scholarly journals Snail communities improve submerged macrophytes growth by graze epiphytic algae and phytoplankton in a mesocosm experiment

Author(s):  
Tian Lv ◽  
Xin Guan ◽  
Shufeng Fan ◽  
Chunhua Liu

The relationship between producers (e.g., macrophyte, phytoplankton and epiphytic algae) and snails plays an important role in maintaining the function and stability of the shallow ecosystems. A complex relationship exists among macrophytes, epiphytic algae, phytoplankton and snails. An outdoor mesocosm experiment with two-way factorials was carried out, three species submerged macrophytes (Hydrilla verticillate, Vallisneria natans or one exotic submerged plant Elodea nuttallii) and two grazing treatments (4 snail species present or absent) to elucidate those relationships. The results showed that the snail communities reducing the biomass of phytoplankton and epiphytic algae indirect then enhanced the growth of the submerged macrophytes. The macrophyte with complex architecture supported more snail and epiphytic algae, and snails preferred to feed on native plants. Competition drove snails change the grazing preferences to achieve coexistence, so that led to the assembling of snail communities towards the direction of highest resource utilization.

Author(s):  
Rónán McDermott ◽  
Pat Gibbons ◽  
Dalmas Ochieng ◽  
Charles Owuor Olungah ◽  
Desire Mpanje

AbstractWhile scholarship suggests that improving tenure security and housing significantly reduces disaster risk at the household level within urban settings, this assertion has not been adequately tested. Tenure security can be conceived as being composed of three interrelated and overlapping forms: tenure security as determined by legal systems; de facto tenure security; and tenure security as perceived by residents. This article traces the relationship between tenure security, the quality of housing, and disaster risk on the basis of a mixed methods comparative case study of the settlements of Kawangware and Kibera in Nairobi. Although the findings suggest that owner-occupancy is associated with the structural integrity of dwellings to a greater extent than tenantship, no association was found between the length of occupancy by households and the structural integrity of the dwelling. Moreover, tenantship is not found to be closely associated with fires and flooding affecting the dwelling as extant scholarship would suggest. Formal ownership is linked with greater investment and upgrading of property with significant implications for disaster risk. Our findings highlight the complex relationship between tenure security and disaster risk in urban informal settlements and provide impetus for further investigation.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1570
Author(s):  
Charles Spence

This narrative review examines the complex relationship that exists between the presence of specific configurations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in food and drink products and multisensory flavour perception. Advances in gas chromatography technology and mass spectrometry data analysis mean that it is easier than ever before to identify the unique chemical profile of a particular food or beverage item. Importantly, however, there is simply no one-to-one mapping between the presence of specific VOCs and the flavours that are perceived by the consumer. While the profile of VOCs in a particular product undoubtedly does tightly constrain the space of possible flavour experiences that a taster is likely to have, the gustatory and trigeminal components (i.e., sapid elements) in foods and beverages can also play a significant role in determining the actual flavour experience. Genetic differences add further variation to the range of multisensory flavour experiences that may be elicited by a given configuration of VOCs, while an individual’s prior tasting history has been shown to determine congruency relations (between olfaction and gustation) that, in turn, modulate the degree of oral referral, and ultimately flavour pleasantness, in the case of familiar foods and beverages.


1985 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
pp. 253-276
Author(s):  
Peter Kuhfus

After the 1927/28 upheaval in the communist movement, a complex relationship evolved between Chen Duxiu (1879–1942) and Leon Trotsky (1879–1940). To date little has been written about this relationship in the west. The relationship between Chen and Trotsky, however, deserves treatment in its own right for various reasons. First, an elucidation of the contacts between them should close a significant gap in the respective biographies of the two Opposition leaders. The intention is not only to define Trotsky's role as seen from Chen's perspective, but also to emphasize the Far Eastern component hitherto underestimated in biographies of Trotsky. Secondly, the reconstruction of the relationship between Chen and Trotsky constitutes an important, correcting supplement to our knowledge of the developments ( = Wirkungsgeschichte) of “Trotskyism” in China, as it has been described as a concrete phenomenon as well as an ideological-political undercurrent. Thirdly, a study of the relationship between Chen and Trotsky should provide a better understanding of relations between the Communists of China and of the Soviet Union.


2019 ◽  
pp. 36-64
Author(s):  
Edward B. Barbier

This chapter examines how humankind's complex relationship with water evolved historically to create today's water paradox. There is a significant difference between how water is managed and used for economic development today compared to past eras. Starting with the Agricultural Transition around 10,000 years ago, economic development was spurred by harnessing more water resources. Rather than threatening sustainable development, exploiting and controlling water resources was the key to building successful and long-lasting economies. Although the relationship between exploiting water resources and economic development has changed, many of the water institutions and innovations have not. Water may appear to be cheap, but it is only artificially so. Instead, the current market, policy, and governance institutions underprice it, and so people continue to use water excessively as if it were not scarce. Most of the innovations are also geared toward expanding command and control of water resources, not toward reducing use as economies develop.


Çédille ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 565-591
Author(s):  
Antonella Lipscomb

The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between autobiography, pho-tography and autofiction in a selection of 20th century French autobiographies, such as Roland Barthes par Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes, L’Amant by Marguerite Duras, L´Image fantôme by Hervé Guibert. I will examine the complex relationship these auto-biographers maintain with the photographic portraits they choose to integrate or simply allude to in their autobiographies and show how the conflict between textual and visual images of the self reinforce the fine line between autobiography and autofiction.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Cai ◽  
Qing Liu ◽  
Shengliang Deng ◽  
Dan Cao

This research investigates the effects of entrepreneurial orientation and external technology acquisition on the performance of technology-based new ventures in the context of a transitional economy. An analysis of the cross-sectional data from 123 Chinese technology-based new ventures was conducted. The results of the analysis support the contention that both the acquisition of external technology and entrepreneurial orientation improve new ventures’ performance. Additionally, the interaction of entrepreneurial orientation and external technology acquisition positively moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance of technology-based new ventures. Overall, this study contributes to our enhanced understanding of the complex relationship among entrepreneurial orientation, external technology acquisition and firm performance under transitional economic conditions. Firms from emerging economies, especially technologybased new ventures, may find the study findings useful in guiding their decision on external technology acquisition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-347
Author(s):  
Gita Chadha

The article explores the equation among nature, nation and gender in the nationalist context. Developing the argument that both nature and nation were feminised and deified as mother and mother goddess in the nationalist context, the article deploys feminist perspectives to critically examine this on a fourth-axis science. By looking at the relationship of the scientist, J. C. Bose, to these categories, the article hopes to unravel the complex relationship of the Indian scientist to nation, nature, gender and science. It is argued that due to being a ‘Sakta’, Bose had a symbiotic relationship to nature, and consequently to science, thereby presenting an ‘alternative’ to Western modes of relating to science and nature. The article submits that this alternative was cast in patriarchal constructions of both science and nature and views the associations of mother with nation and nature within larger feminist critiques of science. The article submits that while these sleeping metaphors set an alternative paradigm to the Western modes of relating to nature through science, they reproduced patriarchal constructions of the same. The article is an effort at grafting feminist perspectives on (a) science and (b) nationalism with postcolonial perspectives on science and modernity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinan Liu ◽  
Apostolos Serletis

PurposeTo investigate the complex relationship between inflation, inflation uncertainty and equity returns.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a bivariate VARMA, GARCH-in-mean, asymmetric BEKK model to investigate the relationship between inflation, inflation uncertainty and equity returns.FindingsUsing monthly inflation and equity returns data for the G7 and EM7 economies, we find that the effects of inflation and inflation uncertainty on equity returns vary across countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe mixed evidence we find potentially reflects the changing dynamics, policy regimes, economic shocks and country-specific factors (such as differences in the financing patterns of enterprises and the legal and financial environments) across the G7 and EM7 countries.Practical implicationsWe contribute to the empirical literature in the following ways. First, we rely on a wide sample of countries, including both developed and emerging economies. Second, we extend previous research by estimating a GARCH-in-mean model of monthly equity returns in which both realized returns and their conditional volatility are allowed to vary with inflation. Previous articles that studied the relationship between inflation and stock market returns generally sought time-invariant effects of inflation on stock returns.Social implicationsThe paper helps to reconcile the divergent results of previous empirical studies and distinguish between alternative explanations of the relationship between inflation and equity returns.Originality/valueOur study provides an improved comprehension of the ambiguous relationship between inflation, inflation uncertainty and equity returns under various central bank mandates and different levels of central bank independence. The mixed empirical evidence across countries we present provides insights for the macroeconomic models that consider the relationship between uncertainty and macroeconomic performance as a fundamental building block. Therefore, our empirical study calls for further work on the relationship between inflation, inflation uncertainty and equity returns.


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