relative to multivariate analyses of evolutionary correlations, which is an important consideration in analyzing data from rapidly radiating adaptive radiations.

The evolution of delta and riverbank erosion within the river basin can significantly impact the environment, ecosystems, and lives of those residing along rivers. The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), counted among the world's largest deltas, has undergone significant morphological alterations via natural processes and human activities. This research aims to examine these morphological alterations and their impacts on local economic and social conditions in the VMD. This study utilized satellite data from 1988 to 2020, coupled with population density and land use/land cover (LULC) maps from 2002, 2008, and 2015. The findings reveal that the VMD experienced widespread erosion over the past three decades, covering an area of 66.8 km2 and affecting 48% of the riverbank length (682 km). In contrast to riverbanks, islets showed an accretion trend with an additional area of 13.3 km2, resulting in a decrease in river width over the years. Riverbank and islet erosion has had a profound impact on the LULC, population, and economy of the provinces along the VMD. From 2002 to 2020, eight different land use types were affected, with agricultural land being the most severely eroded, constituting over 86% of the total lost land area (3235.47 ha). The consequences of land loss due to erosion affected 31,273 people and resulted in substantial economic damages estimated at VND 19,409.90 billion (USD 799.50 million) across nine provinces along the VMD. Notably, even though built-up land represented a relatively small portion of the affected area (6.58%), it accounted for the majority of the economic damage at 70.6% (USD 564.45 million). This study underscores the crucial role of satellite imagery and GIS in monitoring long-term morphological changes and assessing their primary impacts. Such analysis is essential for formulating effective plans and strategies for the sustainable management of river environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational immobilization of fragile enzymes on a scaffold is an efficient protocol to achieve robust biocatalyst, yet the construction remains challenging due to the trade‐off between enzyme activity and framework environment. Herein, an enzyme‐engineered assembly strategy enabling the in situ fusion of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) into Zn‐based metal‐organic frameworks (Zn‐MOF‐74) during the rapid nucleation and crystal defect growth process, is demonstrated. The Zn‐MOF‐74 composites can offer a hydrophilic framework microenvironment for maintaining the biological state of AChE, with flower‐like porous structure that allows for boosting the mass transfer process of substrates and products. Impressively, the apparent activity of AChE can be well maintained 90% after encapsulation, and the AChE@Zn‐MOF‐74 composites produced excellent stability in inhospitable environments. Given the structural integration, a robust AChE@Zn‐MOF‐74‐based biosensor is constructed for the sensitive detection of chlorpyrifos (organophosphorus pesticides) with a detection limit of 1.0 ng mL−1, enabling the monitoring of pesticide degradation extent in the water body. This study is anticipated to offer valuable insight into understanding the structure‐activity relationship of enzyme@MOF to encourage applications in the construction of robust biosensors for precision agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide dam failure and induced morphological changes are dependent on the material composition. A bimodal material composition is observed in landslide dams and riverbeds, but its influence on dam failure and morphological changes is poorly understood. In this study, we experimentally investigate landslide dam failure and its effect on local morphology by varying both dam and bed material composition. The results show that the peak discharge and final breach size increase, while the upstream residual water level decreases with increasing fine material (sand) content in the dam material. The effect of the bed material is limited and the whole dam failure process is rather controlled by the dam material. However, erosion surface slope and final erosion depth vary with changes in both dam and bed material. Sediments are deposited unevenly on the erodible bed, resulting in the formation of sandbars after dam failure. Similar topographies are observed with different erodible beds, while the deposition area and the anisotropy of deposition depth increase with increasing sand content in the dam material. The influence of bimodal material on dam failure and morphological changes is related to the incipient motion and transport of sediments, leading to the formation of armour layer and non-uniform bedform after dam failure. A dam failure pattern is proposed by considering the variation of the erosion surface slope caused by the change in erosion rate and the occurrence of deposition during dam failure. This study improves the understanding of landslide dam failure and induced morphological changes, and further aids the hazard management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reactivation of coüuviai Landslides in reservoir banks poses a serious threat to the safety of hydropower projects and nearby towns. This study aims to research the morphological evolution of this type of landslides under the action of reservoir water and the impact of morphological evolution on landslide stability. The study focused on the Yulinerzu landslide, a large reactivated colluvial landslide in the Xiluodu Reservoir, China. Field surveys were conducted to analyze the geological structure of the landslide. In situ monitoring and surveys were used to obtain the deformation characteristics and morphological evolution of the landslide. A combined seepage-slope stability analysis was conducted to reveal the deformation mechanism. The results show that the reactivation of the Yulinerzu landslide is dominated by reservoir water fluctuations rather than rainfall. The underlying geological condition of the colluvial landslide is its hydrogeological structure, which causes the landslide to deform in a step-like manner during reservoir operation. With the accumulation of displacement and morphology evolution, the landslide displayed self-stabilizing characteristics. Therefore, in the stability analysis and risk assessment of large deformation landslides, it is essential to take into account not only the hydraulic effects of reservoir fluctuation but also the evolution of landslide morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Modular architecture of traits in complex organisms can be important for morphological evolution at micro‐ and sometimes macroevolutionary scales as it may influence the tempo and direction of changes to groups of traits that are essential for particular functions, including food acquisition and processing. We tested several distinct hypotheses about craniofacial modularity in the hominine skull in relation to feeding biomechanics. Materials and Methods: First, we formulated hypothesized functional modules for craniofacial traits reflecting specific demands of feeding biomechanics (e.g., masseter leverage/gape or tooth crown mechanics) in Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, and Gorilla gorilla. Then, the pattern and strength of modular signal was quantified by the covariance ratio coefficient and compared across groups using covariance ratio effect size. Hierarchical clustering analysis was then conducted to examine whether a priori‐defined functional modules correspond to empirically recovered clusters. Results: There was statistical support for most a priori‐defined functional modules in the cranium and half of the functional modules in the mandible. Modularity signal was similar in the cranium and mandible, and across the three taxa. Despite a similar strength of modularity, the empirically recovered clusters do not map perfectly onto our priori functional modules, indicating that further work is needed to refine our hypothesized functional modules. Conclusion: The results suggest that modular structure of traits in association with feeding biomechanics were mostly shared with humans and the two African apes. Thus, conserved patterns of functional modularity may have facilitated evolutionary changes to the skull during human evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: Maleae is one of the most widespread tribes of Rosaceae and includes several important fruit crops and ornamental plants.We used nuclear genes from 62 transcriptomes/genomes, including 26 newly generated transcriptomes, to reconstruct a well‐supported phylogeny and study the evolution of fruit and leaf morphology and the possible effect of whole genome duplication (WGD).Our phylogeny recovered 11 well‐supported clades and supported the monophyly of most genera (except Malus, Sorbus, and Pourthiaea) with at least two sampled species. A WGD was located to the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of Maleae and dated to c. 54 million years ago (Ma) near the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum, supporting Gillenieae (x = 9) being a parental lineage of Maleae (x = 17) and including duplicate regulatory genes related to the origin of the fleshy pome fruit. Whole genome duplication‐derived paralogs that are retained in specific lineages but lost in others are predicted to function in development, metabolism, and other processes. An upshift of diversification and innovations of fruit and leaf morphologies occurred at the MRCA of the Malinae subtribe, coinciding with the Eocene–Oligocene transition (c. 34 Ma), following a lag from the time of the WGD event.Our results provide new insights into the Maleae phylogeny, its rapid diversification, and morphological and molecular evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous combustion of coal in goaf has important implications for the safe mining of working faces; hence, it is crucial to prevent and control such occurrences. Here, we establish an experimental system to investigate the morphological distribution, evolution, and migration process of the temperature field of the thermal core area in systems with various particle sizes. Furthermore, we propose a high-temperature-region inversion method based on the morphological evolution model of the temperature field. Our experimental results demonstrate that particle size is a critical factor influencing the temperature field morphology under a given heating condition. During the heating stage, the isothermal surface within the thermal core area forms an ellipsoidal shape, with a transverse section comprising concentric circles, and a longitudinal section comprising ellipses. During the heat dissipation stage, the isothermal surface of the small-particle-size system encircles the thermal core area from the upper direction downwards, while the isothermal surface of the large-particle-size system encircles the thermal core area from the lower direction upwards. Moreover, the thermal core area of the large-particle-size system migrates upwards, while the thermal core area of the small-particle-size system migrates a shorter distance. Finally, we used a geometrically simplified temperature field in loose media to propose a high-temperature-region inversion method, which was verified by experiments. This study is crucial for understanding the distribution and evolution of temperature fields in loose media and predicting the formation and development of high-temperature regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological changes in an estuarine bay are affected by fluvial and oceanic dynamics, as well as human activities. Human activity has increased considerably in recent years, especially in Lingding Bay of the Pearl River Estuary. Based on mass measured bathymetric data and remote sensing images, morphological changes in Lingding Bay were examined and its long-term morphological evolution from 1964 to 2019 was studied using GIS method and EOF methods. The water area of Lingding Bay gradually decreased through this period due to shore reclamation and the evolutionary characteristics of the underwater topography were different before and after 2007 due to changes in the intensity of human activities. From 1964 to 2007, the water depth and volume of Lingding Bay decreased slightly and the bay experienced a slow silting process with the geomorphic pattern of "three shoals and two troughs" under low-intensity human activity. From 2007 to present, high-intensity sand-dredging activities in the bay have led to considerable deepening and a significant increase in water volume in the East Trough and Middle Shoal areas. The amount of sediment loss caused by the sand-dredging activities after 2007 far exceeded the amount of sediment deposition over the past four decades prior to 2007. Therefore, even if the sand-dredging activities had been banned, the eroded parts of Lingding Bay (i.e., East Trough and Middle Shoal) may not recover in a short time due to the small sediment load from the Pearl River. These recent morphological changes in Lingding Bay may bring about challenges for estuary regulation, disaster control, environmental protection, and the operational safety of the nearby ports and channels. Consequently, the subsequent evolution of the bay requires further research. This will enrich the scientific work for estuarine and coastal research and be conducive to revealing the interaction mechanisms between humans and nature, guiding sustainable development, estuarine disaster control, and promoting interdisciplinary innovation in estuarine research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reef islands are composed of unconsolidated carbonate sediment from the reef that has been organized and deposited on an atoll and platform reef by ocean hydrodynamics. They are frequently found in remote mid-ocean locations within tropical and subtropical waters and are the sole source for habitable land of some island nations. It is anticipated that sea level rise and more frequent and intense storms resulting from global climate change will destabilize these low-lying reef islands, thus there is increasing concern about the persistence and habitability of these islands during future extreme wave events. The reef island morphodynamic response to the action of regular waves has not been reported in the literature. Therefore, this study performed laboratory experiments based on a horizontally one-dimensional reef island physical model in a wave flume. The temporal variation of the island profile under regular waves was measured to analyze the effects of island morphological factors (initial island height and width) and initial island location on its topographic evolution. The results showed that the reef island lost crest elevation and migrated and extended toward its lagoon side under the action of regular waves. Accretion also occurred on the lagoon side beach and random ripples appeared. The time required for the island to reach its equilibrium profile decreased with increasing of initial island height, initial island width, and initial island distance from reef edge. The island crest lowering due to scouring increased with increase of initial island height, but it decreased with increasing of initial island width and initial island distance from the reef edge. Among the three factors, initial island height had the greatest impact on the crest lowering. The island lagoonward migration decreased with increasing of both initial island height and initial island distance from reef edge, but it increased with the increase of initial island width. Among the three factors, initial island location was the most influential factor to lagoonward migration, but no island lagoonward migration was detected when the initial island distance D≥2 m. Regression analysis was used to obtain empirical formulae to predict the island crest lowering and island lagoonward migration, respectively. The outcomes of this study provide a habitability assessment for such low-lying island nations in the context of global climate change.

Abstract: Tidal flats are dynamic coastal ecosystems continually reshaped by natural processes and human activities. This study investigates the application of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis to the long-term profile evolution of tidal flats along the Jiansan Bend of the Qiantang River Estuary, China. By applying EOF analysis to profiles observed from 1984 to 2023, this study identifies dominant modes of variability and their spatial and temporal characteristics, offering insights into the complex sediment transport and morphological evolution processes. EOF analysis helps unravel the complex interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors shaping tidal flats, with the first three eigenfunctions accounting for over 90% of the observed variance. The first spatial eigenfunction captures the primary trend, while the subsequent two eigenfunctions reveal secondary and tertiary modes of variability. A conceptual model developed in this study elucidates the interplay between hydrodynamic forces and morphological changes, highlighting the rotation and oscillation of tidal flat profiles in response to seasonal variations in hydrological conditions. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of EOF analysis in capturing significant geomorphological processes and underscore its potential in enhancing the understanding of tidal flat dynamics, thereby informing more effective management and conservation strategies for these critical coastal environments.

In recent years, the government has attempted to address the issue of college student employment in relation to national harmony and stability. Against the backdrop of the current era, the study investigates the employment concepts of students at a comprehensive university, analyzing the evolution of these concepts based on survey data on college students’ employment and entrepreneurship status in recent years. Afterward, the study identifies the variables associated with the employment concept and direction, employs the multinomial logit model for regression analysis and average marginal effect analysis to investigate the factors influencing the employment concept, and subsequently develops effective countermeasures to foster the correct employment concept among college students. The main employment destinations of college students are graduate school (27.9%~37.7%), enterprise employment (26.5%~31.2%), public examination (8.5%~10.4%), and flexible employment (9.6%~18.6%). It reveals that the most valued employment factors among college students have shifted from career prospects to welfare treatment, with pragmatism and diversification emerging as key development trends in their employment concepts. Colleges and universities should accelerate the pace of vocationalization reform, strengthen students’ quality education, guide college students to correct their employment attitudes, and promote the formation of correct employment concepts among college students.

The reactivation of colluvial landslides in reservoir banks poses a serious threat to the safety of hydropower projects and nearby towns. This study aims to research the morphological evolution of this type of landslides under the action of reservoir water and the impact of morphological evolution on landslide stability. The study focused on the Yulinerzu landslide, a large reactivated colluvial landslide in the Xiluodu Reservoir, China. Field surveys were conducted to analyze the geological structure of the landslide. In situ monitoring and surveys were used to obtain the deformation characteristics and morphological evolution of the landslide. A combined seepage-slope stability analysis was conducted to reveal the deformation mechanism. The results show that the reactivation of the Yulinerzu landslide is dominated by reservoir water fluctuations rather than rainfall. The underlying geological condition of the colluvial landslide is its hydrogeological structure, which causes the landslide to deform in a step-like manner during reservoir operation. With the accumulation of displacement and morphology evolution, the landslide displayed self-stabilizing characteristics. Therefore, in the stability analysis and risk assessment of large deformation landslides, it is essential to take into account not only the hydraulic effects of reservoir fluctuation but also the evolution of landslide morphology.

Context: Cervids and bovids have antlers and horns respectively, which serve important functions. Bovids horns grow continuously, while almost all cervids cast antlers annually. Aims: We compared some measurements of the cervid antlers with the bovid horns to show the possible morphological and mechanical reasons for antler casting. Methods: We measured the weight and the length of 59 cervid antlers and 35 bovid horns. Then, we calculated the ratio of antler (or horn) weight to bodyweight, as well as the torque of the antler and horns. We used general linear model to test the difference of these four variables between cervids and bovids. Key results: Our results showed that (1) the weight of cervid antlers was significantly higher than that of bovid horns, (2) the ratio of antler (or horn) weight to bodyweight showed no significant difference between cervids and bovids, (3) the distance from the centre of gravity to the base of the antler or horn differed significantly between bovids and cervids, and (4) the torque of cervid antlers was significantly greater than that of bovid horns. Conclusions: We assumed that the antlers exert more burden on the head of cervids than do horns on the head of bovids. Antler casting could be the evolutionary strategy of deer to relieve the burden of antlers. Implications: Unpacking the burden of antler could be one of the ultimate causes for antler casting in cervids. Cervids and bovids all have antlers and horns. Bovids' horns grow continuously, while almost all cervids cast antlers annually. After mechanical analysis, we found that the weight of cervid antlers, the distance from the centre of gravity to the base of the cervid antler, and the torque of cervid antlers were significantly higher than those of bovid horns. The antlers exert more burden on the head of cervids than do horns on the head of bovids. Antler shedding could be the evolutionary strategy of deer to relieve the burden of antlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the link between genomic and phenotypic change is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology. Insights into this link can be gained by using a phylogenetic approach to test for correlations between rates of molecular and morphological evolution. However, there has been persistent uncertainty about the relationship between these rates, partly because conflicting results have been obtained using various methods that have not been examined in detail. We carried out a simulation study to evaluate the performance of 5 statistical methods for detecting correlated rates of evolution. Our simulations explored the evolution of molecular sequences and morphological characters under a range of conditions. Of the methods tested, Bayesian relaxed-clock estimation of branch rates was able to detect correlated rates of evolution correctly in the largest number of cases. This was followed by correlations of root-to-tip distances, Bayesian model selection, independent sister-pairs contrasts, and likelihood-based model selection. As expected, the power to detect correlated rates increased with the amount of data, both in terms of tree size and number of morphological characters. Likewise, greater among-lineage rate variation in the data led to improved performance of all 5 methods, particularly for Bayesian relaxed-clock analysis when the rate model was mismatched. We then applied these methods to a data set from flowering plants and did not find evidence of a correlation in evolutionary rates between genomic data and morphological characters. The results of our study have practical implications for phylogenetic analyses of combined molecular and morphological data sets, and highlight the conditions under which the links between genomic and phenotypic rates of evolution can be evaluated quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent development from grey infrastructures to green infrastructures, artificial reefs become more popular in coastal protection projects. To investigate the responses of beach profile evolution to the presence of an artificial reef, a non-hydrostatic model is established. Both hydrodynamic and morphodynamic evolution for the beach with and without an artificial reef are compared under regular wave conditions. In addition, the protected beach profile evolution by an artificial reef is discussed under irregular wave conditions. Three key parameters in non-hydrostatic simulation are considered for sensitivity analysis, including maximum wave steepness criterium (maxbrsteep), water depth factor (depthscale), and equilibrium sediment concentration factor (sedcal). The numerical results under regular wave conditions indicate that the artificial reef enhances wave attenuation by inducing wave breaking. In addition, the artificial reef reduces local flow velocity and offshore sediment transport by 51%, therefore decrease the total erosion by 53%. Over the artificial reef, wave skewness and asymmetry go through a drastic change. Under irregular wave conditions, short waves contribute to the wave energy mainly and reflection-induced standing wave effects decline considerably. It demonstrates that the artificial reef can protect the beach from regular and irregular waves by reducing erosion and offshore transport of suspended sediments. Moreover, in the wave breaking area, the increase of maximum wave steepness criterium may give arise to the wave height. The morphological evolution is more sensitive to water depth factor than equilibrium sediment concentration factor, because the former is a controlling factor for beach profile characteristics while the latter forms the sandbar varying irregularly in shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers disrupted by sediment cutoff often experience degradation, but the migration of the erosion center, defined as the location with the greatest degradation rates, has not been thoroughly understood. This paper focuses on the streamwise migration of the erosion center along the ∼400‐km‐long Yichang to Chenglingji reach (YCR) downstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), China. We analyzed channel morphological adjustment based on water, sediment and channel geometry data collected during 2002–2020. Based on the location and time for the occurrence of relatively large channel degradation, a clustering algorithm was used to identify the location of the erosion center. Characteristics and morphodynamic controls of the erosion centers were studied based on the migration of incisional and coarsening waves simulated by a one‐dimensional morphodynamic model for nonuniform sediment. Results show that the erosion center migrated downstream along the Yichang‐Zhicheng reach with gravel‐sand bed during 2002–2012, the migration rate was rapid after the dam closure then decreased with time. After ∼2012, large cascade dams started to operate along the upper Yangtze River, sediment load further decreased and degradation accelerated at the YCR. Correspondingly, the erosion center migrated to the sand‐bedded upper Jingjiang reach with faster rates. The erosion center migrated for a total of over 200 km with an average rate of ∼14 km/yr during 2002–2020. The underlying gravel layer was exposed due to degradation, which enhanced bed coarsening and resulted in the propagation of the erosion center downstream of the TGD. Key Points: Erosion center, area with the greatest degradation rates, moved downstream below the damBed coarsening impacting the streamwise migration of the erosion centerExposed underlying gravel layer enhanced armoring and triggered migration of the erosion center [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA) has fully proved its versatility for scale‐up production of block copolymer nanoparticles with tunable sizes and morphologies; yet, there are still some limitations. Recently, seeded PISA approaches combing PISA with heterogeneous seeded polymerizations have been greatly explored and are expected to overcome the limitations of traditional PISA. In this review, recent advances in seeded PISA that have expanded new horizons for PISA are highlighted including i) general considerations for seeded PISA (e.g., kinetics, the preparation of seeds, the selection of monomers), ii) morphological evolution induced by seeded PISA (e.g., from corona‐shell‐core nanoparticles to vesicles, vesicles‐to‐toroid, disassembly of vesicles into nanospheres), and iii) various well‐defined nanoparticles with hierarchical and sophisticated morphologies (e.g., multicompartment micelles, porous vesicles, framboidal vesicles, AXn‐type colloidal molecules). Finally, new insights into seeded PISA and future perspectives are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reef islands are composed of unconsolidated carbonate sediment from the reef that has been organized and deposited on an atoll and platform reef by ocean hydrodynamics. They are frequently found in remote midocean locations within tropical and subtropical waters and are the sole source for habitable land of some island nations. It is anticipated that sea level rise and more frequent and intense storms resulting from global climate change will destabilize these low-lying reef islands, thus there is increasing concern about the persistence and habitability of these islands during future extreme wave events. The reef island morphodynamic response to the action of regular waves has not been reported in the literature. Therefore, this study performed laboratory experiments based on a horizontally one-dimensional reef island physical model in a wave flume. The temporal variation of the island profile under regular waves was measured to analyze the effects of island morphological factors (initial island height and width) and initial island location on its topographic evolution. The results showed that the reef island lost crest elevation and migrated and extended toward its lagoon side under the action of regular waves. Accretion also occurred on the lagoon side beach and random ripples appeared. The time required for the island to reach its equilibrium profile decreased with increasing of initial island height, initial island width, and initial island distance from reef edge. The island crest lowering due to scouring increased with increase of initial island height, but it decreased with increasing of initial island width and initial island distance from the reef edge. Among the three factors, initial island height had the greatest impact on the crest lowering. The island lagoonward migration decreased with increasing of both initial island height and initial island distance from reef edge, but it increased with the increase of initial island width. Among the three factors, initial island location was the most influential factor to lagoonward migration, but no island lagoonward migration was detected when the initial island distance D≥2 m. Regression analysis was used to obtain empirical formulae to predict the island crest lowering and island lagoonward migration, respectively. The outcomes of this study provide a habitability assessment for such low-lying island nations in the context of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]